Orapa is a town located in east-central Botswana. It is the site of one of the largest diamondmines in the world, and is considered to be the diamond capital of the country. Image File history File links BW-Orapa. ... // For other uses, including the shape â, see Diamond (disambiguation). ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ...
The town has four schools, one of which, Livingstone House School, teaches in English, serving a community containing a high proportion of expatriates. The population has increased much in the last 10 years due to the mine's output increasing in line with development targets.
The town is served by an airport which operates DeBeers-owner company aircraft to Gaberone, Johannesburg and so forth. A gliding club exists from which pleasure flights may be purchased. The glider is launched by a winch located at the far end of the airfield. A popular game park is also located within the boundaries of the town, which is surrounded by fences to protect the diamond industry. In reality the town does not feel isolated or confined, but is a safe and friendly place in which to live.
Coordinates: 21°17′S 25°22′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...
Orapa AK1, along with two other significantly diamondiferous kimberlites in the same area, was discovered in 1967 by De Beers geologists and is the largest kimberlite in a cluster of over 50 kimberlites.
The Orapa AK1 kimberlite forms a single surface expression of 118ha, but geological studies have clearly shown that the pipe consists of two individual intrusions that coalesce near the surface.
The diatreme facies in the south lobe, in contrast, exhibits a sharp contrast with the overlying crater facies southern volcaniclastic kimberlite, and the possibility of a multiple eruption history, particularly with respect to the diatreme facies units, cannot be excluded.