FACTOID #53: If you thought Antarctica was inhospitable, think again - its land area is only ninety-eight percent ice. Reassuringly, the other 2% is categorised as "barren rock".
A map of the West Rand. Johannesburg is highlighted in red, and the East Rand is shown in light brown
West Rand is the name of the urban western part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburgconurbation. This area became settled by Europeans after a gold-bearing reef discovered in 1886 and sparked the gold rush that gave rise to the establishment of Johannesburg.
The West Rand extends from Randfontein in the west to Roodepoort in the east, and includes the town of Krugersdorp. The areas of Carletonville and Westonaria are sometimes included as being part of the Far West Rand. The areas are economically linked to the city through the gold mining industry. Following the creation of the Johannesburg unicity in 1999, Roodepoort, which was traditionally always part of the West Rand, became part of Johannesburg. After 1999, the Krugersdorp municipality was officially renamed Mogale City.
Despite being a separate municipal area, like the East Rand, the West Rand is included in the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan area. To this end, the East Rand shares the same dialling code as Johannesburg (011 locally). It is not uncommon for residents of the West Rand to work in Johannesburg proper and vice versa.
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