Jump to content

Kipushi

Coordinates: 11°45′45″S 27°15′00″E / 11.76250°S 27.25000°E / -11.76250; 27.25000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kipushi
Kipushi is located in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kipushi
Kipushi
Location in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Coordinates: 11°46′01″S 27°13′59″E / 11.76694°S 27.23306°E / -11.76694; 27.23306
Country DR Congo
ProvinceHaut-Katanga
TerritoryKipushi
Elevation
1,329 m (4,360 ft)
Population
 (2012)
 • Total132,861
Time zoneUTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
ClimateCwa
A day in Kipushi.

Kipushi is a town in Haut-Katanga province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies 35 km southwest of the city of Lubumbashi, very close to the border with Zambia, at an altitude of 1329 m (4363 ft).[1] The main economic activity of the town is mining. Kipushi is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sakania–Kipushi.

Climate

[edit]

Kipushi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa).

Climate data for Kipushi
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Daily mean °C (°F) 21.3
(70.3)
21.4
(70.5)
21.2
(70.2)
20.4
(68.7)
18.1
(64.6)
15.5
(59.9)
15.2
(59.4)
17.4
(63.3)
20.8
(69.4)
22.7
(72.9)
22.2
(72.0)
21.3
(70.3)
19.8
(67.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 258
(10.2)
261
(10.3)
206
(8.1)
53
(2.1)
4
(0.2)
1
(0.0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
2
(0.1)
44
(1.7)
178
(7.0)
260
(10.2)
1,267
(49.9)
Source: Climate-Data.org[2]

Kipushi Mine

[edit]

The Kipushi Mine (formerly Prince Léopold Mine) produces copper, lead and zinc. Ore occurs in open spaces and collapse breccias along a fault zone. The primary zinc-rich ore body contains the minerals sphalerite, galena, pyrite, and arsenopyrite, accompanied by renierite, and some germanite and gallite. These minerals were overprinted by a formation of mostly copper-rich minerals, including cobalt-bearing chalcopyrite, and germanium and silver-bearing bornite, plus molybdenite. The ore body is estimated to have contained 70 million tonnes of ore, with an average of 4.8% Cu, 8.8% Zn and 0.5% Pb. From 1925 to 1986 the mine at Kipushi produced 3.8 million tonnes of copper, 5.9 million tonnes of zinc, 0.4 million tonnes of lead, 45,000 tonnes of cadmium, and 120 tonnes of germanium, plus other elements.

Notable residents

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ National Geographic Atlas of the World: Revised Sixth Edition, National Geographic Society, 1992
  2. ^ "Climate:Kipushi". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  • Höll, R., Kling, M., and Schroll, E., 2007, Metallogenesis of germanium - A review: Ore Geology Reviews, v. 30, p. 145-180.

11°45′45″S 27°15′00″E / 11.76250°S 27.25000°E / -11.76250; 27.25000