South Africa Gazetteers

Online Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places
 * United States. Board on Geographic Names, South Africa: official standard names approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names, Washington, D.C., 1954
 * World Gazetteers at Archive.org
 * Population Data: South Africa. This site is in French. Use Google Translate if needed.
 * Raper, P. E., The Dictionary of Southern African Place Names,

Print Only Gazetteers

 * Nasionale Pleknamekomitee, Amptelike plekname in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika = Official place names in the Republic of South Africa : (goedgekeur 1977 tot 1988), (S.l.) : Republiek van Suid-Afrika, Departement van Nasionale Opvoeding, (1988?)
 * compiled by the Place Names Committee. Republic of South Africa. Department of National Education, Amptelike plekname in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika en in Suidwes-Afrika (Goedgekeur tot 1 April 1977) / saamgestel deur die Pleknamekomitee. Republiek van Suid-Afrika. Department van Nasionale Opvoeding = Official place names in the Republic of South Africa and in South-West Africa (Approved to 1 April 1977), Pretoria, South Africa : Die Staatsdrukker, 1978
 * Van Gass, Edward R, The Church of South Africa Anglican by towns, parishes, archdeaconry, diocese, Salt Lake City, Utah : Ednan, c1988
 * Van Gass, Edward R., The Methodist Church of South Africa and districts and towns, Salt Lake City, Utah : Ednan, c1988
 * Reader's Digest Association South Africa, Reader's Digest atlas of southern Africa, [Cape Town, South Africa : Reader's Digest Association South Africa, c1984]
 * Reader's Digest Association South Africa, Reader's Digest southern Africa, Cape Town, South Africa : Reader's Digest Association South Africa, 1982
 * List of South Africa Gazetteers at Archive.org
 * List of South Africa Gazetteers at Hathi Trust
 * Names Society of Southern Africa, Concise Gazetteer of South Africa, Pretoria: Names Society of Southern Africa, 1994
 * Gazetteer of South Africa : names approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names, Washington, D.C. : Defense Mapping Agency, 1992

Why Use Gazetteers
A gazetteer is a dictionary of place-names. Gazetteers list or describe towns and villages, parishes, states, populations, rivers and mountains, and other geographical features. They usually include only the names of places that existed at the time the gazetteer was published. Within a specific geographical area, the place-names are listed in alphabetical order, similar to a dictionary. You can use a gazetteer to locate the places where your family lived and to determine the civil and religious jurisdictions over those places.

There are many places within a country with similar or identical place-names. You will need to use a gazetteer to identify the specific town where your ancestor lived, the state the town was or is in, and the jurisdictions where records about the person was kept.

Gazetteer Contents
Gazetteers may also provide additional information about towns, such as:


 * Different religious denominations
 * Schools, colleges, and universities
 * Major manufacturers, canals, docks, and railroad stations
 * The population size.
 * Boundaries of civil jurisdiction.
 * Ecclesiastical jurisdiction(s)
 * Longitude and latitude.
 * Distances and direction from other from cities.
 * Schools, colleges, and universities.
 * Denominations and number of churches.
 * Historical and biographical information on some individuals (usually high-ranking or famous individuals)