Difference between revisions of "Cape Town" - New World Encyclopedia

Cape Town
	Cape Town; Kaapstad; iKapa
	Cape Town Waterfront at Night
	; Seal
	; Seal
	Nickname: The Mother City, The Tavern of the Seas
	Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for "Good Hope")
	The Cape Town metropolitan area
	; Cape Town Location in South Africa
Coordinates: {{#invoke:Coordinates\|coord}}{{#coordinates:33\|55\|31\|S\|18\|25\|26\|E\|region:ZA_type:city(4000000)
	name= }}
Founded	1652
Municipal government	1839
	Government
- Type	Metropolitan municipality
- Mayor	Patricia de Lille (DA)
- Council	Cape Town City Council
- City manager	Achmat Ebrahim
	Area
- City	496.70 km² (191.8 sq mi)
- Metro	2,454.72 km² (947.8 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,590.4 m (5,218 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
	Population (2011)
- Metro	3,740,026
- Metro Density	1,500/km² (3,885/sq mi)
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)
Postal code range	7700 to 8099
Area code(s)	+27 (0)21
	Twin Cities
	Website: www.CapeTown.gov.za

Latest revision as of 19:33, 25 November 2023

Cape Town (Afrikaans: Kaapstad; Xhosa: iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the legislative capital and seat of the National Parliament, as well as the provincial capital of the Western Cape. The second most populous city in the country, it is famous for its harbor and for landmarks such as Table Mountain and Cape Point, and is one of the most popular South African tourist destinations.

Cape Town was originally developed as a supply station for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India, and the Far East more than 200 years before the Suez Canal opened in 1869. Jan van Riebeeck's arrival in 1652 established the first permanent European settlement in South Africa.

Cape Town is well-known for its history of apartheid, a system of legalized racial segregation enforced by the National Party government of South Africa between 1948 and 1994, and was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. Numerous famous political prisoners were held for years on Robben Island, a penitentiary island about six miles (10 km) from the city. One such former prisoner, African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela marked the end of apartheid in a public speech on February 11, 1990, from the balcony of Cape Town City Hall hours after being released from prison.

While Cape Town in the early twenty-first century has an economy that surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the tourism and the real estate industries, daunting economic problems remain. The unemployment rate is nearly 20 percent, with the majority of the affected being non-white. The lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups is linked to the poor uptake of education. More fundamentally, prosperity is likely to increase once the city deals with violent drug-related crime, reduces the homicide rate from one of the highest rates in the world, and wins its struggles against tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Geography

Cape Town seen from Spot satellite.

A NASA satellite image of Cape Town and its environment taken by a Landsat satellite in February 2000.

Cape Town is located at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, about 30 miles (50km) north of the Cape of Good Hope. Table Mountain forms a dramatic backdrop to the city bowl, with its plateau over 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) 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; this is colloquially known as the "tablecloth."

The peninsula consists of a dramatic mountainous spine jutting southward into the Atlantic Ocean, ending at Cape Point. There are over 70 peaks above 1,000 feet (300 meters) 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 a rising marine plain, consisting mostly of sandy surface, indicating that at one point Table Mountain itself was an island. Cape Town covers 948 square miles (2,455 square kilometers). Environmental issues involve water. The lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control.

The Cape Peninsula has a Mediterranean climate with well-defined seasons. In winter, which lasts from May to September, large cold fronts come across from the Atlantic Ocean with heavy precipitation and strong north-westerly winds. Summer, from November to March, is warm and dry. The peninsula gets frequent strong winds from the south-east, known as the Cape Doctor, because it blows away pollution and cleans the air. The only times when Cape Town can be uncomfortably hot is when the Berg Wind blows from the Karoo interior for a couple weeks in February or early March. Temperatures in July range from 48°F to 63°F (9°C to 17°C), and in January 61°F to 79°F (16°C to 26°C). Mean annual precipitation is 24 inches (600mm).

History

Rock paintings from the Western Cape

A painting of the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in Table Bay (by Charles Bell).

Stone Age hunter-gatherers who used stone tools and fire arrived in the Western Cape area around 100,000 B.C.E. They survived the Ice Age, when water levels were around 120 meters lower than their current levels. Fossils indicate that by 8000 B.C.E., the inhabitants had developed bows and arrows for hunting. Nearly 6,000 years later, a large migration of tribes further inland brought contact with skilled agriculturalists, prompting cape inhabitants to grow crops.

Bartholomeu Dias from Portugal sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1486, the first European known to have done so. He was followed by Vasco da Gama in 1497, while he was searching for a route that would lead from Europe to Asia. Portuguese admiral Antonio da Saldanha named Table Mountain in 1503. The Khoi inhabitants, who were were herders, hunters and gatherers, called it Hoeri 'kwaggo ("sea mountain").

On April 6, 1652, Jan van Riebeeck and other employees of the Dutch East India Company arrived to establish a way-station to provide fresh water, vegetables, and meat for ships traveling to the Dutch East Indies. The group erected shelters and laid out vegetable gardens and orchards, and bartered with the Khoi people for sheep and cattle. Forests in Hout Bay and the southern and eastern flanks of Table Mountain provided timber for ships and houses. The Dutch called the indigenous Khoi people "Hottentots."

The city grew slowly during this period. A labor shortage prompted the city to import slaves from Indonesia and Madagascar. Many of these became ancestors of the first Cape Coloured communities.

During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the Netherlands was repeatedly occupied by France, and Great Britain moved to take control of Dutch colonies. Britain captured Cape Town in 1795, but the Cape was returned to the Netherlands by treaty in 1803. British forces occupied the Cape again in 1806. In the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, Cape Town was permanently ceded to Britain. It became the capital of the newly formed Cape Colony, whose territory expanded substantially through the 1800s.

The discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West in 1869, and the Witwatersrand Gold Rush in 1886, prompted a flood of immigrants to South Africa. Conflicts between the Boer republics in the interior and the British colonial government resulted in the Second Boer War of 1899-1901. Britain won the war. In 1910, Britain established the Union of South Africa, which unified the Cape Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics and the British colony of Natal. Cape Town became the legislative capital of the union, and later of the Republic of South Africa.

In the 1948 elections, the National Party won on a racial segregation platform known as apartheid. This led to the Group Areas Act, which classified all areas according to race. Formerly multi-racial suburbs of Cape Town were either purged of unlawful residents or demolished. The most infamous example of this in Cape Town was District Six. After it was declared a whites-only region in 1965, all housing there was demolished and over 60,000 residents were forcibly removed. Many of these residents were relocated to the Cape Flats and Lavendar Hill. Under apartheid, the cape was considered a "Coloured labour preference area," to the exclusion of "Bantus" (blacks).

Cape Town was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. Numerous famous political prisoners were held for years on Robben Island, a penitentiary island about six miles (10km) from the city. One such former prisoner, African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela marked the end of apartheid in a public speech on February 11, 1990, from the balcony of Cape Town City Hall hours after being released. The first post-apartheid election was held four years later, on April 27, 1994.

Nobel Square in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront features statues of South Africa's four Nobel Peace Prize winners—Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, F.W. de Klerk, and Nelson Mandela. Since 1994, the city has struggled with problems such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, a surge in violent drug-related crime and more recent xenophobic violence, which has given the city one of the highest homicide rates in the world. At the same time, Cape Town's economy has surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the tourism and the real estate industries.

Government

The Grand Parade and Cape Town City Hall, with Table Mountain and its characteristic tablecloth in the background.

South Africa is a republic in which the president is both the chief of state and head of government, and is elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term. The bicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly of 400 members, elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms, and the National Council of Provinces of 90 seats, with 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms.

Cape Town is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the legislative capital and seat of the National Parliament, as well as the provincial capital of the Western Cape. The others are Pretoria, the executive (administrative) and de facto national capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.

Cape Town is a metropolitan municipality governed by a 210-member city council, which reports to a 28-member executive council. The executive council, in turn, is presided over by a city manager and an executive mayor. The city is divided into 105 electoral wards; each ward directly elects one member of the council, while the other 105 councilors are elected by a party-list proportional representation system. The mayor is chosen by the city council.

Before the unification of Cape Town's local government into the so-called "unicity," it was divided into six regional "administrations"; many functions of the unicity are still divided according to the old administrations, which were Cape Town, the South Peninsula, the Blaauwberg region, Tygerberg, Oostenberg, and Helderberg.

After the unification, 16 sub-councils were formed, and later increased to the present 23. Sub-councils consist of geographically clustered wards, with councilors assigned to them on a proportional basis. Each sub-council is led by a chairman who is elected by a majority vote of each sub-council.

Economy

Panorama across the Victoria Basin at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, with Table Mountain in the background.

South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources, as well as well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors. Cape Town serves as the regional manufacturing center, has the primary harbor and airport in the area, and has a large government presence.

Cape Town has four major commercial nodes, with Cape Town Central Business District containing the majority of job opportunities and office space. Century City, the Bellville-TygerValley strip, and Claremont commercial nodes contain numerous offices and headquarters of insurance companies, retail groups, publishers, design houses, fashion designers, shipping companies, petrochemical companies, architects, and advertising agencies.

Cape Town has a petroleum refinery, as well as chemical, fertilizer, cement, and automobile-assembly factories. Other industries involve ship repair, food processing, wine-making, and the manufacture of clothing, plastics, and leather goods.

Koeberg Nuclear Power Station provides most electricity for Cape Town, which also has a coal-fired power station and two gas turbines. Oil and natural gas was discovered off the coast. The city’s water comes from dams on Table Mountain and Steenbras, as well as from Riviersonderend, Voëlvlei, and Wemmershoek.

