, nickname = , settlement_type = City , motto = ''Glück Auf''
(

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

for ''Good luck'') , image_skyline = Welcome to tsumeb.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shield = Tsumeb COA.svg , shield_size = , image_blank_emblem = , blank_emblem_type = , blank_emblem_size = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Namibia , pushpin_label_position = bottom , pushpin_mapsize = 240 , pushpin_map_caption = Location in Namibia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 =

Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

, subdivision_name1 = Oshikoto Region , subdivision_type2 =

Constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...

, subdivision_name2 = Tsumeb , subdivision_type3 = , subdivision_name3 = , government_footnotes = , government_type = , leader_title = , leader_name = , leader_title1 = , leader_name1 = , established_title = , established_date = , area_magnitude = , unit_pref = Imperial , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = , area_land_km2 = , area_water_km2 = , area_total_sq_mi = , population_as_of = 2011 , population_footnotes = , population_note = , population_total = 19275 , population_density_km2 = , population_density_sq_mi = , population_metro = , population_density_metro_km2 = , population_density_metro_sq_mi = , population_urban = , population_density_urban_km2 = , population_density_urban_sq_mi = , population_blank1_title = Ethnicities , population_blank1 = , population_density_blank1_km2 = , population_density_blank1_sq_mi = , timezone =

SAST South African Standard Time (SAST) is the time zone used by all of South Africa as well as Eswatini and Lesotho. The zone is two hours ahead of UTC ( UTC+02:00) and is the same as Central Africa Time. Daylight saving time is not observed in ...

, utc_offset = +2 , timezone_DST = , utc_offset_DST = , coordinates = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 1249 , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = , blank_name =

Climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...

, blank_info = BSh , blank1_name = , blank1_info = , website = , footnotes = Shaft tower of disused mine in Tsumeb, Namibia (2014)

Tsumeb ( hz, Okavisume) is a city of 15,000 inhabitants and the largest town in Oshikoto region in northern

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

. Tsumeb is known as the "gateway to the north" of Namibia. It is the closest town to the

Etosha National Park Etosha National Park is a national park in northwestern Namibia and one of the largest national parks in Africa. It was proclaimed a game reserve in March 1907 in Ordinance 88 by the Governor of German South West Africa, Friedrich von Lindequist ...

. Tsumeb used to be the regional capital of Oshikoto until 2008 when Omuthiya was proclaimed a town and the new capital. The area around Tsumeb forms its own electoral constituency and has a population of 44,113. The town is the site of a deep mine (the lower workings now closed) that in its heyday was known as "TCL" (after its operator Tsumeb Corporation Ltd.), but has since been renamed the Ongopolo Mine.

The town and the Tsumeb mine

The name Tsumeb is generally pronounced "TSOO-meb". The name is not a derivative of

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gr ...

, or

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

. It has been suggested that it comes from Nama and means either "Place of the moss" or "Place of the frog". Perhaps this old name had something to do with the huge natural hill of green, oxidized copper ore that existed there before it was mined out. The town was founded in 1905 by the German colonial power and celebrated its 100th year of existence in 2005. Tsumeb is notable for the huge mineralized pipe that led to its foundation. The origin of the pipe has been hotly debated. The pipe penetrates more or less vertically through the Precambrian Otavi dolomite for at least 1300 m. One possibility is that the pipe was actually a gigantic ancient cave system and that the rock filling it is sand that seeped in from above. If the pipe is volcanic, as some have suggested, then the rock filling it (the "pseudo-aplite") is peculiar in the extreme. The pipe was mined in prehistoric times but those ancient workers barely scratched the surface. Most of the ore was removed in the 20th century by cut-and-fill methods. The ore was polymetallic and from it

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, ...

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, b ...

and

germanium Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is lustrous, hard-brittle, grayish-white and similar in appearance to silicon. It is a metalloid in the carbon group that is chemically similar to its group neighbors ...

were won. There was also a fair amount of

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

present but the recovery of this metal was always difficult for technical reasons. Many millions of tonnes of ore of spectacular grade were removed. A good percentage of the ore (called "direct smelting ore") was so rich that it was sent straight to the smelter situated near the town without first having to be processed through the mineral enrichment plant. The Tsumeb mine is also renowned amongst

mineral collector Mineral collecting is the hobby of systematically collecting, identifying and displaying mineral specimens. Mineral collecting can also be a part of the profession of mineralogy and allied geologic specialties. Individual collectors often ...

