Uis is a settlement located in the Erongo Region , Namibia . It belongs to the Dâures electoral constituency . Located in the former Damaraland , it is known for the local mineral wealth. The settlement was established in 1958 as workers' settlement to exploit local tin deposits. It has approximately 3,600 inhabitants and, before being downgraded from "village" to "settlement" in 2010, owned 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) of land.
26-594: Uis is located at the foot of the Brandberg , Namibia's highest mountain. The Brandberg is home to the world famous The White Lady rock painting, said by some to be over 20,000 years old. Being also situated on the C36 , the main road between the coast and the Damaraland interior, there is a reasonable amount of traffic, by far the main source of economic activity in Uis. The settlement holds
52-458: A collar along the western and southern margins of the massif. Their angle of dip increases towards the contact where clasts of country rock occur within the granite forming a magmatic breccia. The origins of the magmas that formed the Brandberg intrusion are related to emplacement of mantle-derived basaltic magma during continental break-up which led to partial melting of crustal rocks resulting in
78-534: A hybrid granitic magma. Erosion subsequently removed the overburden rock. Apatite fission track dating indicates approximately 5 km denudation between 80 and 60 Ma. An associated feature is the Doros Complex . The Brandberg is a spiritual site of great significance to the San (Bushman) tribes . The main tourist attraction is The White Lady rock painting , located on a rock face with other art work, under
104-589: A small rock overhang, in the Tsisab Ravine at the foot of the mountain. The ravine contains more than 1 000 rock shelters, as well as more than 45 000 rock paintings. To reach The White Lady it is necessary to hike for about 40 minutes over rough terrain, along the ancient watercourses threading through the mountain. The higher elevations of the mountain contain hundreds of further rock paintings, most of which have been painstakingly documented by Harald Pager, who made tens of thousands of hand copies. Pager's work
130-560: A small supermarket, guesthouses and a restcamp, a bakery and a petrol station, together with a few other small shops. The ephemeral Uis River , a tributary to the Ugab River , passes the settlement. Uis is home to the Brandberg Primary School and Petrus ǃGaneb Secondary School , both for about 300 learners. Petrus Ganeb SS was built before Namibian independence ; its facilities are old and dilapidated. Tin has been mined in
156-478: A tributary to the Ugab River , passes the settlement. Uis is home to the Brandberg Primary School and Petrus ǃGaneb Secondary School , both for about 300 learners. Petrus Ganeb SS was built before Namibian independence ; its facilities are old and dilapidated. Tin has been mined in the Uis region since 1922. Uis Tin Mining Company was established in 1951 and a settlement was developed in 1958 to house
182-493: Is Uis , roughly 30 km from the mountain. The core area of 450 square kilometres (170 sq mi) was declared a National Monument in 1951. The name Brandberg is Afrikaans, Dutch and German for Burning Mountain . It refers to its glowing color, which is sometimes seen in the setting sun. The Damara name for the mountain is Dâures , which means 'burning mountain', while the Herero name, Omukuruvaro means 'mountain of
208-509: Is in danger of becoming a ghost town if mining cannot be continued. Uis was downgraded to "settlement" status in 2010. Brandberg Mountain The Brandberg ( Damara : Dâures ; Otjiherero : Omukuruvaro ) is Namibia 's highest mountain . Brandberg Mountain is located in former Damaraland , now Erongo , in the northwestern Namib Desert , near the coast, and covers an area of approximately 650 km . With its highest point,
234-403: Is known for the local mineral wealth. The settlement was established in 1958 as workers' settlement to exploit local tin deposits. It has approximately 3,600 inhabitants and, before being downgraded from "village" to "settlement" in 2010, owned 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) of land. Uis is located at the foot of the Brandberg , Namibia's highest mountain. The Brandberg is home to
260-429: Is processed to an enriched state and then taken to Walvis Bay for export. After 2010 new investments enabled work to start again at the old mine. Today successful production is dependent on a high world market price. The mine and the surrounding settlement are situated on the farm Uis Townlands No. 215 and in private ownership today. The white mine spoils are visible from afar. Since 1995 Namib Base Minerals Pty Ltd
286-478: Is the owner, after a subsidiary of ISCOR sold it. Uis still produces rare rocks and minerals. Namibia is well known as a mineral rich country and geologists come from all over the world to study in Namibia because much of the interesting geology and rare rocks are situated at ground level rather than high up on mountains or deep underground. Uis is in danger of becoming a ghost town if mining cannot be continued. Uis
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#1732855685640312-411: Is uninhabited and wild. It is very arid and finding water can be difficult or impossible. In summer, the temperature frequently rises above 40 °C. Nonetheless, the Brandberg area is home to a large diversity of wildlife . The numbers of animals are small because the environment cannot support large populations. However, most of the desert species that are found in Namibia are present and visitors to
338-560: The Königstein ( German for 'King's Stone') , standing at 2,573 m (8,442 ft) above sea level and located on the flat Namib gravel plains, on a clear day 'The Brandberg' can be seen from a great distance. There are various routes to the summit, the easiest (also steepest) being up the Ga'aseb river valley. Other routes include the Hungurob and Tsisab river valleys. The nearest settlement
