GRIQUALAND WEST

historical and contemporary region in Northern Cape province, South Africa. The region lies directly northwest of the juncture of the Vaal and Orange rivers. It is an arid plateau settled in the late 18th century by the Griqua, a mixed-race group of white and Khoikhoin ancestry fleeing discrimination around Cape Town. Many were seminomadic, living by raiding and hunting, while others raised cattle near springs. Diamonds discovered in the area in 1867 led to disputed claims between the Boer republics, the Griqua, and the British Cape Colony. In 1871 the British formally annexed Griqualand West, incorporating it into the Cape Colony nine years later. Most Griqua were forced to sell their farms to whites. Very few remained in the area by the end of the 19th century. Diamonds continue to be mined in Griqualand West, and cattle and sheep are grazed. The rich deposits of the Finsch diamond pipe mine east of Postmasburg have been worked since 1963 by De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd. The main town is Kimberley.