Cape Town is a popular tourist destination due to its good climate, natural setting, and relatively well-developed infrastructure. Attractive features include Table Mountain, the dramatic headland at the end of the Cape Peninsula, Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape Town's beaches, as well as several notable cultural attractions. Tourism accounts for 9.8 percent of the GDP of the province and employs 9.6 percent of the workforce. Approximately 1.5 million tourists visited in Cape Town during 2004, bringing in a total of US$1.27-billion in revenue.

The median annual income of working adults aged 20–65 was US$3289 (South African rand 25,774. South Africa's per capita GDP was estimated at US$9800 in 2007.

The Western Cape generates a quarter of South Africa's agricultural total gross income and more than half of South Africa's exports, which are handled through the Port of Cape Town or Cape Town International Airport.

The Port of Cape Town, which is located in Table Bay directly to the north of the central business district, is on one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world. It is a busy container port, second in South Africa only to Durban. In 2004, it handled 3,161 ships and 9.2 million metric tons of cargo. Simon's Town Harbour on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula is the main base of the South African Navy.

Cape Town International Airport serves both domestic and international flights, and is the second-largest airport in South Africa. Two long-distance passenger rail services operate from Cape Town. Metrorail, which operates a commuter rail service in Cape Town and the surrounding area, has a network of 96 stations.

Three national roads have their start in Cape Town: The N1 links the city with Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Zimbabwe; the N2, to Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban; and the N7, to the Northern Cape Province and Namibia. Cape Town also has a system of freeway and dual carriageway M-roads.


Clifton 4th Beach	The distinctive Cape Malay Bo-Kaap is one of the most visited areas in Cape Town.	The N2, also known as the Eastern Boulevard, as it enters the City Bowl and ends in the Central Business District

Demographics

Geographical distribution of home languages in Cape Town

According to the South African National Census of 2011, the population of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality—an area that includes suburbs and exurbs not always considered as part of Cape Town—was 3,740,026 people. With a land area of 948 square miles (2,455 square kilometers) Cape Town had population density of 3,689 people per square mile (1,425 per square kilometer). In 2011, there were 1,068,573 formal households, 78.4 percent in formal structures (houses or flats), with 20.5 percent are in informal structures (shacks).

42.4 percent of the population described themselves as "Coloured" (a label for people of mixed ethnic origin who possess ancestry from Europe, Asia, and various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, including the distinctive Cape Coloured and affiliated Cape Malay cultures mostly Malayu-speaking Javanese from modern-day Indonesia)," 38.6 percent as "Black African", 15.7 percent as "White", and 1.4 percent as "Indian or Asian". Of those residents who were asked about their first language, 35.7 percent spoke Afrikaans, 29.8 percent spoke Xhosa, and 28.4 percent spoke English.

The city is predominantly Christian (76.6 percent). 10.7 percent have no religion, 9.7 percent are Muslim, 0.5 percent are Jewish, 0.2 percent are Hindu, and 2.3 percent have other or undetermined beliefs.

Of those residents aged 20 or older, 1.8 percent have no schooling, 8.1 percent have some schooling but did not finish primary school, 4.6 percent finished primary school but have no secondary schooling, 38.9 percent have some secondary schooling but did not finish Grade 12, 29.9 percent finished Grade 12 but have no higher education, and 16.7 percent have higher education. Overall, 46.6 percent have at least a Grade 12 education. Of those aged between 5 and 25, 67.8 percent are attending an educational institution. Amongst those aged between 15 and 65 the unemployment rate is 23.7 percent.

Overall, 38 percent of residents aged 20 and over have completed high school, 4.2 percent of residents have received no schooling, 11.8 percent have had some primary school, 7.1 percent have completed only primary school, 38.9 percent have had some high school education, 25.4 percent have finished only high school and 12.6 percent have an education higher than the high school level.^[3]

Cape Town is served by three public universities: The University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Stellenbosch University, while not in the city itself, is 50 kilometers from the City Bowl and has additional campuses, such as the Tygerberg Faculty of Health Sciences and the Bellville Business Park closer to the City. Both the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University are leading universities in South Africa. The University of Cape Town is an English speaking institution, which has over 9,000 students and has an MBA program that is ranked 51st by the Financial Times in 2006.


The main entrance to the Cape Town International Convention Centre	The University of Cape Town's main campus.	Cape Town taxi rank above train station.

Culture and society

A typical Cape Dutch styled house in Stellenbosch

The Castle of Good Hope is a star fort which was built on the original coastline of Table Bay. Built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, the Castle is the oldest building in South Africa. It replaced an older fort made of clay and timber that was built in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck upon his arrival.

Cape Town has the highest density of Cape Dutch style buildings in the world. Cape Dutch style, which combines the architectural traditions of the Netherlands, Germany, and France, is most visible in Constantia, the old government buildings in the Central Business District, and along Long Street.

The annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, also known by its Afrikaans name of Kaapse Klopse, is a large minstrel festival held annually on January 2 or "Tweede Nuwe Jaar" (Afrikaans: Second New Year). Competing teams of minstrels parade in brightly colored costumes, either carrying colorful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The Artscape Theatre Centre is the main performing arts venue in Cape Town.

Cape Town's most popular sports by participation are cricket, association football, swimming, and rugby union. Cape Town has hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, and World Championships in various sports such as athletics, fencing, weightlifting, hockey, cycling, canoeing, gymnastics and others. Cape Town is also a host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, further enhancing its profile as a major events city.

Looking to the future

Although Cape Town’s economy has surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the tourism and the real estate industries, daunting economic problems remain. Nearly 20 percent of Cape Town residents are unemployed, and of these 58.3 percent of the are black and 38.1 percent are colored.

Panorama of the Cape Town city bowl from the Waterfront to Table Mountain

The lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups is linked to the poor uptake of education—38.9 percent of residents aged 20 and over have only had some high school education.

But more fundamentally, prosperity is likely to increase once the city deals with violent drug-related crime, reduces the homicide rate from one of the highest rates in the world, and wins the struggles against tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Notes

↑ Pollack, Martin (31 May 2006). Achmat Ebrahim is the new city manager of Cape Town. City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 City of Cape Town Census 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2014
↑ Census 2011 Municipal report: Western Cape, Statistics South Africa, 2012.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Field, Sean, Renate Meyer, and Felicity Swanson. 2007. Imagining the City: Memories and Cultures in Cape Town. Cape Town: HSRC Press. ISBN 9780796921796.
Hammer, J., and P.-A. Pettersson. 2008. "Inside Cape Town." Smithsonian 39 (1): 56-67. ISSN 0037-7333.
Johannes, Calvin P. E. 2002. The History of the Black Townships and Squattercamps of Cape Town. Cape Town: Southern Tip Tours. OCLC 51778873.
McDonald, David A. 2008. World City Syndrome: Neoliberalism and Inequality in Cape Town. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415958578.

External links

All links retrieved November 25, 2023.

Credits

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History of "Cape Town"

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[1] Pollack, Martin (31 May 2006). Achmat Ebrahim is the new city manager of Cape Town. City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. Retrieved March 25, 2007.

[census2011-2] 2.0 ^2.1 City of Cape Town Census 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2014

[3] Census 2011 Municipal report: Western Cape, Statistics South Africa, 2012.

[1]

[2]

[3]

