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Mmadikola

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Village
Mmadikola
Village
Mmadikola is located in BotswanaMmadikolaMmadikolaLocation of Mmadikola in Botswana
Coordinates: 21°02′24″S 24°27′59″E / 21.04010834930°S 24.46649518080°E / -21.04010834930; 24.46649518080

Mmadikola is a village located in the Central District of Botswana, near the western edge of the district and close to the Makgadikgadi Pan. The village has a primary school and recorded a population of 828 in the 2001 census. Currently, the population is estimated at around 5,000, with the majority belonging to the Bayei ethnic group, along with smaller communities of Bakalanga, Bananjwa, and Banoka people.

Mmadikola remains a small rural village, with several factors contributing to its modest population. Many residents have migrated due to a lack of industries, the absence of mineral resources, and poor soils unsuitable for both pastoral and arable farming.

In the early 1900s, as part of a colonial "divide and rule" policy, Yeyi people were moved from the Ngami region near Maun to the Central District. According to the elders, some Yeyi people pleaded to be left at Mmadikola, citing their strong cultural and practical connection to water. At the time, Mmadikola was abundant in water, with overflowing rivers, making it a suitable settlement for the Yeyi, whose name translates to "people of the water."

Today, most residents of Mmadikola migrate to larger villages Letlhakane and Orapa, where diamond mining provides employment opportunities.

On 9 February 2016, Thembani Moitlhobogi from Mmadikola, won the competition of naming the second-largest gem-quality diamond ever found. He named the stone Lesedi La Rona which means "Our Light". He stated that his reason for the name was that "the diamond is a pride, light and hope of Batswana". During the competition Lucara Diamond Corporation received 11,000 emails and 1,000 SMSs with name suggestions. In addition to naming the diamond, Moitlhobogi also received P25,000 (about $2,170).

References

  1. "Distribution of population by sex by villages and their associated localities: 2001 population and housing census". Archived from the original on 2007-11-24. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  2. MacDonald, Alex (19 November 2015). "World's Second-Largest Diamond Discovered in Botswana". www.wsj.com. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  3. "Lucara Names 1,111 Carat Diamond Lesedi La Rona". www.marketwired.com. Marketwired L.P. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  4. "News". www.lucaradiamond.com. Lucara Diamond. 9 February 2016. Archived from the original on 15 May 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  5. ^ Ngwako, Portia (9 February 2016). "Largest Diamond Named". www.thevoicebw.com. The Voice Newspaper Botswana. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  6. le Cordeur, Matthew (9 February 2016). "Largest diamond found in 100 years named". www.fin24.com. News24. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  7. Ngwako, Portia (18 January 2016). "Batswana To Name Biggest Diamond". www.thevoicebw.com. The Voice Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
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