s. Between 1905 and 1996, the mine produced about 30 million tons of ore yielding 1.7 Mt copper, 2.8 Mt lead 0.9 Mt zinc, as well as 80 t germanium. The average ore grade was 10% Pb, 4.3% Cu, 3.5% Zn, 100 ppm Ag, 50 ppm Ge. It is noted for 243 valid minerals and is the type location for 56 types of mineral. Some of the germanium minerals are only found in this mine.Tsumeb mine mineral list
TL = type location. Dioptase-39887

Tsumeb, since its founding, has been primarily a mining town. The mine was originally owned by the OMEG (Otavi Minen- und Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) and later by TCL (Tsumeb Corporation Limited) before its closure a few years ago, when the ore at depth ran out. The main shafts became flooded by ground water over a kilometre deep and the water was collected and pumped as far as the capital, Windhoek. The mine has since been opened up again by a group of local entrepreneurs ("Ongopolo Mining"). A fair amount of oxidized ore remains to be recovered in the old upper levels of the mine. It is highly unlikely, though, that the deepest levels will ever be reopened. The other notable feature of the town is the metal smelter, currently owned by Namibia Custom Smelters, which was sold by Weatherly International to Dundee Previous Metals in 2010. The right of the smelter is currently owned by

IXM IXM S.A. is a Swiss-French base metal commodity trading company with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It is regarded as the third biggest metals trading company aside from Glencore and Trafigura. The current company was rebranded from "LDC ...

. The Annual Copper Festival is a well-known event on the local festival calendar.

IUGS geological heritage site

In respect of it being 'one of the richest ore deposits with respect to variety, rarity and aesthetics of minerals in the world', the

International Union of Geological Sciences The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the field of geology. About The IUGS was founded in 1961 and is a Scientific Union member of the Int ...

(IUGS) included the 'Tsumeb Ore Deposit' in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022. The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as 'a key place with geological elements and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history.'

Sinkhole lakes and the world's biggest meteorite

Near to the town are two large

sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...

lakes,

Lake Otjikoto Otjikoto Lake is the smaller of only two permanent natural lakes in Namibia. It is a sinkhole lake that was created by a collapsing karst cave. It is located north-west of Tsumeb and only 100 meters from the main road B1. The lake was declared ...

and Lake Guinas ("Gwee-nus"). Guinas, at about 500 m in diameter, is somewhat larger in area than Otjikoto. A pioneering documentary movie about

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...

in these lakes was made by

Graham Ferreira Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan G ...

in the early 1970s. The depths of the lakes are unknown, because towards the bottom both lakes disappear into lateral cave systems, so it is not possible to use a weight to sound them. Otjikoto, which has poor visibility (owing to pollution from agricultural fertilizers used nearby), is at least 60 m deep. The water in Guinas is completely clear and well over 100 m deep. Divers who have performed bounce-dives in Guinas to 80 m (strictly speaking, beyond the safe depth for such dives, especially given the altitude of the lake above sealevel) have reported that there was nothing but powdery-blue water below them. Guinas has been in existence for so long that a unique species of fish, ''

Tilapia guinasana The Otjikoto tilapia (''Tilapia guinasana'') is a critically endangered species of cichlid fish Endemism, endemic to Namibia where it was originally only found in Lake Guinas. This very small sinkhole lake contains quite clear water that generall ...

'', has evolved in its waters. When South Africa invaded

German Southwest Africa German South West Africa (german: Deutsch-Südwestafrika) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. With a total area of ...

, today's Namibia, in 1914, the retreating German forces eventually threw all of their

weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

ry and supplies into the deep waters of Otjikoto. Some of the material has been recovered for display in museums. Otjikotosee

One of the largest and deepest underground lakes in the world lies a little to the east of Tsumeb, on a farm called Harasib. To reach the water in the cave one has either to

abseil Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...

or to descend an ancient, hand-forged ladder that hangs free of the vertical

dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...

walls of the cave for over 50 m. Here, too, SCUBA divers have descended as deep as they have dared (80 m) in the crystal-clear waters and have reported nothing but deep blue below them from one ledge of dolomite to the next with nothing discernible in the depths. The largest

meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object ...

in the world, called Hoba, lies in a field about forty minutes' drive to the southeast of Tsumeb, at Hoba West. It is a nickel-iron meteorite of about 60 tonnes.

Economy and infrastructure

There are 105 commercial farms around Tsumeb. The area consists largely of rolling hills covered in thorn bush. Tsumeb falls under the dry woodland,

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground ...

vegetation zone. The soil around Tsumeb varies in quality from very fertile red

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand ( particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...

through black turf to chalky clay and loam. The district is thus suitable for intensified farming and crop production. There is an abundance of ground water and regular rainfall in the summer months.

Irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

makes the area even more

productive Productivity is the efficiency of production of goods or services expressed by some measure. Measurements of productivity are often expressed as a ratio of an aggregate output to a single input or an aggregate input used in a production proces ...

. Farmers in the area grow

citrus fruits ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

with much success. The main crops grown are

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many other ...

and sunflowers. Cattle farming is also widespread. Ohorongo Cement was established in 2007. The plant is situated between Tsumeb and

Otavi Otavi is a town of 4,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of central Namibia. Situated 360 km north of Windhoek, it is the district capital of the Otavi electoral constituency. Geography The towns of Otavi, Tsumeb (to the north) and ...

on Farm Sargberg approximately 45 km south of Tsumeb. The plant has a production capacity of 650000 tonnes per annum, almost double the demand of the Namibian domestic market. It is owned by

Schwenk KG Schwenk may refer to: * Adolph G. Schwenk (1922–2004), American Marine general * Bud Schwenk (1917–1980), football player * Fran Schwenk (born c. 1948), football player * Hal Schwenk (1890–1955), baseball pitcher * Theodor Schwenk (1910– ...

Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

reserves appear to be adequate for approximately 300 years. Tsumeb has a

concrete sleeper A concrete sleeper (British English) or concrete tie (American English) is a type of railway sleeper or railroad tie made out of steel reinforced concrete. History In 1877, Joseph Monier, a French gardener, suggested that concrete reinforced ...

factory. Every year the Tsumeb Municipality organises the Tsumeb Copper Festival. More than 200 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and bigger exhibitors showcase their products and services at the annual fair. The festival takes place the last weekend of October annually at the United Nations Park. The four-day event, which is aimed at boosting the economic competitiveness of the town, draws crowds from all corners of the country and beyond. It also facilitates indirect investments in the hospitality sector. Tsumeb's stadium, the Oscar Norich Stadium, has a capacity of 1,500.

Transport

There are main roads leading north,

Ondangwa Ondangwa (earlier spelling ''Ondangua'') is a town in the Oshana Region of northern Namibia, bordering the Oshikoto Region. Ondangwa was first established as a mission station of the Finnish Missionary Society (the FMS) in 1890. In 1914, it beca ...

through to

Oshakati Oshakati is a town in northern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Oshana Region and one of Namibia's largest places. Oshakati was founded in July 1966 and proclaimed a town in 1992. The town was used as a base of operations by the S ...

and

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordinat ...

, north-east a new constructed Bituminous Road to

Tsintsabis Tsintsabis is a settlement of about 4,000 inhabitants in the Oshikoto Region of Namibia. It is situated northeast of Tsumeb and belongs to the Guinas electoral constituency. The settlement features a clinic and a police station. Tsintsabis is n ...

leading to Katwitwi Border Post and

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordinat ...

, east,

Grootfontein , nickname = , settlement_type = City , motto = Fons Vitæ , image_skyline = Grootfontein grass.jpg , imagesize = 300px , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_si ...

through to Rundu and Katima Mulilo, and south,

through to

Otjiwarongo Otjiwarongo ( hz, beautiful place) is a city of 28,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Otjiwarongo electoral constituency and also the capital of Otjozondjupa. Otjiwarongo is situated in c ...

and

Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 202 ...

Tsumeb is connected to the national railway network operated by TransNamib. Tsumeb was for most of the 20th century the terminus of the line but in recent times the track has been extended a further 260 km to reach

. There have been talks of extending the line to

Oshikango Oshikango is a former village in northern Namibia and since 2004 part of the town of Helao Nafidi, although it still maintained its own village council for a number of years. ''Oshikango'' is still the name of the border post with Angola and the ...

and having the Government of Angola build a railroad from the north to connect the two countries together. The junction for the

line is located at the "wrong end" of

Tsumeb railway station Tsumeb railway station is a station located in the mining town of Tsumeb in northeastern Namibia. History Trains Transport It is served by a mostly freight railway. The extension of the railway towards the Angolan border in 2012 provi ...

, leaving it a dead end, though a second triangle is provided for through trains to bypass the station.

Tsumeb Airport Tsumeb Airport is an airport serving Tsumeb, a town in the Oshikoto Region of Namibia. The airport is just east of the town. Tsumeb is the location of a former mining operation and is the closest town to the Etosha National Park. The Tsumeb ...

is an airstrip east of town.

