George
Dutch Reformed Church in George
George
George
Coordinates: 33°58′S 22°27′E / 33.967°S 22.45°E / -33.967; 22.45Coordinates: 33°58′S 22°27′E / 33.967°S 22.45°E / -33.967; 22.45
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Eden
Municipality	George
Established	1811[1]
Government
• Type	Local municipality
• Mayor	Mercia Draghoender (ID)
Area[2]
• Total	58.71 km2 (22.67 sq mi)
Population (2007)[2]
• Total	68,557
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2001)[2]
• Black African	4.1%
• Coloured	58.8%
• Indian/Asian	0.4%
• White	36.7%
First languages (2001)[2]
• Afrikaans	86.2%
• English	11.1%
• Xhosa	2.1%
• Other	0.6%
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)
Postal code	6530
Area code(s)	+27 (0)44
Website	http://www.george.org.za

George is a city in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.

The city is situated halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on the Garden Route. It is situated on a 10 kilometre plateau between the Outeniqua Mountains to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. The township of Pacaltsdorp lies to the south.

History[link]

18th and 19th century[link]

The town of George was established as a result of the growing demand for timber and the wood used in building, transport and furniture. In 1776 the Dutch East India Company established an outpost for the provision of timber; its location is thought to be near the western end of York Street. The Timber Post had its own Poshouer (manager), some 12 woodcutters, a blacksmith, wagon maker and 200 oxen plus families. After 1795 and the British occupation of the Cape, a caretaker of the forests in the area was appointed. After the second British occupation in 1806, it was decided that the Swellendam magistracy was too large and needed to be sub-divided. George was chosen because of the availability of good water. In 1811 George was declared a separate district and Adriaan Geysbertus van Kervel was appointed the first Landrost (magistrate) and the town was proclaimed by the Earl of Caledon, governor of the Cape Colony on St George's Day, 23 April 1811, and named after the reigning British monarch, King George III.^[3] One of Van Kervel's first acts as Landrost (Mayor), was to dig a furrow to supply the first thirty six plots in George with water. An 1819 map shows the original furrows and storage dam where they remain to this day in the Garden Route Botanical Gardens. The first Furrow originated from the Rooirivier (Red river) and later a diversionary weir was built at the Camphersdrift River. George gained municipal status in 1837.

From 1772 there was a gradual influx of settlers intent on making a living from the forests. These were mostly descendants of the Dutch settlers. In early days the lives and livelihood of the people revolved around the timber industry and the rich forests in the vicinity and it remained a quiet outpost. It was the dramatic improvement of communications – the roads, rail and air links eclipsing the ox-wagons and coastal steamers of the 19th century - that exposed other charms and resources of the region and resulted in unprecedented growth for the town.

Woodcutters: 1900–1940[link]

After the ostrich feather slump and a severe drought in the Karoo during the early part of the 18th century, many "bywoners" found themselves without work. Rather than stay in an arid region they crossed the mountains to find a livelihood in the forests.

Forest settlements, such as Karatara and Bergplaas (1922) were started and many of the "dangerous" working-class people from the Gauteng were moved to these settlements. They were, however, a minority group, as most of the woodcutters lived outside these settlements. A small number were descendants of British immigrants who could find no other means of livelihood. There were also a small number of Italian immigrants who had been brought to the area from Turin in 1879, as part of a scheme to start a silk industry in the Knysna area. It turned out to be a complete failure due to the lack of mulberry leaves. Finding themselves without work some of these Italians drifted into the forests and joined the woodcutting community.

Sons were considered to be an economic asset as, at the age of around 14 or 15, after very little schooling, they could assist their fathers in the forest. The majority of these sons eventually became woodcutters themselves.

The Forest Act of 1913 required all woodcutters to be registered. In 1939 all remaining woodcutters were removed from the forests and given a government pension.

Timber Industry[link]

From the beginning of European colonisation in South Africa in 1652, timber and the provision of various woods was of paramount importance for the survival of the settlers. Once forest areas near the present Cape Town were exhausted, the search for more timber continued along the coast.

The great forests of the Southern Cape were discovered as early as 1711, but due to their inaccessibility it was only in 1776 that the Dutch East India Company established a timber post where George is today.

Early woodcutters and their families lived in forest clearings where they evolved into a closely knit community where intermarriage was common. The men were thin and wiry, but they were also tough and strong with an incredible skill in felling, sawing and handling timber.

The utilization of the forest trees led to such industries as furniture and wagon making. By 1910 several large sawmills had been established in the district. Timber for export was transported to coastal ports by ox wagon.

Today you will find sawmills with the ultimate in modern wood technology and innovative furniture factories in the Southern Cape. Unique to this area is the age-old technique and skill of manufacturing wood furniture by hand.