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-'''Cape Town''' ([[Afrikaans]]: ''Kaapstad'' {{IPA|/ˈkɑːpstɑt/}}; [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]]: ''iKapa'') is the [[List of largest cities in South Africa by population|third most populous city]] in [[South Africa]], forming part of the [[metropolitan municipality (South Africa)|metropolitan municipality]] of the [[City of Cape Town]]. It is the provincial [[capital]] of the [[Western Cape]], as well as the [[legislature|legislative]] capital of South Africa, where the [[Parliament of South Africa|National Parliament]] and many government offices are located. Cape Town 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]]. Often regarded as one of the world's most beautiful cities because of its geography, Cape Town is the most popular South African destination for [[tourism]]{{Fact|date=April 2007}}.
+'''Cape Town''' ([[Afrikaans]]: ''Kaapstad;'' [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]]: ''iKapa'') is one of South Africa's three [[capital|capital cities]], serving as the [[legislature|legislative]] capital and seat of the National Parliament, as well as the provincial capital of the [[Western Cape]]. The second most populous city in the country, it is famous for its harbor and for landmarks such as [[Table Mountain]] and [[Cape Point]], and is one of the most popular South African [[tourism|tourist]] destinations.
-Cape Town was originally developed as a victualling station for [[Netherlands|Dutch]] ships sailing to [[Eastern Africa]], [[India]], and the [[Far East]] more than 200 years before the construction of the [[Suez Canal]] in 1869. [[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]]. It was the largest city in South Africa until the growth of [[Johannesburg]] and [[Durban]].
+Cape Town was originally developed as a supply station for [[Netherlands|Dutch]] ships sailing to [[Eastern Africa]], [[India]], and the [[Far East]] more than 200 years before the [[Suez Canal]] opened in 1869. [[Jan van Riebeeck]]'s arrival in 1652 established the first permanent [[Europe]]an settlement in South Africa.
-According to the [[South African National Census of 2001|2001 Census]], the city has a population of 2.95&nbsp;million.<ref name='mdb-ctmp2006'>{{cite web|url=http://www.demarcation.org.za/info_Index.aspx?type=Metropolitan&code=Cape%20Town&Prov=Western%20Cape&sT=Metropolitan&frm=home|publisher=Municipal Demarcation Board|title=Cape Town Municipal Profile 2006}}</ref> Cape Town's land area of 2,499&nbsp;[[square kilometre]]s (965&nbsp;[[square mile|sq&nbsp;mi]]) is larger than other South African cities, resulting in a comparatively lower population density of 1,158 people per square kilometre (2,999/sq&nbsp;mi).<ref name='mdb-ctmp2006'/> Cape Town is [[town twinning|town twinned]] with [[Nice]] in [[France]] and [[Haifa]] in [[Israel]].
+Cape Town is well-known for its history of [[apartheid]], a system of legalized racial segregation enforced by the National Party government of South Africa between 1948 and 1994, and was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. Numerous famous political prisoners were held for years on [[Robben Island]], a [[penitentiary]] island about six miles (10 km) from the city. One such former prisoner, [[African National Congress]] leader [[Nelson Mandela]] marked the end of apartheid in a public speech on February 11, 1990, from the balcony of Cape Town City Hall hours after being released from prison.
+{{toc}}
+While Cape Town in the early twenty-first century has an economy that surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the tourism and the [[real estate]] industries, daunting economic problems remain. The [[unemployment]] rate is nearly 20 percent, with the majority of the affected being non-white. The lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups is linked to the poor uptake of [[education]]. More fundamentally, prosperity is likely to increase once the city deals with violent drug-related crime, reduces the [[homicide]] rate from one of the highest rates in the world, and wins its struggles against [[tuberculosis]] and [[HIV]]/[[AIDS]].
-==History==
+==Geography==
-{{main|History of Cape Town}}
+[[Image:Cape Town SPOT 1186.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Cape Town seen from Spot satellite.]]
+[[Image:Satellite image of Cape peninsula.jpg|thumb|225px|left|A [[NASA]] [[satellite]] image of Cape Town and its environment taken by a [[Landsat]] satellite in February 2000.]]
+Cape Town is located at the northern end of the [[Cape Peninsula]], about 30 miles (50km) north of the [[Cape of Good Hope]]. [[Table Mountain]] forms a dramatic backdrop to the city bowl, with its plateau over 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) high. It is surrounded by near-vertical cliffs, [[Devil's Peak (Cape Town)|Devil's Peak]] and [[Lion's Head (Cape Town)|Lion's Head]]. Sometimes a thin strip of cloud forms over the mountain; this is colloquially known as the "tablecloth."
-There is no certainty as to when humans first occupied the area prior to the first visits of Europeans in the 15th century. The earliest known remnants in the region were found at Peers cave in [[Fish Hoek]] and date to around 12,000 years ago. Little is known of the history of the region's first residents, since there is no written history from the area before it was first mentioned by [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[Age of Discovery|explorer]] [[Bartolomeu Dias]] in 1486. [[Vasco da Gama]] recorded a sighting of the [[Cape of Good Hope]] in 1497, and the area did not have regular contact with Europeans until 1652, when the [[Netherlands]]' [[Jan van Riebeeck]] and other employees of the [[Dutch East India Company]] ([[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ''Verenigde Oost-indische Compagnie'', VOC) were sent to the Cape to establish a way-station for ships travelling to the [[Dutch East Indies]]. The city grew slowly during this period, as it was hard to find adequate labour. This labour shortage prompted the city to import slaves from [[Indonesia]] and [[Madagascar]]; many of whom would come to form the first of the [[Cape Coloureds|Cape Coloured]] communities.
+The peninsula consists of a dramatic mountainous spine jutting southward into the [[Atlantic Ocean]], ending at [[Cape Point]]. There are over 70 peaks above 1,000 feet (300 meters) 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 a rising marine plain, consisting mostly of sandy surface, indicating that at one point Table Mountain itself was an [[island]]. Cape Town covers 948 square miles (2,455 square kilometers). Environmental issues involve [[water]]. The lack of important arterial [[river]]s or [[lake]]s requires extensive water conservation and control.
-<!-- The Cape remained under Dutch control until the 1780s, when the Netherlands entered the [[American Revolutionary War]] alongside the [[Early Modern France|French]] rulers against the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]]. As a result of the Dutch entering the war, the British invaded the Netherlands in 1795.{{citation needed}} By this time, the VOC had lost almost all of its influence in Cape Town and was almost completely [[bankrupt]]. When the Netherlands fell to the British{{citation needed}}, British soldiers were moved to the Cape in a [[garrison]] to prevent a French invasion. —>
+The [[Cape of Good Hope|Cape Peninsula]] has a [[Mediterranean]] climate with well-defined [[season]]s. In [[winter]], which lasts from May to September, large [[cold front]]s come across from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] with heavy [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] and strong north-westerly winds. [[Summer]], from November to March, is warm and dry. The peninsula gets frequent strong winds from the south-east, known as the [[Cape Doctor]], because it blows away [[air pollution|pollution]] and cleans the air. The only times when Cape Town can be uncomfortably hot is when the Berg Wind blows from the [[Karoo]] interior for a couple weeks in February or early March. [[Temperature]]s in July range from 48°F to 63°F (9°C to 17°C), and in January 61°F to 79°F (16°C to 26°C). Mean annual precipitation is 24 inches (600mm).
-The British successfully gained outright control of Cape Town in 1795, during the [[Battle of Muizenberg]]. Under the terms of a [[peace agreement]] negotiated after the war, the Cape was returned to the Dutch in 1803. The war resumed later that year, and British forces re-occupied the Cape, after winning the [[Battle of Blaauwberg]] in 1806. In the 1814 peace treaty which ended the war in Europe, the Cape was permanently incorporated into the [[British Empire]]. As the territory under British control grew even larger outward from the city, it became the capital of the newly formed [[Cape Colony]].
-[[Image:JanVanRiebeckArrival.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A painting of the arrival of [[Jan van Riebeeck]] in [[Table Bay]] (by [[Charles Davidson Bell|Charles Bell]])]]
-The discovery of [[diamond]]s in [[Griqualand West]] in 1869, and [[gold]] on the [[Witwatersrand]] in 1886, near the present-day city of [[Johannesburg]] prompted a massive [[Witwatersrand Gold Rush|gold rush]]. Johannesburg grew rapidly as the country was flooded with immigrants. Tensions also emerged between the [[Boer]]s, who had taken part in the [[Great Trek]] and established republics in the centre of the country; the new migrants, known as [[uitlander]]s; and the British colonial government. This conflict resulted in the [[Second Anglo-Boer War]]. After the British won this war and acquired control of the gold and diamond industries, they unified the Cape Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics (the [[South African Republic]] and the [[Orange Free State]]) and the British [[colony of Natal]] to form the [[Union of South Africa]], which was proclaimed in 1910 with Cape Town as its legislative capital, a function it has continued to serve for the [[Republic of South Africa]] from 1961 to the present.
+== History ==
+[[Image:Southafrica468bushman.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Rock paintings from the [[Western Cape]] ]]
+[[Image:Charles Bell - Jan van Riebeeck se aankoms aan die Kaap.jpg|thumb|right|225px|A painting of the arrival of [[Jan van Riebeeck]] in [[Table Bay]] (by [[Charles Davidson Bell|Charles Bell]]).]]
-In 1948, the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] was elected on election promises of [[racial segregation]] laws, collectively known by the [[Afrikaans]] word ''[[apartheid]]''. As a consequence of the [[Group Areas Act]], which classified all areas of the country and city according to race, formerly multi-racial suburbs were either purged of unlawful residents or demolished. The most infamous example of this in Cape Town is [[District Six, Cape Town|District Six]], which was demolished in 1965, prompting the forced removal of over 60,000 residents after it was declared a whites-only region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/history/districtsix.htm|publisher=SouthAfrica.info|title=Recalling District Six|date=[[19 August]] [[2003]]}}</ref> Many of these residents were relocated to the [[Cape Flats]]. Under apartheid, the Cape was considered a "[[Coloured]] labour preference area", to the exclusion of [[Black African]]s.
