Western Cape

I

Introduction

Western Cape (in Afrikaans, Wes-Kaap), province in south-western South Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, the Indian Ocean on the south, and by Northern Cape and Eastern Cape provinces on the north and east respectively. Created in 1994 from part of Cape Province, one of the four former South African provinces, Western Cape covers about 129,370 sq km (49,950 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

Western Cape is separated by a mountain barrier and the Swartland region from the hinterland of South Africa. Overlooking Cape Town is the magnificent backdrop of Table Mountain (1,086 m/3,563 ft). A chain of mountain ranges, including the Cedarberg, the Hex River mountains, the Outeniekwas, and the Tsitsikamma range, separates the coastal areas from the interior. The province has a coastline of over 1,100 km (684 mi) and the coastal waters can be dangerous for ships because of fog, uncertain currents, and rocks, particularly around Cape Peninsula. One of the most important coastal features is Cape Agulhas; the promontory is the southernmost point of Africa and is regarded as the boundary between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The Cape of Good Hope, to the north-west, rises some 256 m (840 ft) above sea level—the Cape was first rounded by a European in 1488 when Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias sailed around it, thereby opening up the sea route to the east. During October and November, several types of whale—including southern right whales, killer whales, and humpback whales—migrate to the waters of False Bay, on the sparsely populated east side of the peninsula south of Cape Town.

Western Cape can be divided into three climatic zones. The western region, around Cape Town, has dry summers and rainy winters (from May to August); the average annual rainfall in Cape Town totals 510 mm (20 in). The southern section of the province, along the Indian Ocean, receives some rain throughout the year; the average annual rainfall at Mossel Bay (Mosselbaai), a town in the southern region, totals 380 mm (15 in). The third climatic zone is the interior of Western Cape, which contains the Great Karoo, a large, flat, sparsely vegetated plateau that is dry most of the year. Average temperatures in Western Cape range from 16° to 32° C (60° to 90° F) in the summer and from 7° to 18° C (44° to 64° F) in the winter.

III

Population

The population of Western Cape was estimated to be 4,645,600 in 2005. Founded in 1652, Cape Town (population, 2003 estimate, 2,967,000) is the province’s capital and largest city, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa. Other important towns include Beaufort West, George (1991, 48,262), Oudtshoorn, Saldanha, Simon’s Town (1997 estimate, 6,500), Somerset West, Stellenbosch (1991, 43,184), and Worcester.

Coloureds—people of mixed racial descent—make up 54 per cent of the population and black Africans make up 27 per cent. Afrikaans (55 per cent), Xhosa (24 per cent), and English (19 per cent) are the primary languages spoken in the province. Most residents are Christians, but there is a large Muslim community, including many Indians. Western Cape has four universities: the University of Cape Town, the University of Stellenbosch, the University of the Western Cape, and Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the University of South Africa also have campuses in the province.

IV

Places of Interest

Important cultural and historical sites in the province include Groot Constantia, home of Simon van der Stel, a Dutch governor of the Cape Colony; Groote Schuur, in Cape Town, the official residence of South Africa’s president and formerly the home of Cecil Rhodes, a British colonialist; the Castle, a Dutch colonial administrative centre begun in 1665 and the oldest building in Cape Town; Genadendal, the first mission station established in South Africa; the Navy Museum at Simon’s Town; and Robben Island (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999), where a notorious prison housed South Africa’s most famous anti-apartheid political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, and Robert Sobukwe. The Cango Caves, near the town of Oudtshoorn, are one of South Africa’s foremost tourist attractions and feature multicoloured stalactite and stalagmite formations. The cave system was declared a national monument in 1938 after stone implements and San wall paintings were discovered at the site.

Some of South Africa’s most important museums and art galleries are located in Cape Town, including the South African National Gallery, with collections of South African artwork, European paintings and sculptures, and traditional African artefacts and ornaments; the South African Museum, which is the country’s oldest museum and focuses on natural history and anthropology; and the Michaelis Collection, featuring paintings by 17th-century Dutch and Flemish artists including Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Jacob Ruisdael, and Sir Anthony van Dyck. Stellenbosch, the second-oldest settlement in South Africa (founded in 1679), is an important cultural centre. Libertas Parva, a restored mansion built in 1783, houses the Rembrandt van Rijn Art Gallery, which also features work by contemporary South African artists; and the Stellenryck Wine Museum, which is situated in the building’s cellar.