Cape Town facts

Cape Town Waterfront
Waterfront harbour of Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is the legislative capital and the second biggest city of South Africa.

It is on the south-west coast. It has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate.

It was originally called the "Cape of Storms" by Bartolomeu Dias in 1486, a Portuguese explorer but was changed by King John II of Portugal to "Cape of Good Hope".

The city's most predominant feature is Table Mountain, a mountain with a flat top.

Images

  • Cross daGama2

    Cross of Vasco da Gama

  • Charles Bell - Jan van Riebeeck se aankoms aan die Kaap

    Arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in Table Bay by Charles Bell

  • Aernout Smit Table Bay, 1683 William Fehr Collection Cape Town

    A model of Cape Town as it would have appeared in 1800.

  • CTfromTableMountain

    Cape Town's "City Bowl" viewed from Table Mountain in May (late autumn)

  • Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos - Cape Town 8

    Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos growing in Table Mountain National Park.

  • Cape Town CBD skyline as seen from De Waterkant

    Cape Town CBD skyline as seen from a rooftop in De Waterkant.

  • Cape Town City Aerial

    An aerial panoramic of Cape Town's City Bowl taken from above Signal Hill looking north.

  • CampsBayFromLionsHead

    Camps Bay viewed from Lion's Head

  • Hout Bay panorama

    Panoramic view of Hout Bay from Chapman's Peak, with Chapman's Peak Drive visible at the base of the mountain

  • Simonstown

    Simon's Town

  • Wave breaking on the rocky beach of Kommetjie

    Wave breaking on the rocky beach of [[Kommetjie

  • CT City Hall Before the Sun

    Cape Town City Hall as seen from the Grand Parade in front of the building. Table Mountain is visible in the background.

  • Cape Town Skyline of CBD at Dusk

    View of the skyline of Cape Town's central business district. The economic heart of the city and the Western Cape province.

  • Cape Town International Convention Centre

    Main entrance to the Cape Town International Convention Centre

  • Clifton Beachs

    Clifton Beach is one of Cape Town's most famous beaches and is a significant tourist destination in its own right.

  • Kitesurfers-001

    Kitesurfing in Table Bay

  • UCT Upper Campus landscape view

    University of Cape Town's main campus

  • Port of Cape Town

    The Port of Cape Town is a major transport node in southern Africa. In addition to moving freight it also serves as a major repair site for ships and oil rigs.

  • TomTom congestion Index

    Using TomTom congestion index to graph South Africa's most congested cities.http://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/trafficindex/#/list

  • Clifton 4th Beach

    Clifton's 4th Beach

  • Waterfront panorama

    Panoramic view across the Victoria Basin at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, with Table Mountain in the background

  • Cape Town Bo-Kaap city street

    The distinctive Cape Malay Bo-Kaap is one of the most visited areas in Cape Town.

  • Kirstenbosch - View from the Botanical Gardens

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

  • MostertsMill

    Mostert's Mill

  • ZA-CA-Groote Kerk

    Groote Kerk, Cape Town

  • Table Mountain from harbour

    Table Mountain from the harbour

  • Kalk Bay Station 3

    Metrorail train leaving Kalk Bay station

  • Cape Town N2

    N2 highway, entering the City Bowl

  • Cape-Town-taxi-rank

    Taxi rank above Cape Town railway station


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Cape Town Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.