Karibib
Karibib lies on the B2 highway between Windhoek and Swakopmund. The small town was founded in 1900 as a railway station and became an important overnight stop. In 1907, when the new railway line was built with a normal lane width, and the station was relocated 30 kilometres further west to Usakos, Karibib lost its importance.
A few years later, when gold was discovered, mining activities revived the town. Ultimately, Karibib owes its fame to the high-quality marble it produces; being the only place where pure black marble is found. To this day, very hard and pure black marble is still being mined at the Karibib quarry and exported worldwide.
Left: The marble mine in Karibib. Top: Welcome display at the town entrance. |
The Navachab Goldmine south of Karibib was taken over towards the end of the eighties by the South African Anglo-American Corporation. In open-cast mining, some 5 000 tons of gold-rich ore is mined daily. Since the gold price has recovered on the worldmarket, the mine is has begun turning a profit again.
A couple of smaller companies are prospecting the Karibib region for semi-precious stones; mainly amethyst, tourmaline, aquamarine and quartz.
The Henckert Tourist Centre in Main Street makes for an interesting visit. Displayed on more than 1 000 sqm of ground, are the greatest offers in jewellery, precious and semi-precious stones and other arts&crafts of Namibia.
Travel Information and accommodation
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