+[[Stone Age]] [[hunter-gatherer]]s who used stone tools and [[fire]] arrived in the [[Western Cape]] area around 100,000 B.C.E. They survived the [[Ice Age]], when water levels were around 120 meters lower than their current levels. Fossils indicate that by 8000 B.C.E., the inhabitants had developed bows and arrows for hunting. Nearly 6,000 years later, a large migration of tribes further inland brought contact with skilled [[agriculture|agriculturalists]], prompting cape inhabitants to grow crops.
-[[Image:Luthuli - Tutu - de Klerk - Mandela.jpg|thumb|250px|Nobel Square at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.]]
+[[Bartholomeu Dias]] from [[Portugal]] sailed around the southernmost tip of [[Africa]] in 1486, the first European known to have done so. He was followed by [[Vasco da Gama]] in 1497, while he was searching for a route that would lead from [[Europe]] to [[Asia]]. Portuguese admiral [[Antonio da Saldanha]] named [[Table Mountain]] in 1503. The [[Khoi]] inhabitants, who were were herders, [[hunter-gatherer|hunters and gatherers]], called it ''Hoeri 'kwaggo'' ("sea mountain").
-Cape Town was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid movement, despite many of the group's leaders' internment on [[Robben Island]], a penitentiary island 10 kilometres out to sea from the city, where many famous political prisoners were held for many years. In one of the most famous moments marking the end of apartheid, [[Nelson Mandela]] made his first public speech in decades on [[11 February]] [[1990]] from the balcony of [[Cape Town City Hall]] hours after being released. His speech heralded the beginning of a new era for the country, and the first [[South African general election, 1994|democratic election]] was held four years later, on [[27 April]] [[1994]]. Since 1994, the city has struggled with problems such as [[HIV]]/[[AIDS]], [[tuberculosis]], and a surge in violent [[hard drug|drug]]-related crime.<!--, which has given the city one of the highest [[homicide]] rates in the world.{{citation needed}}--> At the same time, the economy has surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the [[tourism]] and the [[real estate]] industries.
-==Geography==
+On April 6, 1652, [[Jan van Riebeeck]] and other employees of the [[Dutch East India Company]] arrived to establish a way-station to provide fresh water, [[vegetable]]s, and meat for ships traveling to the [[Dutch East Indies]]. The group erected shelters and laid out vegetable gardens and orchards, and bartered with the Khoi people for [[sheep]] and [[cattle]]. [[Forest]]s in [[Hout Bay]] and the southern and eastern flanks of [[Table Mountain]] provided timber for ships and houses. The Dutch called the indigenous Khoi people "Hottentots."
-[[Image:Satellite image of Cape peninsula.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A [[NASA]] [[satellite]] image of Cape Town and its environment taken by a [[Landsat]] satellite in February 2000]]
-[[Image:Lion's Head and Signal Hill.jpg|thumb|left|350px|Lion's Head and Signal Hill From Table Mountain]]
-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 1,000m (3,300&nbsp;[[Foot (unit of length)|ft]]) high; it is  surrounded by near-vertical cliffs, [[Devil's Peak (Cape Town)|Devil's Peak]] and [[Lion's Head (Cape Town)|Lion's Head]]. Sometimes a thin strip of cloud forms over the mountain, and owing to its appearance, it is affectionately 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&nbsp;feet (304.8&nbsp;[[Metre|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.
-=== Climate ===
+The [[city]] grew slowly during this period. A labor shortage prompted the city to import slaves from [[Indonesia]] and [[Madagascar]]. Many of these became ancestors of the first [[Cape Coloureds|Cape Coloured]] communities.
-The [[Cape of Good Hope|Cape Peninsula]] has a [[Mediterranean climate]] with well-defined [[season]]s. In [[winter]], which lasts from May to September, large [[cold front]]s come across from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] with heavy [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] and strong north-westerly winds. The winter months are cool, with an average minimum temperature of 7°[[Celsius|C]] (45°[[Fahrenheit|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. The suburb of Newlands which is to the south of the city is the wettest place in South Africa. The valleys and coastal plains average 515&nbsp;[[millimetre]]s (20&nbsp;[[Inch|in]]) of rain per annum, while mountain areas can average as much as 1,500&nbsp;millimetres (60&nbsp;in) per annum. Summer, which lasts from November to March, is warm and dry. The Peninsula gets frequent strong winds from the south-east, known locally as the [[Cape Doctor]], because it blows away pollution and cleans the air. The south-easterly wind is caused by a [[Pressure system#High-pressure system|high-pressure system]] which sits in the [[South Atlantic Ocean|South Atlantic]] to the west of Cape Town, known as the South-Atlantic High. Summer temperatures are mild, with an average maximum of 26°C (79°F).<ref name='saws-ctcd'>{{cite web|url=http://www.weathersa.co.za/Climat/Climstats/CapeTownStats.jsp|publisher=[[South African Weather Service]]|title=Cape Town Climate Data}}</ref>
-<table align="center">
-<td>{{Cape Town weatherbox}}</td>
-</table>
-==Government==
+During the [[French Revolution]]ary and [[Napoleonic war]]s, the [[Netherlands]] was repeatedly occupied by [[France]], and [[Great Britain]] moved to take control of Dutch colonies. Britain captured Cape Town in 1795, but the Cape was returned to the Netherlands by treaty in 1803. British forces occupied the Cape again in 1806. In the [[Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814]], Cape Town was permanently ceded to Britain. It became the capital of the newly formed [[Cape Colony]], whose territory expanded substantially through the 1800s.
-[[Image:CapeTownCityHall.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Cape Town City Hall]], located in the [[City Bowl, Cape Town|City Bowl]]]]
-{{main|City of Cape Town}}
-Cape Town's local government is the [[City of Cape Town]], which is a [[metropolitan municipality (South Africa)|metropolitan municipality]]. Cape Town is governed by a 210-member [[city council]], which reports to a 28-member executive council. The executive council, in turn, is presided over by a city manager and an executive mayor. The city is divided into 105 electoral wards; each ward directly elects one member of the council, whilst the other 105 councillors are elected by a [[party-list proportional representation]] system. The [[mayor]] is chosen by the city council.
+The discovery of [[diamond]]s in [[Griqualand West]] in 1869, and the [[Witwatersrand Gold Rush]] in 1886, prompted a flood of immigrants to South Africa. Conflicts between the [[Boer]] republics in the interior and the British colonial government resulted in the [[Second Boer War]] of 1899-1901. Britain won the war. In 1910, Britain established the [[Union of South Africa]], which unified the Cape Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics and the British [[colony of Natal]]. Cape Town became the legislative capital of the union, and later of the [[Republic of South Africa]].
-The current mayor is [[Helen Zille]] of the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]]. In the most recent [[South African municipal election, 2006|local government election]]s, the Democratic Alliance was the largest single party with 90 of the 210 seats on the council, ahead of the [[African National Congress]]'s 81 seats, but with no party holding a majority. A subsequent by-election has increased the DA's seats to 91.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.org.za/lgeresults/Static%20Report/95/Seats%20by%20Municipality%20LCMC/CPT-1.pdf|publisher=Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa|title=City of Cape Town, 2006 Local Government Elections: Seat Calculation Summary|date=[[3 April]] [[2006]]}}</ref>
+In the 1948 elections, the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] won on a racial segregation platform known as ''[[apartheid]]''. This led to the [[Group Areas Act]], which classified all areas according to race. Formerly multi-racial suburbs of Cape Town were either purged of unlawful residents or demolished. The most infamous example of this in Cape Town was District Six. After it was declared a whites-only region in 1965, all housing there was demolished and over 60,000 residents were forcibly removed. Many of these residents were relocated to the [[Cape Flats]] and Lavendar Hill. Under apartheid, the cape was considered a "Coloured labour preference area," to the exclusion of "[[Bantu]]s" (blacks).
-Before the unification of Cape Town's local government into the so-called "Unicity", it was divided into six regional "Administrations"; many functions of the Unicity are still divided according to the old Administrations. The administrations include ''Cape Town'', which has the regions of the [[City Bowl]], the Atlantic Seaboard, the southern suburbs, [[Pinelands, Cape Town|Pinelands]], [[Langa, Cape Town|Langa]] and [[Mitchell's Plain]]. ''The South Peninsula'' includes [[Hout Bay]], [[Wynberg, Cape Town|Wynberg]], [[Constantia, Cape Town|Constantia]], [[Fish Hoek]], [[Kommetjie, Cape Town|Kommetjie]], [[Noordhoek]] and [[Simon's Town]]. The ''Blaauwberg region'' includes [[Milnerton, Cape Town|Milnerton]], [[Tableview, Cape Town|Tableview]], and [[Bloubergstrand, Cape Town|Bloubergstrand]]. ''[[Tygerberg, Cape Town|Tygerberg]]'' has its own region, with [[Durbanville, Cape Town|Durbanville]], [[Bellville, Cape Town|Bellville]], and [[Khayelitsha]] added to it. ''Oostenberg'' includes [[Kraaifontein, Cape Town|Kraaifontein]], [[Brackenfell, Cape Town|Brackenfell]], [[Kuilsrivier, Cape Town|Kuilsrivier]], [[Blue Downs, Cape Town|Blue Downs]], and [[Eerste Rivier, Cape Town|Eerste Rivier]]. The last administration, ''Helderberg'', includes [[Somerset West, Western Cape|Somerset West]], [[Strand, Western Cape|Strand]], and [[Gordon's Bay]].
+Cape Town was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. Numerous famous political prisoners were held for years on [[Robben Island]], a penitentiary island about six miles (10km) from the city. One such former prisoner, [[African National Congress]] leader [[Nelson Mandela]] marked the end of apartheid in a public speech on February 11, 1990, from the balcony of [[Cape Town City Hall]] hours after being released. The first post-apartheid election was held four years later, on April 27, 1994.
-==Demographics==
+Nobel Square in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront features statues of South Africa's four [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winners—[[Albert Luthuli]], [[Desmond Tutu]], [[F.W. de Klerk]], and [[Nelson Mandela]]. Since 1994, the city has struggled with problems such as [[HIV]]/[[AIDS]], [[tuberculosis]], a surge in violent [[drug-related crime]] and more recent xenophobic violence, which has given the city one of the highest [[homicide]] rates in the world. At the same time, Cape Town's [[economy]] has surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the [[tourism]] and the [[real estate]] industries.
