Isandlwana (Zulu pronunciation: [ísanˈdɮwáːna])[2] (older spelling Isandhlwana, also sometimes seen as Isandula) is an isolated hill in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is located 169 kilometres (105 mi) north by northwest of Durban.[3] The name is said to mean abomasum, the second stomach of the cow, because it reminded the Zulus of its shape.
Isandlwana | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,284 m (4,213 ft)[1] |
Listing | List of mountains in South Africa |
Coordinates | 28°21′7″S 30°39′6″E / 28.35194°S 30.65167°E |
Geography | |
Location | KwaZulu-Natal |
Parent range | Drakensberg foothill |
Climbing | |
First ascent | Unknown |
Easiest route | From Dundee |
History
editThis mountain has historical significance. On 22 January 1879, Isandlwana was the site of the Battle of Isandlwana, where approximately 22,000 Zulu warriors defeated a contingent of approximately 1,750 British and African troops in one of the first engagements of the Anglo-Zulu War.[citation needed] The Zulu force was primarily under the command of Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza. The battle was one of the worst defeats suffered by the British Army during the Victorian era.[citation needed]
Isandlwana hill rises 16 kilometres (10 mi) Northeast of Rorke's Drift, a ford on the Buffalo River, a tributary of the Tugela River.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Google Earth
- ^ John Wells: the symbol ɮ. John Wells's phonetic blog, 19. September 2012.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica (1950), v.12, 703.
External links
edit