Witwatersrand

[wit-waw-terz-rand, -wot-erz-]

Wit·wa·ters·rand

[wit-waw-terz-rand, -wot-erz-]
noun
a rocky ridge in S Africa, in the Republic of South Africa, near Johannesburg.
Also called The Rand.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Witwatersrand is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Witwatersrand (wɪtˈwɔːtəzˌrænd, Afrikaans vətˈvɑːtərsˈrant)
 
n
the Rand, Also called: the Reef a rocky ridge in NE South Africa: contains the richest gold deposits in the world, also coal and manganese; chief industrial centre is Johannesburg. Height: 1500--1800 m (5000--6000 ft)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

Witwatersrand

ridge of gold-bearing rock mostly in Gauteng province, South Africa. Its name means "Ridge of White Waters." The highland, which forms the watershed between the Vaal and Limpopo rivers, is about 62 miles (100 km) long and 23 miles (37 km) wide; its average elevation is about 5,600 feet (1,700 metres). Its rich gold deposits, occurring in conglomerate beds known as reefs, were discovered in 1886. A heavy in-migration of miners followed, and the city of Johannesburg grew near the centre of the Witwatersrand. The tailing dumps of the gold mines stretch the entire length of the ridge, and chains of lakes created by water pumped from the mines occupy adjoining valleys.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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