-[[Image:ZA Cape Town language.gif|thumb|right|250px|Geographical distribution of home languages in Cape Town]]
-According to the [[South African National Census of 2001]], the population of Cape Town is 2,893,251 people. There are 759,767 formal households, of which 87.4% have a flush or chemical [[toilet]], and 94.4% have [[refuse]] removed by the municipality at least once a week. 80.1% of households use [[electricity]] as the main source of energy. 16.1% of households are headed by one person.<ref name='statssa-census-2001'>{{cite web|url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/census01/Census/Database/Census%202001/Census%202001.asp|title=Statistics South Africa: 2001 Census Results}}</ref>
+== Government ==
-[[Coloured]] people account for 48.13% of the population, followed by [[Black African]]s at 31%, [[White (people)|Whites]] at 18.75%, and [[Asian]]s at 1.43%. 46.6% of the population is under the age of 24, whilst 5% are over the age of 65. The median age in the city is 26 years old, and for every 100 females, there are 92.4 males. 19.4% of city residents are [[unemployment|unemployed]]; 58.3% of the unemployed are black, 38.1% are Coloured, 3.1% are White and 0.5% are Asian.<ref name='statssa-census-2001'/>
+[[Image:City Hall, Cape Town.jpg|thumb|right|225px|The Grand Parade and [[Cape Town City Hall]], with [[Table Mountain]] and its characteristic tablecloth in the background.]]
-.4% of Cape Town residents speak [[Afrikaans]] at home, 28.7% speak [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]], 27.9% speak [[English language|English]], 0.7% speak [[Sotho language|Sotho]], 0.3% speak [[Zulu language|Zulu]], 0.1% speak [[Tswana language|Tswana]] and 0.7% of the population speaks a non-official language at home. 76.6% of residents are [[Christianity|Christian]], 10.7% have no religion, 9.7% are [[Islam|Muslim]], 0.5% are [[Judaism|Jewish]] and 0.2% are [[Hinduism|Hindu]]. 2.3% have other or undetermined beliefs.<ref name='statssa-census-2001'/>
+[[South Africa]] is a republic in which the president is both the chief of state and head of government, and is elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term. The bicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly of 400 members, elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms, and the National Council of Provinces of 90 seats, with 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms.
-.2% of residents aged 20 and over have received no [[Education in South Africa|schooling]]; 11.8% have had some [[primary school]]; 7.1% have completed only primary school; 38.9% have had some [[high school]] education; 25.4% have finished only high school and 12.6% have an education higher than the high school level. Overall, 38.0% of residents have completed high school. The median annual income of working adults aged 15–65 is [[South African rand|ZAR]] 25 774. Males have a median annual income of ZAR 28 406 versus ZAR 22 265 for females.<ref name='statssa-census-2001'/>
+Cape Town is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the [[legislature|legislative]] capital and seat of the National Parliament, as well as the provincial capital of the [[Western Cape]]. The others are [[Pretoria]], the [[Executive (government)|executive]] (administrative) and [[de facto]] national capital, and [[Bloemfontein]], the judicial capital.
-== Economy ==
+Cape Town is a metropolitan municipality governed by a 210-member [[city council]], which reports to a 28-member executive council. The executive council, in turn, is presided over by a city manager and an executive mayor. The city is divided into 105 electoral wards; each ward directly elects one member of the council, while the other 105 councilors are elected by a [[party-list proportional representation]] system. The [[mayor]] is chosen by the city council.
-[[Image:Cape Town International Convention Centre.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The main entrance to the [[Cape Town International Convention Centre]]]]
-Cape Town is the economic centre of the Western Cape and serves as the regional manufacturing centre. It also has the primary harbour and airport in the Western Cape. The large government presence in the city, both as the capital of the Western Cape and the seat of the [[Parliament of South Africa|National Parliament]], has led to increased revenue and growth in industries that serve the government. Cape Town hosts many [[meeting|conferences]], particularly in the new [[Cape Town International Convention Centre]], which opened in June 2003. The city has recently enjoyed a booming real estate and [[construction]] market, with many people buying summer homes in the city as well as relocating there permanently. The central business district is under an extensive urban renewal programme, with numerous new buildings and renovations taking place under the guidance of the [[Cape Town Partnership]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capetown.gov.za/econstats/econrep.asp|title=City of Cape Town: Economic Statistics}}</ref>
-Cape Town has four major commercial nodes, with Cape Town Central Business District containing the majority of job opportunities and office space. [[Century City (Cape Town)|Century City]], the [[Bellville, Western Cape|Bellville]]/TygerValley strip and [[Claremont, Cape Town|Claremont]] commercial nodes are well established and contain many offices and corporate headquarters as well.
+Before the unification of Cape Town's local government into the so-called "unicity," it was divided into six regional "administrations"; many functions of the unicity are still divided according to the old administrations, which were Cape Town, the South Peninsula, the Blaauwberg region, Tygerberg, Oostenberg, and Helderberg.
-High school attendance rates and the city's well-established higher education infrastructure have helped Cape Town to attract foreign investors, as there are more people with internationally recognised certification and diplomas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aspa.asn.au/Confs/icp2005/sahlberg.ppt|title=Education Reform and Economic Competitiveness|publisher=International Convention of Principals (ICP 2005)}}</ref>
+After the unification, 16 sub-councils were formed, and later increased to the present 23. Sub-councils consist of geographically clustered wards, with councilors assigned to them on a proportional basis. Each sub-council is led by a chairman who is elected by a majority vote of each sub-council.
-The Western Cape also generates a quarter of the South African agricultural sector's total gross income and more than half of South Africa's exports. Much of the produce is handled through the [[Port of Cape Town]] or [[Cape Town International Airport]]. Most major ship-building companies have offices and manufacturing locations in Cape Town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southafricanboatbuilders.co.za|title=South African Boatbuilders Business Council}}</ref> The Province is also a centre of energy development for the country, with the existing [[Koeberg nuclear power station]] providing energy for the majority of Cape Town's needs. Recently, scientists have discovered [[crude oil|oil]] and [[natural gas]] off of the coast in the Atlantic Ocean.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dme.gov.za|title=South African Department of Minerals and Energy}}</ref>
+== Economy ==
+[[Image:Waterfront panorama.jpg|thumb|350px|Panorama across the Victoria Basin at the [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]], with [[Table Mountain]] in the background.]]
-The Western Cape is an important tourist region in South Africa; the tourism industry accounts for 9.8% of the [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] of the province and employs 9.6% of the province's workforce. In 2004, over 1.5 million international tourists visited the area.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.capegateway.gov.za/Text/2005/12/dmo_annualreport_20042005.pdf|publisher=Cape Town Routes Unlimited|title=Annual Report 2004/2005|id=ISBN 0-621-35496-1|format=PDF}}</ref>
+[[South Africa]] is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of [[natural resource]]s, as well as well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors. Cape Town serves as the regional manufacturing center, has the primary harbor and [[airport]] in the area, and has a large government presence.
-== Tourism ==
-[[Image:Cape Town Waterfront.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]] with [[Table Mountain]] and its characteristic tablecloth in the background]]
-[[Image:Cape SA2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Clock Tower (built 1883) at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]]
-[[Image:Cape Town Bo-Kaap city street.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The distinctive [[Cape Malay]] [[Bo-Kaap]] is one of the most visited areas in Cape Town.]]
-Cape Town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa due to its good climate, natural setting, and relatively well-developed infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tourismcapetown.co.za/|title=Official Western Cape and Cape Town tourism guide}} </ref> The city has several well-known natural features that attract tourists, most notably [[Table Mountain]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tablemountain.net/|title=Table Mountain Aerial Cableway}}</ref> which forms a large part of the [[Table Mountain National Park]] and is the back end of the [[City Bowl, Cape Town|City Bowl]]. Reaching the top of the mountain can be achieved either by hiking up, or by taking the [[Table Mountain Cableway]]. [[Cape Point]] is recognised as the dramatic headland at the end of the [[Cape Peninsula]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capepoint.co.za/|title=Cape Point, South Africa}}</ref> Many tourists also drive along [[Chapman's Peak|Chapman's Peak Drive]], a narrow road that links [[Noordhoek, Cape Town|Noordhoek]] with [[Hout Bay, Cape Town|Hout Bay]], for the views of the Atlantic Ocean and nearby mountains. It is possible to either drive or hike up [[Signal Hill (Cape Town)|Signal Hill]] for closer views of the City Bowl and Table Mountain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbi.ac.za/frames/kirstfram.htm|title=Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden}}</ref>
-Many tourists also visit [[List of beaches of Cape Town|Cape Town's beaches]], which are popular with local residents. Due to the city's unique geography, it is possible to visit several different beaches in the same day, each with a different setting and atmosphere. Beaches located on the Atlantic Coast tend to have very cold water as the water is mostly [[glacier|glacial melt]] from [[Antarctica]]. The water at [[False Bay]] beaches is often warmer by up to 10 °C (18 °F).<ref name='CTbeaches'>{{cite web|url=http://www.safarinow.com/cms/cape-town-beaches/irie.aspx|title=Cape Town Beaches|publisher=SafariNow.com}}</ref> Both coasts are equally popular, although the beaches in affluent [[Clifton, Cape Town|Clifton]] and elsewhere on the Atlantic Coast are better developed with restaurants and cafés, with a particularly vibrant strip of restaurants and bars accessible to the beach at [[Camps Bay]].<ref name='CTbeaches'/> [[Boulders Beach]] near Simon's Town is known for its colony of [[African Penguin|African penguin]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.simonstown.com/tourism/penguins/penguins.htm|title=The African Penguin}}</ref> [[Surfing]] is popular and the city hosts the [[Red Bull Big Wave Africa]] surfing competition every year.
