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Cape Town Facts |
Cape Town Overview |
Cape Town Tourist Attractions Cape Town Location Map | Cape Town City Map |
Geography: Cape Town is located at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula. The backdrop is formed by the Table Mountain with over one kilometer (3,300 ft) high; it is flanked by Devil's Peak and Lion's Head. A spectacular mountainous spine jutting southwards into the Atlantic Ocean forms the peninsula, ending at Cape Point. The Cape Flats consists of the suburbs of Cape Town joining the peninsula to the mainland. The Cape Flats lie on a rising marine plain consists of sandy geology.
History: The San and the Khoekhoen are believed to be the earliest recorded inhabitants of southern Africa. The first European settlement in South Africa was the Dutch East India Company’s establishment in 1652 at the newly christened Cape of Good Hope. It quickly evolved into a colonial settlement and started importing slaves from Madagascar, India, Ceylon, Malaya, and Indonesia. Over the next 150 years the colonialism went on spreading. The abolition of slavery in 1834 led to migration (known as the Great Trek) across the Orange River. Diamonds were discovered in the Northern Cape at Kimberley and gold on the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, in 1867 and 1886 respectively.
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Economy: The economic centre of the Western Cape is Cape Town. It serves as the regional manufacturing centre and is also houses the primary harbor and airport in the Western Cape. Besides Cape Town are the largest government seat in the city, and also the seat of the National Parliament. Total gross income and more than half of South Africa's exports are contributed by the South African agricultural sectors. Being an important tourist region in South Africa, the tourism industry contributes 9.8% of the GDP.
Administration and Government: The City of Cape Town has a metropolitan municipality governed by a 210-member city council, which reports to a 28-member executive council. A city manager and an executive mayor preside over the executive council. The mayor is chosen by the city council and the current mayor is Helen Zille. The city is divided into 105 electoral wards.
Transport System: both domestic and international flights are served by Cape Town International Airport, which is the second-largest airport in South Africa. Located in Table Bay, the city's main port is The Port of Cape Town. The port is a major hub for ships in the southern Atlantic. The main railway station is the Cape Town Railway Station. The passenger rail, Shosholoza Meyl, operates two long-distance passenger rail services from Cape Town. The Metro rail network consisting of 96 stations connects the suburbs and outskirts of Cape Town. The three main national highways of Cape Town are the N1, N2, and N7. Cars, taxis, and buses also connect the city very well and can be availed from every corner of the city and its suburbs.
Society & Cultural Life: The city of Cape Town has highest number of Cape Dutch style architectural structures in the world. The buildings are a combination of architectural traditions of France, the Netherlands, and Germany and are most visible in Constantia, among the old government buildings in the Central Business District, and along Long Street. The annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, better known as Kaapse Klopse, in Africa, held on January second is a large minstrel festival. The festival is celebrated with parade by minstrels dressed in brightly colored costumes carrying either colorful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The main performing arts venue in Cape Town is the Arts cape Theatre Centre.
Educational Institutions: There is a well-developed higher education system of public universities in Cape Town. There are three public universities: The University of Cape Town (UCT), the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Located at a distance of 50 kilometers from the City Bowl is the well known Stellenbosch University. The public Cape Peninsula University of Technology was formed with the merge of Cape Technikon and Peninsula Technikon. The African Institute of Mathematical Sciences is also very famous.
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