BEIT BRIDGE

also spelled Beitbridge, town, southern Zimbabwe. It lies near the bridge (named for Alfred Beit, British South African financier) across the Limpopo River. The bridge is situated on the border with Northern province, South Africa, opposite Messina and is a port of entry and a customs and immigration post. The town, founded in 1929, was for many years the terminus of the railway from Pretoria, until a rail connection to Rutenga was built in 1974. It is a trading centre for cattle and irrigated crops (potatoes, melons, and tomatoes). Pop. (1982) 5,330.