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Port Elizabeth, one of the major seaports in South Africa, is located in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The city lies 770km east of Cape Town and is often referred to as "The Friendly City." Port Elizabeth stretches for 16km along Algoa Bay.
Founded as a town in 1820, Port Elizabeth sheltered the first British settlers and Xhosa tribe. At present, the port town is a part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and is the home to a population of over 1 million. The port has the most significant ore loading facilities among all the countries in the southern hemisphere.
Port Elizabeth is famous for motor vehicle industry like Uitenhage host General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Continental Tyres among others. There are other companies too manufacturing different motor parts.
The transportation system in Port Elizabeth well developed. The port- city lies on the N2 road linking the picturesque Garden Route to George and Cape Town in the east. The road passes over through the Border Country to East London and then on to Durban before terminating in Ermelo in Mpumalanga. There are roads too connecting the city with Grahamstown and the Transkei.
The major bus station in the city is located in Market Square. Port Elizabeth is also served by rail services also. The major passenger services are served by Metrorail. Shosholoza Meyl long-distance passenger services links the city with Johannesburg through Bloemfontein. The closest airport, Port Elizabeth Airport handles both domestic and national airlines.
Port Elizabeth is the home to a harbour in Algoa. The city is also well known for providing fine sporting facilities. The city houses different associations for soccer, rugby union, cricket clubs, hockey clubs and associations for other sports. The excellent position of the city around the coast facilitates provisions for a variety of water sports. St George's Park cricket ground, where international cricket matches are held, is located in Port Elizabeth. The city has been chosen as the venue of World Cup 2010. The city has a number of sports stadiums.
The tourist attractions in the city include the Donkin Reserve and monuments which is located at the end of the spectacular Garden Route along the Cape, several historic attractions connected by the Donkin Heritage Trail. The sites include Campanile (bell tower), constructed in 1923, the city hall built in 1862 and the old stone Fort Frederick built in 1799. King George VI Art Gallery, the museum and oceanography room at Humewood, the recently built Boardwalk waterfront complex are other sightseeing attraction.
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