-The city has several notable cultural attractions. The [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]], built on top of part of the [[dock (maritime)|dock]]s of the [[Port of Cape Town]], is one of the city's most popular shopping venues, with several hundred shops and the [[Two Oceans Aquarium]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waterfront.co.za/|title=The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aquarium.co.za/|title=The Two Oceans Aquarium}}</ref> Part of the charm of the V&A, as it is locally known, is that the Port continues to operate and visitors can watch ships enter and leave. The V&A also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which [[ferry|ferries]] depart for [[Robben Island]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robben-island.org.za|title=Robben Island}}</ref> It is possible to take a ferry from the V&A to [[Hout Bay, Cape Town|Hout Bay]], [[Simon's Town, Cape Town|Simon's Town]] and the [[Cape Fur Seal]] colonies on Seal and Duiker Islands. Several companies offer tours of the [[Cape Flats]], a mostly Coloured [[Township (South Africa)|township]], and [[Khayelitsha]], a mostly black township. An option is to sleep overnight in Cape Town's townships. There are several B&Bs where you can spend a safe and real African night.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capetownmagazine.com/todonight/Western-Cape/Townships/Township-BaBs-Discover-what-true-African-hospitality-is-all-about~11|title=Township stays}}</ref>
-Cape Town is noted for its architectural heritage, with the highest density of [[Cape Dutch architecture|Cape Dutch]] style buildings in the world. Cape Dutch style, which combines the architectural traditions of France, the Netherlands, and Germany, is most visible in [[Constantia, Cape Town|Constantia]], the old government buildings in the Central Business District, and along [[Long Street (Cape Town)|Long Street]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encounter.co.za/article/19.html|title=Cape Dutch Architecture|publisher=Encounter South Africa}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A Comparative Evaluation of Urbanism in Cape Town|publisher=University of Cape Town Press|date=1977|pages=20–98|id=ISBN 0-620-02535-2}}</ref> The annual [[Coon Carnival|Cape Town Minstrel Carnival]], also known by its [[Afrikaans]] name of ''Kaapse Klopse'', is a large [[minstrel]] festival held annually on [[January 2]] or "Tweede Nuwe Jaar" (Afrikaans: Second New Year). Competing teams of minstrels parade in brightly coloured costumes, either carrying colourful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The [[Artscape Theatre Centre]] is the main performing arts venue in Cape Town.
+Cape Town has four major commercial nodes, with Cape Town Central Business District containing the majority of job opportunities and office space. Century City, the Bellville-TygerValley strip, and Claremont commercial nodes contain numerous offices and headquarters of insurance companies, retail groups, publishers, design houses, fashion designers, shipping companies, petrochemical companies, architects, and advertising agencies.
-Night life in the city caters for all tastes and sexual preferences, with a range of restaurants and cafes that are generally recognised as including some of the finest eateries in South Africa (both in food quality and decor terms). Night clubs and bars abound with popular areas including the top end of Long Street and its immediate surrounds, as well as the redeveloped Cape Malay quarter, de Waterkant. Varied accommodation for tourists is also abundant, ranging from well located backpackers hostels to hotels that have been rated at the top of their class in world terms.
+Cape Town has a [[petroleum]] refinery, as well as [[chemical]], [[fertilizer]], [[cement]], and [[automobile]]-assembly factories. Other industries involve ship repair, food processing, [[wine]]-making, and the manufacture of clothing, plastics, and leather goods.
-Cape Town's transport system links it to the rest of South Africa; it serves as the gateway to other destinations within the province. The [[Cape Winelands]] and in particular the towns of [[Stellenbosch, Western Cape|Stellenbosch]], [[Paarl, Western Cape|Paarl]] and [[Franschhoek, Western Cape|Franschhoek]] are popular day trips from the city for sightseeing and [[wine tasting]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tourismcapewinelands.co.za/|title=Cape Winelands}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.winelands.co.za|title=The Western Cape wine lands}}</ref> [[Whale watching]] is popular amongst tourists: [[Southern Right Whale]]s are seen off the coast during the breeding season (August to November) and [[Bryde's Whale]]s can be seen any time of the year.<ref name='CTwhale'>{{cite web|url=http://www.afton.co.za/whale-watching.htm|title=Cape Town Whale Watching|publisher=Afton Grove}}</ref> The nearby town of [[Hermanus]] is known for its Whale Festival, but whales can also be seen in False Bay.<ref name='CTwhale'/> [[Heaviside's Dolphin|Heaviside's dolphin]]s are endemic to the area and can be seen from the coast north of Cape Town; [[Dusky Dolphin|dusky dolphin]]s live along the same coast and can occasionally be seen from the ferry to Robben Island.<ref name='CTwhale'/>
+[[Koeberg Nuclear Power Station]] provides most electricity for Cape Town, which also has a [[coal]]-fired power station and two gas turbines. [[Crude oil|Oil]] and [[natural gas]] was discovered off the coast. The city’s water comes from dams on Table Mountain and Steenbras, as well as from Riviersonderend, Voëlvlei, and Wemmershoek.
-Approximately 1.5 million tourists visited in Cape Town during 2004, bringing in a total of R10 billion in revenue.  The forecasts for 2006 anticipate 1.6 million tourists spending a total of R12 billion.  The most popular areas for visitors to stay include [[Camps Bay]], [[Sea Point]], the [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront|V&A Waterfront]], the [[City Bowl, Cape Town|City Bowl]], [[Hout Bay]], [[Constantia, Cape Town|Constantia]], [[Rondebosch]], [[Newlands, Cape Town|Newlands]], [[Somerset West]] and [[Hermanus]].<ref name='CTtourismstats'>{{cite web|url=http://www.capetown-direct.com/article/cape-town-tourism-statistics|title=Cape Town Tourism Statistics|publisher=Cape Town Direct}}</ref>
+Cape Town is a popular [[tourism|tourist]] destination due to its good climate, natural setting, and relatively well-developed infrastructure. Attractive features include [[Table Mountain]], the dramatic headland at the end of the [[Cape Peninsula]], Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape Town's beaches, as well as several notable cultural attractions. Tourism accounts for 9.8 percent of the [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] of the province and employs 9.6 percent of the workforce. Approximately 1.5 million tourists visited in Cape Town during 2004, bringing in a total of US$1.27-billion in revenue.
-== Communications and media ==
+The median annual income of working adults aged 20–65 was US$3289 (South African rand 25,774. South Africa's per capita GDP was estimated at US$9800 in 2007.
-[[Image:Naspers Building, Cape Town.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Naspers|Naspers Building]], which is the headquarters of [[Naspers]], the largest media company in Cape Town]]
-Several newspapers, magazines and printing facilities have their offices in the city. [[Independent News and Media]] publishes the major [[English language]] papers in the city, the ''[[Cape Argus]]'' and the ''[[Cape Times]]''. [[Naspers]], the largest media conglomerate in South Africa, publishes ''[[Die Burger]]'', the major Afrikaans language paper.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.abyznewslinks.com/safri.htm|title=South Africa Newspapers|publisher=ABYZ News Links}} </ref>
-Cape Town has many local community newspapers. Some of the largest community newspapers in English are the ''[[Athlone News]]'' from [[Athlone, Cape Town|Athlone]], the ''[[Atlantic Sun]]'', the ''[[Constantiaberg Bulletin]]'' from [[Constantiaberg, Cape Town|Constantiaberg]], the ''[[City Vision]]'' from [[Bellville, Cape Town|Bellville]], the ''[[False Bay Echo]]'' from [[False Bay]], the ''[[Helderberg Sun]]'' from [[Helderberg, Cape Town|Helderberg]], the ''[[Plainsman]]'' from Michells Plain, the ''[[Sentinel News]]'' from Hout Bay, the ''[[Southern Mail]]'' from the Southern Peninsula, the ''[[Southern Suburbs Tatler]]'' from the [[Southern Suburbs, Cape Town|Southern Suburbs]], ''[[Table Talk (Cape Town)|Table Talk]]'' from Table View and ''[[Tygertalk]]'' from Tygervalley/Durbanville. Afrikaans language community newspapers include the ''[[Landbou-Burger]]'' and the ''[[Tygerburger]]''.
+The Western Cape generates a quarter of South Africa's agricultural total gross income and more than half of South Africa's exports, which are handled through the [[Port of Cape Town]] or [[Cape Town International Airport]].
-''[[Vukani]]'', based in the [[Cape Flats]], is published in [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.dailyearth.com/IntnNews/southafrica.html|title=South Africa Newspapers|publisher=Daily Earth}} </ref>
-Cape Town is a centre for broadcast media and has several radio stations that only broadcast within the city. [[Good Hope FM]] (94–97 [[megahertz|MHz]] [[FM broadcasting|FM]]) and [[KFM (Cape Town)|KFM]] (94.5 MHz FM) mostly play [[pop music]], while Fine Music Radio (101.3 FM) plays [[European classical music|classical music]] and [[jazz]]. Heart FM (104.9 MHz FM), the former P4 Radio, plays Jazz and R&B. Bush Radio is a community radio station (89.5 [[megahertz|MHz]] [[FM broadcasting|FM]]). The [[Voice of the Cape]] (95.8 MHz FM) and [[Cape Talk]] (567 [[kilohertz|kHz]] [[Mediumwave|MW]]) are the major [[talk radio|talk radio stations]] in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biz-community.com/Companies/196/59.html|title=Radio companies|publisher=BizCommunity.Com}}</ref>
+The [[Port of Cape Town]], which is located in [[Table Bay]] directly to the north of the central business district, is on one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world. It is a busy container port, second in South Africa only to [[Durban]]. In 2004, it handled 3,161 ships and 9.2 million metric tons of [[cargo]]. Simon's Town Harbour on the False Bay coast of the [[Cape Peninsula]] is the main base of the [[South African Navy]].
-The [[SABC]] (South African Broadcasting Corporation) has a small presence in the city, with satellite studios located at [[Sea Point]]. [[e.tv]] has a greater presence, with a large complex located at Longkloof Studios in [[Gardens, Cape Town|Gardens]]. [[M-Net]] is not well represented with infrastructure within the city. Numerous productions companies and their support industries are located in the city, mostly supporting the production of overseas commercials, model shoots, TV-series and movies. The local media infrastructure remains primarily in [[Johannesburg]].
