15 Amazing Cape Town, South Africa Facts That Makes It Worth A Visit!

The Dutch East India Company constructed a refreshment stop for its ships on the beaches of Table Bay in 1652, and the city of Cape Town was born.

Cape Town is the parliamentary capital of South Africa as well as the capital of the Western Cape province. Cape Town is considered the 'mother city' of South Africa since it was the location of the country's earliest European settlement.

Cape Town was the biggest city in South Africa until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush of 1886, as well as the establishment of Johannesburg. The only operational nuclear power station on the African continent is near Cape Town.

Portuguese adventurer Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to discover the region, who dubbed it 'Cape of Storms' in 1488. However, because of the immense hope created by discovering a sea route to the East and on to India, it was eventually named 'Cape of Good Hope' by John II of Portugal.

The South Peninsula, located south of Muizenberg in False Bay to Noordhoek on the Atlantic Ocean, is a largely English-speaking region of the Cape Town Metropolitan Region. Cape Town is one of  South Africa's most significant historical cities.

The first European colonists arrived in South Africa here, inside the Mother City, which further marked the start of the slave trade in the country.

Cape Town Geographic Location

It's a port city nestled beneath the majestic Table Mountain at Africa's southwesternmost tip. The city is located 30 mi (50 kilometers) north of the Cape of Good Hope, at the northernmost tip of the Cape Peninsula's southernmost limit. The city of Cape Town covers an area of 155 sq mi (400 sq km).

Diamonds were found in 1867, and migration to South Africa skyrocketed. Conflicts occurred between the British and the Dutch Boer republics, resulting in the Second Boer War, which lasted from 1889 until 1902.

After winning the war, Britain founded the Federation of South Africa in 1910. Several of the anti apartheid movement's leaders were born in Cape Town.

Many of these figures were incarcerated on Robben Island, approximately 6.2 miles (10 km) from the city. On February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela delivered a speech at the Cape Town City Hall upon his release from jail.

The City Bowl, which is bordered by Signal Hill, Table Mountain, Lion's Head, Devil's Peak, and the northern and southern suburbs, the South Peninsula, and the Atlantic Seaboard, make up Cape Town today. The City Bowl encompasses Cape Town's primary business sector as well as the city's internationally renowned waterfront.

Furthermore, Cape Town features a region known as Cape Flats. To the southeast of the city center is a flat, low-lying terrain. The capital of the Western Cape Province, Cape Town, is considered the province's economic hub.

As a result, it is the Western Cape's major manufacturing center, as well as the area's principal harbor and airport. Cape Town's main core is situated on the Cape Peninsula.

The city's background is the iconic Table Mountain, which rises to 3,300 ft (1,000 m). The remainder of the city is nestled between the peaks that protrude out into the Atlantic Ocean on the Cape Peninsula. The Cape Flats neighborhood includes the majority of Cape Town's suburbs.

Cape Town Weather and Climate

The weather of Cape Town is Mediterranean in nature, yet it is regionally influenced by the bulk of Table Mountain and the frigid South Atlantic Ocean's Benguela Current.

The average high temperature in January and February is 70 F (21 C), and the average low temperature in July is 55 F (13 C); however, temperatures are colder on the mountainsides and along the coast. Freezing is a rare occurrence.

Rain falls for 69 days out of the year on average, with almost half of the 26 in (660 mm) of annual rainfall falling between June and August, winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Cape Town Population

It is the country's second-largest city in terms of population and its largest area. Cape Town's population was 3,497,097 in 2007.

Many of the city's activities are tied to government activities because it is South Africa's legislative capital. Cape Town is home to 64% of the Western Cape's population. Cape Town has a population of 3.78 million people as of April 2018.

Famous Spots to Visit in Cape town

Sometimes known as the Mother City, Cape Town is a major international tourist attraction in Africa. This is due to its pleasant climate, well developed infrastructure, beaches, and stunning natural surroundings.

Cape Town is also part of the Cape Floristic Area of South Africa, which implies it contains a lot of plant biodiversity and wildlife, including orca whales, humpback whales, and African penguins. In addition, Cape Town was one of six South African cities that held World Cup games in June 2010.

Table Peak is a flat-topped mountain that rises above the city of Cape Town and serves as a notable landmark. It is a popular tourist destination, with many people taking the cable car or trekking to the top.

Table Mountain National Park encompasses the mountain. Table Mountain is home to a diverse range of animals and vegetation, most of which are native to the area.

The Lion's Head mountain range is located in Cape Town. At 2,195 ft (669 m) above sea level, it is the highest point in the area.

The summit, which is the portion of the Table Mountain National Park, provides a magnificent backdrop to the metropolis of Cape Town. The city's suburbs encircle the summit and Signal Hill on practically all sides, but rigorous city management has prevented houses from being built on the higher territory.

The Cape of Good Hope is a mountainous promontory on the Cape Peninsula's Atlantic coast. The Cape of Good Hope is commonly mistaken for Africa's southernmost point.

This misunderstanding stemmed from the Cape's mistaken idea that marked the border between the Indian Oceans and the Atlantic. The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town is the earliest colonial edifice in South Africa, having been constructed between 1666-1679. The castle now serves as a ceremonial station for the Defence Force's Cape battalions of South Africa.

Boulders Beach gets its name from the protected beach composed of inlets between granite boulders. It's on the Cape Peninsula, nearby Simon's Town to Cape Point, and close to Cape Town. It's a famous tourist destination thanks to a population of African penguins that arrived in 1982. Table Mountain National Park includes Boulders Beach.

Robben Island is a small island in Table Bay, located 4.3 mi (6.9 km) west of Cape Town's Bloubergstrand. The name means 'seal island' in Dutch.

Nelson Mandela, a Nobel Prize winner and former President of South Africa, spent 18 of his 27 years in jail there before apartheid ended. Kgalema Motlanthe, Nelson Mandela, and former President Jacob Zuma are the only former detainees of Robben Island who have become President of South Africa.

Nearly 7000 plants unique to the Cape Floral Kingdom have been identified. The Cape Floral Kingdom is the world's smallest and wealthiest known floral area, and it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Port of Cape Town is the seaport of Cape Town. It can be found in Table Bay. Many cruise ships dock in the harbor due to the various tourist attractions available in Cape Town and the surrounding area.

The Port of Cape Town is an important transportation hub in southern Africa. It acts as a significant repair center for oil rigs and ships and transfers freight. The capital of the Western Cape Province, Cape Town, is considered the province's economic hub.

The city is noted for its harbor, beautiful environment in the Cape Floristic Region, and prominent sites like Cape Point and Table Mountain. It is one of South Africa's busiest ports, processing the freshest fruit as well as second only to Durban as a port facility due to its location across one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

The most popular tourist destinations are Camps Bay, the V&A Waterfront, Sea Point, Hout Bay, the City Bowl, Constantia, Newlands, Rondebosch, and Somerset West.

In addition, grey squirrels can be seen in the Company's Gardens, rock hyrax or dassies on Table Mountain, Cape fur seals in the V&A Waterfront, and flamingos on the lakes and waterways near the city center.