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Located on the Crocodile River (known as the Krokodil in Afrikaans), Nelspruit lies 60 kilometres (40 miles) west of the Mozambique border.

It was founded in 1905 by three brothers of the Nel family who grazed their cattle around the site of Nelspruit during the winter months, and is a key manufacturing and agricultural hub for northeastern South Africa. Major industries include the canningCanning is a method of preserving food by first heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating micro-organisms, and then sealing it in air-tight jars or cans. Because of the danger of botulism, the only safe method of canning most foods is under of citrus fruit, paperPaper is a thin, flat material produced by the compression of fibres. The fibers used are usually natural and based upon cellulose. The most common material is wood pulp from pulpwood (largely softwood) trees such as pines, but other vegetable fiber mater production, furnitureFurniture is the collective term for the movable objects which support the human body (seating furniture and beds), provide storage, and hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. Storage furniture is used to hold or contain smaller objects suc manufacture and timbermills. Fertile soilsSoil is the layer of minerals and organic matter, in thickness from centimetres to a metre or more, on the land surface. Its main components are mineral matter, organic matter, moisture, and air. Soils differ in the ratio of these components. Modern soil and subtropicalSubtropical (or semitropical areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. 5-40° N and 23. 5-40° S latitude. These areas typically have hot tropical summers, but non-tropical winters. In certain areas of the world the climateThe climate is the weather averaged over a long period of time. A descriptive saying is that "climate is what you expect, weather is what you get". The IPCC glossary definition is: : Climate in a narrow sense is usually defined as the “average weather”, o provide perfect conditions for the growing of citrusSpecies ''Citrus maxima Pomelo Citrus medica Citron Citrus reticulata Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids ''Citrus x aurantifolia Lime Citrus x aurantium Bitter orange Citrus x bergamia Bergamot Citrus x hystrix Kaffir lime Citrus x ichangensis Ichang lemo and tropical fruits, mainly mango, banana, avocado and also many varieties of nuts.

The city has one airport, which is used primarily for flights from and to Johannesburg. It is also home to the Government Research Institute for Citrus and Subtropical Fruits , and the Lowveld Botanical Gardens .

Nelspruit is a major stopover point for tourists travelling to the Kruger National Park.

During the Boer War, Nelspruit served briefly as the seat of government for the South African Republic (not to be confused with the Republic of South Africa), an independent Afrikaner state.