[Report 1956-1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Salisbury (New Sarum) City.

  • Salisbury (England). City Council.
Date:
1957
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1956-1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Salisbury (New Sarum) City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    REPORT OP THE MEDICAL OPPICER OP HEALTH POR THE YEAR ENDING 3QTH JUNE, 1957. GEOPHYSICAL, climatic, SOCIAL and economic conditions IN THE CITY OP SALISBURY. Salisbury, the Capital City of Southern Rhodesia and of the Pederation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, is situated in what is now the Northern Province of Southern Rhodesia at an altitude of 4,780 ft. It lies on the watershed or highveld so that the rivers are small and there is little of the dense riverine vegetation associated with lower altitudes. The soil is mixed, red, black and light sandy with rocky outcrops and kopjies in Salisbury and its surrounding districts. In the City area the soil is mainly of the red variety. Most of the vegetation can be classified as open Brackystegia (Msasa-Mnondo) woodland, interspersed with the semi-aquatic flora characteristic of treeless, grassy, wet hollows, known as vleis11. Excluding African townships and European residential areas beyond a five mile radius, the area of the Municipality comprises some 24,111 acres and Greater Salisbury some 50,460 acres. In the last decade the City proper has expanded at a tremendous pace, mainly in an upward direction, i.e. as City sites come on the market the older type of colonial business, store or house gives way to the modern ten, fourteen, or more, storey block of reinforced concrete and steel. The peri-urban area has expanded outwards rather than upwards - mainly in the shape of inner suburbs or outer townships. The latter comprise European townships except in a few places where there are established African townships or where such townships are planned by the City fathers and the Government. Salisbury enjoys a particularly pleasant climate and for this its altitude is largely responsible. The year may be conveniently divided into three seasons, viz. the hot season - September to mid-November; the wet season - mid-November to March; and the cool season - April to August. /Really
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