Christiana

In an attempt to control and alleviate land disputes over diamond discoveries further down the Vaal River, the government established the town of Christiana (so named after the Transvaal President's daughter) on the farm Zoutpansdrift (salt pan ford). Diamonds were discovered in the gravel of the nearby Vaal River, and the inevitable manic rush followed. This gradually petered along with the diamonds, although some are still found from time to time, so it might pay to keep your eyes open.

These days the mainstay of the economy is the production of beef, maize, sorghum, groundnuts and cotton. The prehistoric rock engravings at Stows Kopje are important enough to have been declared a national monument.

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