+[[Cape Town International Airport]] serves both domestic and international flights, and is the second-largest [[airport]] in South Africa. Two long-distance passenger rail services operate from Cape Town. Metrorail, which operates a [[commuter rail]] service in Cape Town and the surrounding area, has a network of 96 stations.
-==Sports teams and stadia==
+Three national roads have their start in Cape Town: The N1 links the city with [[Bloemfontein]], [[Johannesburg]], [[Pretoria]], and [[Zimbabwe]]; the N2, to [[Port Elizabeth]], East London and [[Durban]]; and the N7, to the [[Northern Cape Province]] and [[Namibia]]. Cape Town also has a system of [[freeway]] and [[dual carriageway]] M-roads.
-{| class="infobox" style="font-size: 90%; "
+<center>
-|- style="text-align: center; background: #eee"
+{|
-! Club !! Sport !! League !! Stadium
+|+
 |-
-| [[Ajax Cape Town]]
+| valign="top"|
-| [[Football (soccer)|Football]]
+[[Image:Clifton 4th Beach.jpg|thumb|195px|Clifton 4th Beach]]
-| [[Premier Soccer League (South Africa)|Premier Soccer League]]
+| valign="top"|
-| [[Philippi Stadium]]
+[[Image:Cape Town Bo-Kaap city street.jpg|thumb|195px|The distinctive [[Cape Malay]] [[Bo-Kaap]] is one of the most visited areas in Cape Town.]]
+| valign="top"|
+[[Image:Cape Town N2.jpg|thumb|195px|The [[N2 (South Africa)|N2]], also known as the Eastern Boulevard, as it enters the [[City Bowl, Cape Town|City Bowl]] and ends in the Central Business District]]
 |-
-| [[Cape Cobras]]
-| [[Cricket]]
-| [[Standard Bank Cup Series]]
-| [[Newlands Cricket Ground]]
-|-
-| [[Santos Football Club (South Africa)|Santos]]
-| [[Football (soccer)|Football]]
-| [[Premier Soccer League (South Africa)|Premier Soccer League]]
-| [[Athlone Stadium]]
-|-
-| [[Stormers]]
-| [[Rugby union]]
-| [[Super 14]]
-| [[Newlands Stadium]]
-|-
-| [[Western Province (rugby)|Western Province]]
-| [[Rugby union]]
-| [[Currie Cup]]
-| [[Newlands Stadium]]
 |}
+</center>
-Cape Town's most popular sports by participation are [[cricket]], [[football (soccer)|association football]], [[swimming]], and [[rugby union|rugby]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Time Out: Cape Town|publisher=Time Out Publishing|date=2006|pages=127&ndash;130: Sports|id=ISBN 1-904978-12-6}}</ref> The [[Stormers]] represent [[Western Province (rugby)|Western Province]] and [[Boland]] in the [[Southern Hemisphere]]'s [[Super 14]] [[rugby union]] competition. Cape Town is the home of the [[Western Province (rugby)|Western Province Rugby Union]], who play at [[Newlands Stadium]] and compete in the [[Currie Cup]]. Cape Town also regularly hosts the national team, the [[South Africa national rugby union team|Springboks]], and hosted matches during the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]], including a semi-final.
+== Demographics ==
+[[Image:ZA Cape Town language.gif|thumb|right|225px|Geographical distribution of home languages in Cape Town]]
-Football, which is better known as ''soccer'' in South Africa, is also popular. Two [[Football club|clubs]] from Cape Town play in the [[Premier Soccer League]] (PSL), South Africa's premier league. These teams are [[Ajax Cape Town]], which formed as a result of the 1999 amalgamation of the [[Seven Stars (Cape Town)|Seven Stars]] and the [[Cape Town Spurs]]; and [[Santos Football Club (South Africa)|Santos]]. Cape Town will also be the location of several of the matches of the [[Football World Cup 2010|FIFA 2010 World Cup]], which is to be held in South Africa. The Mother City is building a new 70,000 seat stadium in the Green Point area.
+According to the South African National Census of 2011, the population of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality—an area that includes suburbs and exurbs not always considered as part of Cape Town—was 3,740,026 people. With a land area of 948 square miles (2,455 square kilometers) Cape Town had population density of 3,689 people per square mile (1,425 per square kilometer). In 2011, there were 1,068,573 formal households, 78.4 percent in formal structures (houses or flats), with 20.5 percent are in informal structures (shacks).
-In cricket, the [[Cape Cobras]] represent Cape Town at the [[Newlands Cricket Ground]]. The team is the result of an amalgamation of the [[Western Province Cricket]] and [[Boland Cricket]] teams. They take part in the [[Supersport Series|Supersport]] and [[Standard Bank Cup Series]].
+.4 percent of the population described themselves as "Coloured" (a label for people of mixed ethnic origin who possess ancestry from Europe, Asia, and various [[Khoisan]] and [[Bantu]] tribes of Southern Africa, including the distinctive Cape Coloured and affiliated Cape Malay cultures mostly Malayu-speaking Javanese from modern-day [[Indonesia]])," 38.6 percent as "Black African", 15.7 percent as "White", and 1.4 percent as "Indian or Asian". Of those residents who were asked about their first language, 35.7 percent spoke [[Afrikaans]], 29.8 percent spoke [[Xhosa]], and 28.4 percent spoke English.
-Cape Town has Olympic aspirations: in 1996, Cape Town was one of the five candidate cities shortlisted by the [[IOC]] to launch official candidatures to host the [[2004 Summer Olympics]]. Although the games ultimately went to [[Athens]], Cape Town came in an impressive third place, edging out [[Stockholm]] and [[Buenos Aires]] in the first three rounds of voting. There has been some speculation that Cape Town is seeking the South African Olympic Committee's nomination to be South Africa's bid city for either the [[2016 Summer Olympic Games|2016]] or the [[2020 Summer Olympic Games]].
+The city is predominantly [[Christian]] (76.6 percent). 10.7 percent have no [[religion]], 9.7 percent are [[Islam|Muslim]], 0.5 percent are [[Judaism|Jewish]], 0.2 percent are [[Hinduism|Hindu]], and 2.3 percent have other or undetermined beliefs.
-==Transport==
+Of those residents aged 20 or older, 1.8 percent have no schooling, 8.1 percent have some schooling but did not finish primary school, 4.6 percent finished primary school but have no secondary schooling, 38.9 percent have some secondary schooling but did not finish Grade 12, 29.9 percent finished Grade 12 but have no higher education, and 16.7 percent have higher education. Overall, 46.6 percent have at least a Grade 12 education. Of those aged between 5 and 25, 67.8 percent are attending an educational institution. Amongst those aged between 15 and 65 the unemployment rate is 23.7 percent.
-[[Image:Cape Town N2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[N2 (South Africa)|N2]], also known as the Eastern Boulevard, as it enters the [[City Bowl, Cape Town|City Bowl]] and ends in the Central Business District]]
-[[Image:Cape Town Station, Interior 1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The interior of [[Cape Town Railway Station]]]]
-[[Image:Cape Town M3 passing UCT.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[M3 (Cape Town)|M3]] as it passes the [[University of Cape Town]]. The M3 is the major link between the [[City Bowl, Cape Town|City Bowl]] and the southern suburbs.]]
-[[Image:Cape-Town-taxi-rank.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cape Town taxi rank above train station]]
-;Air
+Overall, 38 percent of residents aged 20 and over have completed high school, 4.2 percent of residents have received no schooling, 11.8 percent have had some [[primary school]], 7.1 percent have completed only primary school, 38.9 percent have had some [[high school]] education, 25.4 percent have finished only high school and 12.6 percent have an [[education]] higher than the high school level.<ref> Census 2011 Municipal report: Western Cape, ''Statistics South Africa'', 2012.</ref>
-[[Cape Town International Airport]] serves both domestic and international flights. It is the second-largest airport in South Africa and serves as a major gateway for travellers to the Cape region. Cape Town has direct flights to most cities in South Africa as well as a number of international destinations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southafrica.info/plan_trip/travel_tips/arriving/ctairport.htm|title=Cape Town International Airport|publisher=SouthAfrica.info}}</ref>
-As of June 2006, Cape Town International Airport is being upgraded to handle an expected increase in air traffic as tourism numbers will increase in the lead-up to the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.suntimes.co.za/1998/05/17/news/cape/nct01.htm|publisher=Sunday Times|title=R150-million upgrade kicks off one of the biggest developments in Cape Town's history|date=[[17 May]] [[1998]]|first=Bobby|last=Jordan}}</ref> The renovations include several large new parking garages, a revamped domestic departure terminal and a new international terminal. The airport's cargo facilities are also being expanded and several large empty lots are being developed into [[office|office space]] and hotels.
+Cape Town is served by three public universities: The [[University of Cape Town]], the [[University of the Western Cape]] and the [[Cape Peninsula University of Technology]]. [[Stellenbosch University]], while not in the city itself, is 50 kilometers from the City Bowl and has additional campuses, such as the Tygerberg Faculty of Health Sciences and the Bellville Business Park closer to the City. Both the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University are leading universities in South Africa. The University of Cape Town is an English speaking institution, which has over 9,000 students and has an MBA program that is ranked 51st by the [[Financial Times]] in 2006.
+<center>
-The Cape Town International Airport was among the winners of the [[World Travel Awards]] for being  Africa's leading airport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctru.co.za/C3/CapeTownInternationalAirportamongtheWorld.pdf|title=Cape Town International Airport|publisher=Cape Town Routes Unlimited}}</ref>
+{|
+|+
+|-
+| valign="top"|
+[[Image:Cape Town International Convention Centre.jpg|thumb|195px|The main entrance to the Cape Town International Convention Centre]]
+| valign="top"|
+[[Image:UCT Upper Campus landscape view.jpg|thumb|195px|The [[University of Cape Town]]'s main campus.]]
+| valign="top"|
+[[Image:Cape-Town-taxi-rank.jpg|thumb|195px|Cape Town taxi rank above train station.]]
+|-
+|}
+</center>
-;Sea
+==Culture and society==
-Cape Town has a long tradition as a port city. The [[Port of Cape Town]], the city's main port, is located in [[Table Bay]] directly to the north of the central business district. The port is a hub for ships in the southern Atlantic: it is located along one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world. It is also a busy container port, second in South Africa only to [[Durban]]. In 2004, it handled 3,161 ships and 9.2 million tonnes of [[cargo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ports.co.za/port-operations.php|publisher=South African Port Operations|title=Introducing SAPO}}</ref>
+[[Image:FacadeStellenbosch.jpg|thumb|right|225px|A typical Cape Dutch styled house in [[Stellenbosch]]]]
