Cape Town (Mother City) has a colourful history and together with the combination of mountains and sea make it one of the most attractive cities in the world.

Province: Western Cape Altitude: 12m/39ft
Population: 780,000 (conurbation 1.9 million)
Distances: 1402km/871 miles from Johannesburg, 1004km/624 miles from Bloemfontein, 1753km/1089 miles from Durban, 962km/598 miles from Kimberley, 769km/478 miles from Port Elizabeth.

Cape Town (in Afrikaans Kaapstad), situated at the south-western tip of the African continent, is for many people one of the world's most beautiful cities, thanks mainly to its magnificent setting against the majestic backdrop of Table Mountain. But Cape Town has much else to offer: there are a number of first class sights in the city itself and its immediate surroundings, and the beaches on the Cape Peninsula and in False Bay are among the most beautiful in South Africa. Approximately a week should be allowed for exploring the attractions of Cape Town and its southern peninsula.

Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa (after Johannesburg - and excluding Soweto from the definition of a city) and the oldest European settlement in southern Africa, Parliament sits here during the first half of the year (in Pretoria during the rest of the year). Cape Town is also chief town of the Western Cape Province, with numerous government offices, the see of Roman Catholic and Anglican bishops and a major cultural centre, with two universities, technical colleges and many state and private schools.

It is the only town on the African continent south of the Equator in which whites and people of mixed race form the majority of the population. Peculiar to the Cape are the Cape Malays, the descendants of slaves brought in from Indonesia, with cultural traditions of Islamic persausion.

Cape Town plays an important part in the economy of South Africa. The commercial and fishing port, with ultra-modern loading and discharging facilities, is the largest in the country after Durban. Most of South Africa's fruit exports are shipped from here. Cape Town's industrial areas lie mainly to the north and east of the city. Its industries include oil processing, concrete factories, the production of fertilisers and chemicals, textiles and the clothing industry, electronics and various light indistries. Many banks, insurance companies, printing firms and publishers have their headquarters in the city.

Cape Town is superbly situated and the city offers many things to do and see.