Historic background of the George Museum[link]

What the visitor sees in the George museum today has grown from the private collections of one man, Charles Sayers. He was the owner and long-time editor of the George & Knysna Herald, a newspaper established by his parents in 1881. Sayers collected and preserved all aspects of his hometown's history, with a specialist interest in old mechanical musical instruments and typewriters which today form the nucleus of the museum's important collections.

In 1967 he opened his "Mini Museum" to the public, housed in a single room adjoining a café in Courtenay Street. The people loved it and much encouraged by local authorities he moved to the original George Town House – the administrative building next to the market square which dated back to 1847. By now the Sayers Museum had attracted the attention of officialdom and barely six months after the move it attained provincial museum status as a fully-fledged cultural history museum for the region, with indigenous timber and its allied industries as its main theme. The growing popularity led to another move, this time to the building, which had been the original drostdy (magistrate’s residence and office) in the young town. The original "Mini Museum" has been re-created within the present George Museum.

Outeniqua Mountain[link]

In 1668 the first European explorer, Hieronymous Cruse, penetrated Outeniqualand with its dense indigenous forest. The highest peak in the Outeniquas is Cradock Peak (1578 m) and the prominent George Peak is 1337 metres high.

The name Outeniqua is derived from the Khoi word meaning "man laden with honey". The slopes of the emerald-green mountains were covered with heather and swarming with bees, according to the reports left by early travellers. "Nature has made an enchanting abode of this beautiful place", wrote the 18th century traveller Le Vaillant, when he entered the foothills of the Outeniqua range in the Southern Cape. A great deal of that enchantment and delicate beauty still captivates the modern traveller. For instance, there is the rare George lily (Cyrtanthus elatus), found near water in the deep ravines of the mountain, and a variety of ericas and proteas thrive on the fern-clothed slopes. Carpets of pink watsonias are a common sight during summer.

Montagu Pass[link]

The historic Montagu Pass between George and Oudtshoorn was declared a National Monument in 1972. It is open to traffic and is a good gravel road, some 10 km in length. With many serpentine curves, this pass gradually winds its way through the fynbos-covered Cradock's Kloof until it reaches the summit.

The world traveller Anthony Trollope visited George in about 1878 and his comment on the Montagu Pass was: "...equal to some of the mountain roads through the Pyrenees". Emma Murray was so enthralled by the Montagu Pass that she wrote in a letter to a relative in 1852: "One forgets everything in the beauty and grandeur of the scene. It was to me exquisite enjoyment".

A traveller will notice that some parts of the stone wall along one side of the road are slightly protruding. The purpose of this was to prevent the axles of the wagons from scraping against the walls and thus becoming damaged.

The building of the Montagu Pass[link]

The Civil Commissioner of George, Egbertus Bergh (1837–1843), campaigned tirelessly for a new road through the formidable Outeniqua Mountains to replace the notorious Cradock's Pass. Then came John Montagu, the new dynamic Colonial Secretary, who cleared the public debt, recognised the importance of good roads and set the wheels rolling.

Work on the pass commenced in 1844 and H.O. Farrel was appointed superintendent of the project, but the task was beyond his ability. Henry Fancourt White, a qualified surveyor, newly appointed as Road Inspector by the Central Road Board, replaced him in 1845.

On average, 250 convicts were employed at any given time on the construction of the pass. They were housed in two camps; South Station, presumably on the same site where the tollhouse was later built, and North Station near the summit of the pass. The headquarters for the construction was sited where Blanco is situated today.

The total expenses for the construction of the Montagu Pass amounted to £35,799 of which £1,753 was spent on gunpowder. Five and a half miles of the pass had to be blasted out of solid rock.

Railway over the mountains[link]

The building of the railway line over the Outeniqua Mountains, between George and Oudtshoorn began in December 1908 from the George side and in 1911 from the Oudtshoorn side. The track was blasted out of the rock, and seven tunnels were excavated. At one stage some 2 500 workers were employed. During April 1913 this most scenic railway line was completed. Sir David de Villiers Graaff performed the official opening on 6 August 1913. The line was built at the enormous cost of £465 000.

Toll House[link]

During the construction of the Montagu Pass, in about 1847, a stone toll house, with a thatched roof, was erected on the George side of the mountain. According to a proclamation in the Government Gazette of 24 February 1848, a toll gate was set up, and a tariff of tolls publicised. Upon payment of the prescribed fee the toll keeper would raise the bar across the road to enable the vehicle or animal to pass.

The first toll-keeper was John Kirk Smith, born in Nottingham, England in 1818. During 1849 he collected the amount of £400.13.8p in toll fees. His son William Kirk Smith was appointed toll-keeper in 1880. William and his son made "veldt schoens" (simple leather shoes) at the toll-house for sale to travellers and transport riders. Soon they had a thriving business and J.K. Smith, grandson of the first toll-keeper, expanded this concern to Market Street in George. From this humble beginning grew the large and flourishing shoe industry J.K. Smith and Company, which was the forerunner of Modern Shoes Ltd.