364-578: The Gods'. The Brandberg Massif or Brandberg Intrusion is a granitic intrusion , which forms a dome-shaped massif. It originated during the Early Cretaceous rifting that led to the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. Argon–argon dating yielded intrusive ages of 132 to 130 Ma. The dominant plutonic rock is a homogeneous medium grained biotite-hornblende granite . In the western interior of
390-625: The Kaoko element. A large and significant group of species has a disjunction between the Karroo-Namib region in the south, and the arid parts of north-east Africa. These appear to be remnants of a hypothesised arid-track joining the two areas. Uis Uis is a settlement located in the Erongo Region , Namibia . It belongs to the Dâures electoral constituency . Located in the former Damaraland , it
416-408: The Uis region since 1922. Uis Tin Mining Company was established in 1951 and a settlement was developed in 1958 to house the mine workers when ISCOR , a South African mining company, started operations there and increased production. However, the ore grade at Uis is very low, and the mine - at its time the largest open-cast tin mine in the world - was viable only because South Africa , to which
442-410: The already excavated ore that was originally discarded and there is a re-processing plant located near the old mine dumps. This ore is processed to an enriched state and then taken to Walvis Bay for export. After 2010 new investments enabled work to start again at the old mine. Today successful production is dependent on a high world market price. The mine and the surrounding settlement are situated on
468-405: The area might glimpse a desert dwelling elephant or a rare black rhino . The new insect taxon Mantophasmatodea was first discovered on this mountain in 2002. The scorpion fauna of the Brandberg massif is probably the richest in southern Africa. The Brandberg is home to some interesting desert flora . Damaraland is well known for its grotesque aloes and euphorbias and the region around
494-503: The farm Uis Townlands No. 215 and in private ownership today. The white mine spoils are visible from afar. Since 1995 Namib Base Minerals Pty Ltd is the owner, after a subsidiary of ISCOR sold it. Uis still produces rare rocks and minerals. Namibia is well known as a mineral rich country and geologists come from all over the world to study in Namibia because much of the interesting geology and rare rocks are situated at ground level rather than high up on mountains or deep underground. Uis
520-514: The massif (Naib gorge), a 2 km in diameter body of pyroxene-bearing monzonite is exposed. The youngest intrusive rocks based on cross-cutting relations are arfvedsonite granite dikes and sills in the southwestern periphery of the Brandberg massif which crop out in the Amis valley. The arfvedsonite granites contain minerals rich in rare-earth element minerals such as pyrochlore and bastnaesite . Remnants of Cretaceous volcanic rocks are preserved in
546-409: The mine was no longer competitive. In 1991, the main mining operations closed down because the price of tin dropped far enough to make it un-economical. There was still minimal activities on the mine site. Technology had improved enough to make it worthwhile to re-process the already excavated ore that was originally discarded and there is a re-processing plant located near the old mine dumps. This ore
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#1732855685640572-452: The mine workers when ISCOR , a South African mining company, started operations there and increased production. However, the ore grade at Uis is very low, and the mine - at its time the largest open-cast tin mine in the world - was viable only because South Africa , to which the territory was mandated, was economically isolated and could not buy tin on the world market. When apartheid was abolished and international sanctions were lifted
598-468: The mountain is no exception. The area has many plants and trees that display an alien appearance, due in part to the extreme climatic conditions. The Brandberg lies within the Karroo-Namib floristic region and some members of the Cape flora are represented. A checklist of 357 species was published in 1974 by Bertil Nordenstam stating that 11 taxa are endemic to the Brandberg, with a further 28 species endemic to
624-443: The territory was mandated, was economically isolated and could not buy tin on the world market. When apartheid was abolished and international sanctions were lifted the mine was no longer competitive. In 1991, the main mining operations closed down because the price of tin dropped far enough to make it un-economical. There was still minimal activities on the mine site. Technology had improved enough to make it worthwhile to re-process
650-447: The world famous The White Lady rock painting, said by some to be over 20,000 years old. Being also situated on the C36 , the main road between the coast and the Damaraland interior, there is a reasonable amount of traffic, by far the main source of economic activity in Uis. The settlement holds a small supermarket, guesthouses and a restcamp, a bakery and a petrol station, together with a few other small shops. The ephemeral Uis River ,
676-603: Was posthumously published by the Heinrich Bart Institute, in the six volume series "Rock Paintings of the Upper Brandberg" edited by Tilman Lenssen-Erz. (I. Amis Gorge, II. Hungorob Gorge, III. Southern Gorges (Ga'aseb & Orabes), IV. Umuab & Karoab Gorges, V. Naib (A)and the Northwest, VI. Naib (B), Circus & Dom Gorges. Volume VII. Numas Gorge is unlikely to be published due to discontinued funding.) The area
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