-[[Simon's Town, Cape Town|Simon's Town Harbour]] on the [[False Bay]] coast of the [[Cape Peninsula]] is the main base of the [[South African Navy]].
+The Castle of Good Hope is a [[star fort]] which was built on the original coastline of [[Table Bay]]. Built by the [[Dutch East India Company]] between 1666 and 1679, the Castle is the oldest building in South Africa. It replaced an older [[fort]] made of [[clay]] and [[timber]] that was built in 1652 by [[Jan van Riebeeck]] upon his arrival.
-;Rail
+Cape Town has the highest density of [[Cape Dutch]] style buildings in the world. Cape Dutch style, which combines the architectural traditions of the [[Netherlands]], [[Germany]], and [[France]], is most visible in Constantia, the old government buildings in the Central Business District, and along Long Street.
-The ''[[Shosholoza Meyl]]'' is the passenger rail operations of [[Spoornet]] and operates two long-distance passenger rail services from Cape Town: a daily service to and from [[Johannesburg]] via [[Kimberley, South Africa|Kimberley]] and a weekly service to and from [[Durban]] via [[Kimberley, South Africa|Kimberley]], [[Bloemfontein]] and [[Pietermaritzburg]]. These trains terminate at [[Cape Town Railway Station]] and make a brief stop at [[Bellville, Cape Town|Bellville]]. Cape Town is also one terminus of the luxury tourist-oriented [[Blue Train (South Africa)|Blue Train]].
-[[Metrorail (Western Cape)|Metrorail]] operates a [[commuter rail]] service in Cape Town and the surrounding area. The Metrorail network consists of 96 stations throughout the suburbs and outskirts of Cape Town.
+The annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, also known by its [[Afrikaans]] name of ''Kaapse Klopse'', is a large [[minstrel]] festival held annually on January 2 or ''"Tweede Nuwe Jaar"'' (Afrikaans: Second New Year). Competing teams of minstrels parade in brightly colored costumes, either carrying colorful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The [[Artscape Theatre Centre]] is the main performing arts venue in Cape Town.
-;Road
+Cape Town's most popular [[sports]] by participation are [[cricket]], [[football (soccer)|association football]], [[swimming]], and [[rugby union]]. Cape Town has hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, and World Championships in various sports such as athletics, [[fencing]], [[weightlifting]], [[hockey]], cycling, canoeing, [[gymnastics]] and others. Cape Town is also a host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, further enhancing its profile as a major events city.
-Three [[National Roads in South Africa|national roads]] start in Cape Town: the [[N1 (South Africa)|N1]] which links Cape Town with [[Bloemfontein]], [[Johannesburg]], [[Pretoria]] and [[Zimbabwe]]; the [[N2 (South Africa)|N2]] which links Cape Town with [[Port Elizabeth]], [[East London, South Africa|East London]] and [[Durban]]; and the [[N7 (South Africa)|N7]] which links Cape Town with the [[Northern Cape Province]] and [[Namibia]]. The N1 and N2 both start in the Central Business District, and split to the east of the CBD, with the N1 continuing to the north east and the N2 heading south east past [[Cape Town International Airport]]. The N7 starts in [[Mitchells Plain]] and runs north, intersecting with the N1 and the N2 before leaving the city.
-Cape Town also has a system of [[freeway]] and [[dual carriageway]] M-roads, which connect different parts of the city. The [[M3 (Cape Town)|M3]] splits from the N2 and runs to the south along the eastern slopes of [[Table Mountain]], connecting the City Bowl with [[Muizenberg]]. The [[M5 (Cape Town)|M5]] splits from the N1 further east than the M3, and links the Cape Flats to the CBD. The [[R300 (Western Cape)|R300]], which is informally known as the ''Cape Flats Freeway'', links [[Mitchells Plain]] with [[Bellville, South Africa|Bellville]], the N1 and the N2.
+==Looking to the future==
+Although Cape Town’s economy has surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the [[tourism]] and the [[real estate]] industries, daunting economic problems remain. Nearly 20 percent of Cape Town residents are [[unemployment|unemployed]], and of these 58.3 percent of the are black and 38.1 percent are colored.
+[[Image:Cape Town CBD TblMnt.jpg|thumb|400px|Panorama of the Cape Town city bowl from the Waterfront to Table Mountain]]
+The lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups is linked to the poor uptake of [[education]]—38.9 percent of residents aged 20 and over have only had some [[high school]] education.
-;Buses
+But more fundamentally, prosperity is likely to increase once the city deals with violent [[drug-related crime]], reduces the [[homicide]] rate from one of the highest rates in the world, and wins the struggles against [[tuberculosis]] and [[HIV]]/[[AIDS]].
-[[Golden Arrow Bus Services]] operates scheduled bus services throughout the Cape Town metropolitan area. Several companies run long-distance bus services from Cape Town to the other cities in South Africa.
-;Taxis
-Cape Town has two kinds of taxis: [[taxicab|metered taxis]] and [[minibus taxi]]s. Unlike many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called to a specific location.
-Minibus taxis are the standard form of transport for the majority of the population who cannot afford private vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cape-town.org/directory.asp?McatId=8|publisher=CapeTown.org|title=Transport}}</ref> Although essential, these taxis are often poorly maintained and are frequently not road-worthy. These taxis make frequent unscheduled stops to pick up passengers, which can cause accidents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1566/is_200209/ai_n7215423|title=South Africa's minibus wars: uncontrollable law-defying minibuses oust buses and trains from transit|publisher=LookSmart}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-in-depth/all_reports/transportation_in_south_africa/trans_sa_execsumm.cfm|title=Transportation in Developing Countries: Greenhouse Gas Scenarios for South Africa|publisher=Pew Center}}</ref> With the high demand for transport by the working class of South Africa, minibus taxis are often filled over their legal passenger allowance, making for high casualty rates when minibuses are involved in accidents. Minibuses are generally owned and operated in fleets, and inter-operator violence flares up from time to time, especially as [[Taxi wars in South Africa|turf war]]s occur over lucrative taxi routes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aworldconnected.org/article.php/1341.html|title=Taxing Alternatives: Poverty Alleviation and the South African Taxi/Minibus Industry|publisher=Enterprise Africa! Research Publications}}</ref>
-==Universities==
-[[Image:UCT Upper Campus landscape view.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The [[University of Cape Town]]'s main campus with [[Devil's Peak (Cape Town)|Devil's Peak]] behind it]]
-Cape Town has a well-developed [[higher education]] system of [[public university|public universities]]. Cape Town is served by three public universities: the [[University of Cape Town]] (UCT), the [[University of the Western Cape]] (UWC) and the [[Cape Peninsula University of Technology]] (CPUT). [[Stellenbosch University]], while not in the city itself, is 50 kilometres from the City Bowl and has additional campuses, such as the Tygerberg Faculty of Health Sciences and the Bellville Business Park closer to the City.
-Both the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University are leading universities in South Africa. This is due in large part to substantial financial contributions made to these institutions by both the public and private sector.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capetown.gov.za/econstats/pdf/compete.zip|title=Competitiveness factors|publisher=City of Cape Town}}</ref> Since the [[African National Congress]] has come into governmental power, some restructuring of Western Cape universities has taken place and as such, traditionally non-white universities have seen increased financing, which has benefitted the University of the Western Cape.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capetown.at/heritage/society/index.htm|title=Cape Town Society|publisher=CapeConnected}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.co.za/1998/01/20/PAGE7.HTM|title=Education Cosas critical of education funding|publisher=Dispatch Online}}</ref>
-The public Cape Peninsula University of Technology was formed on [[January 1]], [[2005]], when two separate institutions – [[Cape Technikon]] and [[Peninsula Technikon]] – were merged. The new university offers education primarily in [[English language|English]], although one may take courses in any of South Africa's official languages. The institution generally awards the [[National Diploma (South Africa)|National Diploma]].
-==Skyline==
-[[Image:Cape Town CBD TblMnt.jpg|thumb|750px|center|Panorama of the Cape Town city bowl from the Waterfront to Table Mountain]]
-[[Image:Capetown_Pano1.jpg|thumb|750px|center|Panorama of the Cape Town city taken from Table Mountain]]
 ==Notes==
-<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
 <references/>
-</div>
-==External links==
-{{Commons|Cape Town|Cape Town}}
-;Government
-* [http://www.capetown.gov.za/ Official website of the City of Cape Town]
-* [http://www.capegateway.gov.za/ Cape Gateway, official website of Western Cape Province]
-;News<!-- DO NOT ADVERTISE HERE! COMMERCIAL LINKS WILL BE REMOVED AS SPAM. —>
-* [http://www.iol.co.za/ ''Independent Online'']
-* [http://www.news24.co.za/ ''News24'']
-;Other<!-- DO NOT ADVERTISE HERE! COMMERCIAL LINKS WILL BE REMOVED AS SPAM. —>
-* [http://www.tourismcapetown.co.za/ Official Western Cape and Cape Town tourism guide]
-* {{Wikitravel}}
-{{Geolinks-cityscale|-33.9264|18.4227}}
-<!-- DO NOT ADVERTISE HERE! COMMERCIAL LINKS WILL BE REMOVED AS SPAM. —>
-{{Western Cape Province}}
+== References ==
-{{South Africa Provincial Capitals}}
+* Field, Sean, Renate Meyer, and Felicity Swanson. 2007. ''Imagining the City: Memories and Cultures in Cape Town''. Cape Town: HSRC Press. ISBN 9780796921796.
-{{African capitals}}
+* Hammer, J., and P.-A. Pettersson. 2008. "Inside Cape Town." ''Smithsonian'' 39 (1): 56-67. ISSN 0037-7333.
+* Johannes, Calvin P. E. 2002. ''The History of the Black Townships and Squattercamps of Cape Town''. Cape Town: Southern Tip Tours. OCLC 51778873.
+* McDonald, David A. 2008. ''World City Syndrome: Neoliberalism and Inequality in Cape Town''. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415958578.
-[[Cape Jazz]]
+== External links ==
-[[Category:1652 establishments]]
+All links retrieved November 25, 2023.
-[[Category:Cape Town| ]]
+* [http://www.capetown.gov.za/ City of Cape Town official website]
-[[Category:Capitals in Africa]]
+* [http://www.ctic.co.za/ Cape Town Information Centre]
-[[Category:Port cities in South Africa]]
-[[Category:Towns in the Western Cape]]
-{{Link FA|af}}
-{{Link FA|zh}}
-{{Link FA|vi}}
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+{{List of African capitals}}
+[[Category:Geography]]
+[[Category:Cities]]
+[[Category:Africa]]
-{{credit|141374683}}
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