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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Witwatersrand
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1992-09-02
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Witwatersrand, or the Rand (Afrikaans `ridge
of white water') the economic heartland of S
Transvaal, South Africa. Its reef, which
stretches nearly 100 km/62 mi, produces over
half the world's gold. Gold was first found
there in 1854. The chief city of the region
is Johannesburg. Forming a watershed between
the Vaal and the Olifant rivers, the Rand
comprises a series of parallel ranges which
extend 100 km/60 mi E-W and rise to
1,525-1,830 m/5,000-6,000 ft above sea level.
Gold occurs in reefs that are mined at depths
of up to 3,050 m/10,000 ft.