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The Namibian (South West Africa) diamond fever commenced in 1908 after some sizable diamonds were found in the Luderitzbucht. More than 1,000kg diamonds were mined prior to the 1st World War. Kolmaskop town grew rapidly! People rushed into the Namib desert hoping to make an easy fortune and within two years, a town, complete with a casino, school, hospital and exclusive residential buildings, had been established in the barren sandy desert.
The diamond-bearing gravel was screened and washed in huge recovery plants. However, the amount of gemstones greatly diminished after the war. Furthermore, considerably larger diamonds were found to the south near Oranjemund, causing Kolmanskop to become a ghost town. You can visit Kolmanskop. Every day, there are one-hour guided tours,Kolmanskop Tour Company has such a concession and offers those tours through this area.
The area to the south of Lüderitz is still closed to the public today, and can only be entered by special permit. |
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| Sand, nothing but sand |
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