By Patrick M. Lind
Cape Town is the second most populous city in South
Africa, and the capital of the province Western Cape. It is located on the northern end of Cape Peninsula on South Africa's western Atlantic coast. Cape Town's climate has made it a popular tourist spot, with average high temperatures between 64 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit (18-27 Celsius), depending on the season. Cape Town also played an integral part in the anti-apartheid movement.
Population
As of 2007, 3.5 million people live in Cape Town .
Area
Cape Town covers approximately 2,454.72 sq. km (947.8 square miles).
Earliest Human Presence
Human remnants have been discovered in Peers Cave, near Cape Town, dating back 12,000 years.
Founded
Cape Town was founded in 1652 by Dutch explorers
British Control
The Netherlands permanently ceded control of Cape Town to the British through the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814.
Nelson Mandela
After decades in prison, Nelson Mandela made his first public speech on February 11, 1990, in Cape Town.
About the Author:
Patrick M. Lind has been freelance writing since 2007 and has worked as an editor and journalist for ChicagoSporting.com. He received a Master of Arts in history from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Middle East.
