Cape Town
Cape Town, one of
South Africa's three capital cities (the others are
Pretoria and
Bloemfontein), and capital of the
Western Cape Province, is most famous for its mountain, aptly named
Table Mountain because of its flat top. The
agglomeration is estimated to have a population of about 2.9 million (estimate from
2001 census).
History
It was founded by the Dutch East India Company to be used as a replenishing station for ships sailing on the trade route to Indonesia. The location was chosen for its sheltered bay which formed a natural harbour and protected ships from the strong prevailing wind, the South-Easter. The first European settlement was led by Jan van Riebeek, who arrived on 6 April 1652.
The seas around Cape Town are notorious and it was referred to as the "Cape of Storms". However the Dutch displaced the Khoi and San who were the native inhabitants. The Dutch imported slaves from Asia. The descendants of these slaves (known as the "Cape Malays"), along with the mixed race-offspring of natives and white settlers, eventually became the ethnic group called the "Coloureds". Later the English conquered the Dutch to gain control of this strategic port.
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on an island near Cape Town, Robben Island until his transfer to a prison near Paarl.
Tourism
Today, Cape Town is a popular tourist destination, offering the visitor a wide variety of activities such as water sports (including diving, surfing and sailing), angling, wine-tasting, shopping, scenic drives, mountaineering, hiking, kite-flying, hang-gliding and parasailing, and bird- and whale-watching.
The most popular time for visitors is the summer from October to March, though some visitors from more temperate climates might find the height of summer (December and January) uncomfortably hot. The city also becomes very crowded then as the local holidaymakers descend on the city for their summer school holidays. The most popular tourist attractions are, in order of popularity: The Victoria & Alfred waterfront, a popular shopping venue with thousands of shops, a fine hotel, a world-class marina and an aquarium;\nTable Mountain, which can be accessed either by walking or a cable car;\nCape Point; and\nBoulders Beach, home to a colony of penguins.
Boat trips can be undertaken from the Victoria & Alfred marina to visit Robben Island. It is a well known spot for windsurfers/kitesurfering, mainly in the summer seasons (September to February).
Local wineries offer tastings and informative tours are available. August and September are the best time to visit the west coast, because the desert comes to life after the winter rains and the wild flowers bloom in profusion.
A cable car system takes visitors to the top of Table Mountain, though it only operates in good weather as gale-force winds can make it dangerous or clouds can obscure the view from the summit. The operating status (open or closed) of the cable car is posted on a signboard at Kloof Nek.
General Information
The area is also famous for its unique plant life: Fynbos (an Afrikaans word meaning "fine bush"), a semi-desert plant family to which Proteas belong and which occurs nowhere else but the Cape coastal belt. These plants are so adapted to their arid environment that they are used in dried floral arrangements.
The airport in Cape Town is Cape Town International Airport, code CPT.
Sports Teams
Cape Town boasts three soccer teams in the Premier League, Santos (based in Athlone), Ajax Cape Town (based in Newlands) and Hellenic Football Club.
The Cape Town suburb of Newlands, besides being the home of Ajax Cape Town, is also the home of the Western Province rugby team, one of the powerhouses in South African rugby, as well as Western Province cricket. Newlands is also home to one of South Africa's four Super 12 rugby franchises, the Stormers.
See also: Cape of Good Hope
External links
\n* Official Website\n* Cape Town Tourism\n* Nature South Africa Self led hiking guides to Cape Town. Free and ad free.\n* Cape Town Accommodation Houses, Flats for rent etc.
Category:World cities
