By 2000 the official census population of the Northern Cape was 840,000. This was comprised of a sizeable Coloured component (435,000) followed by Blacks (279,000), Whites (112,000) and people of Indian (2,300) and Chinese and other (12,000) extraction. Minor cultural groups also occur in scattered settlements throughout the Province. These comprise mostly the Nama, San, Khoi. Xu! and Khwe communities.
Language
Afrikaans is widely spoken by almost all racial groups, followed by Setswana speakers at 20% isiXhosa 6.3%. English, follows a distant fourth at 2.4% then to lesser proportions isiZulu. About 70% of the population is urbanised while the rest is rural. Females outnumber males by four per cent, being 51% and 47% respectively (Stats SA-2000).
Religion
Religions are predominantly Christianity for most groups with a smattering of Animism, African traditionalism, Islam, Hindu and other unknown sects.