Politics

Tsumeb is governed by a municipal council that has seven seats. Nico Kaiyamo is one of the well-known and established local politicians. In the 2010 local authority election, a total of 3,120 votes were cast in the city.

SWAPO The South West Africa People's Organisation (, SWAPO; af, Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; german: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former ind ...

won with approximately 75% of the vote. Of the four other parties seeking seats, Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) received approximately 15% of the vote, followed by United Democratic Front (UDF, 5%), All People's Party (APP, 2%), and the

Democratic Turnhalle Alliance The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), formerly the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), is an amalgamation of political parties in Namibia, registered as one singular party for representation purposes. In coalition with the United Democratic ...

(DTA, 2%) Despite being on the ballot, the

Congress of Democrats The Congress of Democrats (CoD) is a Namibian opposition party without representation in the National Assembly and led by Ben Ulenga. It was established in 1999, prior to that year's general elections, and started off with a number of notabl ...

(CoD) did not receive a vote. The 2015 local authority election was again won by SWAPO which gained six seats and 3,149 votes. The remaining seat went to the DTA which gained 291 votes. The 2020 local authority election was also won by SWAPO which obtained 2,518 votes and gained four seats. The

Independent Patriots for Change The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) is a political party in Namibia. It was founded by Panduleni Itula in August 2020. As an independent presidential candidate in the November 2019 election, Itula won the best result of a losing candid ...

(IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020, obtained 1,472 votes and gained two seats. The remaining seat went to the

Popular Democratic Movement The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), formerly the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), is an amalgamation of political parties in Namibia, registered as one singular party for representation purposes. In coalition with the United Democratic ...

(PDM, the new name of the DTA) with 199 votes.

Town twinning

* Chesterfield, UK *

Elverum is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum. Other settlements in the municipality include Heradsbygd, Sørskog ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

Notable residents

* Alfred Angula * Benjamin Hauwanga * Mburumba Kerina (1932–2021), co-founder of

NUDO Nudo or NUDO may refer to: People * Gene Nudo (born 1958), American American football coach * Vince Nudo, Canadian musician * , Italian actor Places * Col Nudo, Italy * Monte Nudo, Italy * * Nudo, Nikšić, Montenegro * Nudo de los Pastos, E ...

, and FCN * Heino Senekal

Geography

Climate

Tsumeb has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...

( Köppen: ''BSh''), with hot summers and mild winters (with warm days and chilly nights). The average annual precipitation is .

Minerals

Tsumeb belongs to the world's most prolific mineralogical sites. The minerals from Tsumeb are unsurpassed in variety and quality of form. At least 170 mineral species have been cataloged, 20 minerals are found nowhere else. The concentration of ingredients for Tsumeb's mineral formations originates in a sulfide deposit rich in many metals. A non-arid environment plentiful in oxygen-rich groundwater contributed to leaching and re-deposition of these elements as new minerals, sometimes in crystalline formations. There are rare secondary minerals of Pb, Cu, Zn, As, Sb and, reflecting the ore deposit chemistry, Ge, Ga and Cd as well. Minerals first described from Tsumeb include, according to

Mindat.org Mindat.org is a non-commercial online database, claiming to be the largest mineral database and mineralogical reference website on the Internet. It is used by professional mineralogists, geologists, and amateur mineral collectors alike. The ...

: *rare (but also a few common) arsenates: andyrobertsite, arsenbrackebuschite, arsendescloizite, arsentsumebite, biehlite, calcioandyrobertsite, chudobaite, duftite, ekatite, fahleite, feinglosite, ferrilotharmeyerite, gaitite, gebhardite, gerdtremmelite, helmutwinklerite, jamesite, johillerite, keyite, koritnigite, leiteite, ludlockite, lukrahnite, molybdofornacite, o'danielite, prosperite, reinerite, schneiderhöhnite, schultenite, sewardite, stranskiite, thometzekite, tsumcorite, warikahnite, wilhelmkleinite, zincgartrellite and zincroselite *unique

(bartelkeite, calvertite, eyselite, fleischerite,

germanite Germanite is a rare copper iron germanium sulfide mineral, Cu26Fe4Ge4S32. It was first discovered in 1922, and named for its germanium content. It is only a minor source of this important semiconductor element, which is mainly derived from the p ...

, itoite, krieselite (germanate topaz), mathewrogersite, otjisumeite, ovamboite, schaurteite and stottite) and

gallium Gallium is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ga and atomic number 31. Discovered by France, French chemist Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1875, Gallium is in boron group, group 13 of the periodic table and is similar to ...

