Cape Town (Afrikaans: Kaapstad; Xhosa: iKapa) is the second-most populous city
in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate
city of the Western Cape.
As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of
the country. It forms part of the City of Cape
Town metropolitan municipality. The city is famous for
its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom,
including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain
and Cape Point. Cape Town is also Africa's most popular tourist destination.
Located on the shore
of Table Bay, Cape
Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Company as a
victualling (supply) station for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India, and the Far East.
Jan van Riebeeck's arrival on 6 April 1652 established the first permanent
European settlement in South
Africa. Cape Town
quickly outgrew its original purpose as the first European outpost at the Castle of Good Hope,
becoming the economic and cultural hub of the Cape Colony.
Until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the development of Johannesburg,
Cape Town was the largest city in South Africa.
Today it is one of the most multicultural cities in the
world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and
expatriates to South Africa.
As of 2007 the city had an estimated population of 3.5 million. Cape
Town's land area of 2,455 square kilometres (948 sq mi) is larger
than other South African cities, resulting in a comparatively lower population
density of 1,425 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,690 /sq mi).
The centre of Cape Town is
located at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula. Table Mountain forms a
dramatic backdrop to the City Bowl, with its plateau over 1,000 m
(3,300 ft) high; it is surrounded by near-vertical cliffs, Devil's Peak
and Lion's Head. Sometimes a thin strip of cloud forms over the mountain, and
owing to its appearance, it is colloquially known as the
"tablecloth". The peninsula consists of a dramatic mountainous spine
jutting southwards into the Atlantic Ocean, ending at Cape Point. There are
over 70 peaks above 1,000 feet (300 m) (the American definition of a
mountain) within Cape Town's official city limits. Many of the suburbs of Cape
Town are on the large plain of the Cape Flats, which joins the peninsula to the
mainland. The Cape Flats lie on what is known as a rising marine plain,
consisting mostly of sandy geology which shows that at one point Table Mountain
itself was an island.
The
Cape Peninsula has a Subtropical Mediterranean climate (Koppen Csa),
with mild, wet winters, and dry and very warm summers. In winter time, which
lasts from the beginning of June to end of August, large cold fronts come
across from the Atlantic Ocean with heavy precipitation and strong
north-westerly winds. The winter months are cool, with an average minimum of
7.0 °C (45 °F) and maximum of 17.5 °C (63 °F).Most of the city's
annual rainfall occurs in wintertime, but due to the
mountainous topography of the city, rainfall amounts for specific areas can
vary dramatically. Newlands, to the south of the city, is the wettest suburb in
South Africa. The valleys and coastal plains
average 515 millimetres (20.3 in) of rain per annum, while mountain areas
can average as much as 1,500 millimetres (59 in) per annum.
