South Africa » Cape Town

Cape Town is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the City of Cape Town. It is the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the 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. 

Cape Town originally developed as a refuelling station for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India, and Asia. Jan van Riebeeck's arrival on April 6, 1652 established the first permanent European settlement in sub-Saharan Africa. Cape Town quickly outgrew its original purpose and was the first European outpost at the Castle of Good Hope. It was the largest city in South Africa until the growth of Johannesburg. This was as a result of the discovery of gold and diamonds in the Transvaal in 1887.

According to the 2001 Census, the city has a population of 2.9 million. Cape Town's land area of 2,499 km² is larger than other South African cities, resulting in a comparatively lower population density of 1,158 people per km².