(gallobeudantite, söhngeite, tsumgallite) minerals *others are: kegelite, minrecordite, otavite, plumbotsumite, queitite, sidpietersite (unique thiosulphate), stibioclaudetite, tsumebite and zincrosasite.
File:Azurite-den07-03d.jpg, Very large cluster of

azurite Azurite is a soft, deep-blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. During the early 19th century, it was also known as chessylite, after the type locality at Chessy-les-Mines near Lyon, France. The mineral, a basic car ...

crystals, ex- Smithsonian collection, offered at US$125,000. Size 16.7 x 13.2 x 10.5 cm. File:Calcite-Hematite-163162.jpg,

Calcite Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, based on scratc ...

crystals colored red by tiny inclusions of

hematite Hematite (), also spelled as haematite, is a common iron oxide compound with the formula, Fe2O3 and is widely found in rocks and soils. Hematite crystals belong to the rhombohedral lattice system which is designated the alpha polymorph of . ...

. Size: 9 x 9 x 4.3 cm. File:Cerussite-173904.jpg, Zoned

Cerussite Cerussite (also known as lead carbonate or white lead ore) is a mineral consisting of lead carbonate (PbCO3), and is an important ore of lead. The name is from the Latin ''cerussa'', white lead. ''Cerussa nativa'' was mentioned by Conrad Gess ...

crystal, 5.9 x 3.6 x 1 cm. File:Dioptase-denv08-28b.jpg,

Dioptase Dioptase is an intense emerald-green to bluish-green copper cyclosilicate mineral. It is transparent to translucent. Its luster is vitreous to sub- adamantine. Its formula is Cu6Si6O18·6H2O (also reported as CuSiO2(OH)2). It has a hardness of ...

crystals on calcite, a classic Tsumeb specimen. Size: 8.2 x 5.8 x 5.5 cm File:Leiteite-rare08-2-77b.jpg, Leiteite, a zinc

arsenate The arsenate ion is . An arsenate (compound) is any compound that contains this ion. Arsenates are salts or esters of arsenic acid. The arsenic atom in arsenate has a valency of 5 and is also known as pentavalent arsenic or As(V). Arsenate res ...

, colored umber-red by inclusions of Ludlockite, a lead arsenate. Tsumeb is the type locality for both species. Size: 2.8 x 1.8 x 1.2 cm. File:Malachite-Azurite-173869.jpg,

Malachite Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral, with the formula Cu2CO3(OH)2. This opaque, green-banded mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses, in fracture ...

pseudomorph In mineralogy, a pseudomorph is a mineral or mineral compound that appears in an atypical form ( crystal system), resulting from a substitution process in which the appearance and dimensions remain constant, but the original mineral is replaced ...

s after

, 13 x 6 x 4 cm. File:Mimetite-Wulfenite-18689.jpg, Gemmy

mimetite Mimetite is a lead arsenate chloride mineral (Pb5(AsO4)3Cl) which forms as a secondary mineral in lead deposits, usually by the oxidation of galena and arsenopyrite. The name derives from the Greek Μιμητής ''mimetes'', meaning "imitator" a ...

with a "sidecar" of wulfenite, 2 x 1 x 1 cm. File:Scorodite-18800.jpg, Bright blue scorodite crystals on brown-blac
beudantite
8 x 5 x 3 cm.

Educational institutes and training facilities

Tsumeb is home to a number of primary and secondary schools as well as an Adult Education Center, which resorts under the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Training facilities

* Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT), Northern campus * Adult Education Center *

Polytechnic of Namibia The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), formerly known as Polytechnic of Namibia, is a public university located in the city of Windhoek, Namibia. Andrew Niikondo is its acting vice-chancellor. NUST was headed by the founding v ...

Center *

University of Namibia The University of Namibia (UNAM) is a multi-campus public research university in Namibia, as well as the largest university in the country. It was established by an act of Parliament on 31 August 1992. Background UNAM comprises the follow ...

Center

Schools

* Etosha Secondary School ( af, Hoërskool Etosha) * Tsumeb Secondary School * Otjikoto Secondary School * Tsumeb Gymnasium * Opawa Combined School * Francis Galton Primary School * Kuvukiland Primary School * Tsumeb English Medium Primary School * Nomtsoub Primary School * Ondundu Primary School * St. Francis Primary School

References

External links

Official Tsumeb Website

Ohorongo Cement Website

Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology website
special issue, Volume 8, Issue 3 – May/June 1977. {{Authority control Cities in Namibia Populated places in the Oshikoto Region Mining communities in Africa Populated places established in 1905 Mining in Namibia 1905 establishments in German South West Africa Geological type localities First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites