Overview
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa and the country's second-largest city, with a metropolitan population of around 4.8 million people. It is located on the shore of Table Bay near the southwestern tip of the African continent, where the cold Atlantic Ocean meets the warmer Indian Ocean.
Geography and Physical Features
The city is dominated by the dramatic silhouette of Table Mountain, a flat-topped sandstone massif that rises more than 1,000 meters above the city. The mountain is part of Table Mountain National Park, which extends down the Cape Peninsula to the Cape of Good Hope. The region is famous for its Cape Floristic Region, one of the world's six floral kingdoms, despite being the smallest.
Significance
Cape Town was founded in 1652 as a supply station for the Dutch East India Company and is the oldest urban area in South Africa. The city houses the Parliament of South Africa and is known for its role in the country's history, including the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela on nearby Robben Island during apartheid.
Notable Facts
Table Mountain is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature and is accessible by a rotating cableway that offers panoramic views. The Cape of Good Hope, southwest of the city, was once thought to be the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, though the official boundary lies at Cape Agulhas further east. Robben Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.