In recent history - less than two hundred years ago - large herds of Antelope and zebras still roamed the Karoo's grass flats. The Hottentots and Bushmen, last of the Southern African Stone Age peoples, shared what they called the "Place of Great Dryness" (from which the name "Karoo" is derived). The two groups differed substantially in their cultures and lifestyles; the Hottentots were Sheep and Cattle farmers while the Bushmen were classic hunter-gatherers. With the occupation of the region by European settler stock farmers the sheep gradually replaced the game, while the grass receded due to the changed grazing and weather patterns.
During the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 three Republican Commandos, reinforced by the rebels from the Cape Colony, conducted widespread operations throughout the Karoo. Countless skirmishes took place in the region, with the Calvinia magisterial district, in particular, contributing a significant number of fighters to the Republican cause. Fought both conventionally and as a guerilla struggle over the Karoo's vast expanses, it was a bloody war of attrition wherein both sides used newly developed technologies to their advantage. Numerous abandoned blockhouses can still be seen at strategic locations throughout the Great Karoo; a prime example is located next to the Geelbeks River 12 kilometers outside the town of Laingsburg.
Currently sheep farming is still the economic backbone of the Karoo with other forms of agriculture taking place in areas where Irrigation is possible. Lately game farms and Tourism have also started to make an economic impact.
The main town of the region is Oudtshoorn, but some well-known mission stations such as Zoar, Amalienstein and Dysselsdorp are also situated here.
This area was first explored by European settlers in the late 17th century, who encountered the Khoisan people living in a semi-arid area. Due to modern farming methods it was later turned into a productive farming district.
| [image] | Province of Western Cape |
|---|---|
| Capital: | Cape Town |
| Regions: | Cape Peninsula | Cape Winelands | Garden Route | Little Karoo |
| Largest cities: | Cape Town | George | Knysna | Oudtshoorn | Paarl | Robertson | Stellenbosch | Swellendam | Worcester |
| Municipalities: | District: City of Cape Town | Cape Winelands | Central Karoo | Eden | Overberg | West Coast | Local: Beaufort West | Bergrivier | Bitou | Breede River/Winelands | Breede Valley | Cape Agulhas | Cederberg | Drakenstein | George | Hessequa | Kannaland | Knysna | Laingsburg | Matzikama | Mossel Bay | Oudtshoorn | Overstrand | Prince Albert | Saldanha Bay | South Cape | Stellenbosch | Swartland | Swellendam | Theewaterskloof | Witzenberg | |