Other early toll-keepers were James Scott (1852) and Charles Searle (1858). The toll-house caught fire on 23 July 1855 and the entire roof was destroyed, later being replaced with corrugated iron.

In the Government Gazette dated 16 July 1867, the toll-tariffs were: Each wheel of a vehicle – two pence; Animal drawing a vehicle – one penny; Animal not drawing a vehicle – two pence; Sheep, goat or pig – one halfpenny.

All tolls were abolished on 31 December 1918, but thanks to the fact that it was declared a National Monument in 1970, this interesting relic of the last century has been saved for posterity.

Blanco[link]

Henry Fancourt White, enchanted by Outeniqualand, bought a portion of the farm Modder River in 1848. He sold a portion to Frances Cook, who named his farm Oaklands, and subdivided the rest into erven. The little village was called "Whitesville" in honour of Henry Fancourt White, but at his suggestion the name was changed to Blanco, the Latin term for white.

In 1859 Henry White built a beautiful double storey thatched mansion, which he named Blanco House. In 1903 his son Ernest Montagu White renamed the house Fancourt – in honour of his father. Today Fancourt is a National Monument and a well-known hotel.

The main route from Mossel Bay to the Langkloof passed through Blanco, where a settlement of merchants was soon established. The village was also the main postal centre. This caused dissatisfaction among the businessmen of George, and so a direct link from George to the toll-house was built in about 1882. This road was called Bain's Trace and was probably built by Thomas Bain, who surveyed the new route.

The Lake System[link]

The lakes originated about 20 000 years ago during the Late Pleistocene at the end of the last era of ice ages which was largely centred in the northern hemisphere. Consequently, these lakes can be regarded as geologically relatively young. During that last glacial period, the sea-level dropped to about 130 m lower than at present as a result of the accumulation of ice in the northern hemisphere. Rivers then extended into the newly exposed coastal areas, cutting deep valleys into them. At the end of the last glacial period the sea-level rose again, drowning these newly formed valleys, until, after a last slight rise and fall of sea-level, a level of about one to three metres above the present level was reached some 6 000 years ago. The sea level then slowly receded to reach the present level about 4 000 years ago. The partial draining of these valleys exposed part of the coastal area, thereby forming all the present Wilderness Lakes except for Langvlei and Rondevlei. Martin (1962) postulates the Langvlei could have been formed by wave erosion preceding the last rise in sea level while Rondevlei, during the same time, probably originated as a wind-deflating basin. Ruigtevlei, to the east of Swartvlei, was a lake that disappeared; leaving a large area that is only inundated after floods (Martin, 1960a). During this last change (drop) in sea level, the mouth of Swartvlei Estuary moved 2 km eastward to the present position at Sedgefield, and Groenvlei lost its connection to the sea through the Swartvlei Estuary, and sand dunes now effectively covering any traces of a previous connection to the sea.

Climate[link]

George has an Oceanic climate, with warm summers, and mild to chilly winters. It is one of the highest rainfall regions in South Africa. Most rain falls in the winter and spring months, brought by the humid sea winds from the Indian Ocean.

Attractions[link]

George has a sophisticated infrastructure with banks, conference facilities, businesses and shopping chains including the newly completed Garden Route Shopping Centre, transport and sporting facilities, yet retaining its small town atmosphere. The town is also a major accommodation centre.

George has numerous world-class courses, some designed by famous golfers. Amongst these are Oubaai and Le Grande George. These are built on common land in Pacaltsdorp, removing traditional access rights to the sea for that community.^[5] The most well-known is Fancourt Golf Estate, which hosted the Presidents Cup in 2003 and is often the host to high-profile golf tournaments.

Every December through 2010, top national rugby sevens teams from around the world came to Outeniqua Park for the South Africa Sevens, one of the tournaments in the IRB Sevens World Series. However, the tournament has since been moved to Port Elizabeth.

George has many historical landmarks:

• The Slave Tree, an ancient English Oak planted by Landdrost (magistrate) van Kervel, known as the Slave Tree because of the very large chain and lock embedded in the trunk, has been declared a national monument.
• The King Edward VII Library building, said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in George.

The First Class School for girls was started by Miss Christina Petronella van Niekerk, a "New Age" young lady with visions for the future which were very different from those ideas held by the conservative population of George.

George is often used a base to explore Tsitsikamma National Park.

The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe is South Africa's last scheduled mixed steam train service and operates on the Outeniqualand Preserved Railway between George and Knysna on the Garden Route. Opened in 1928 and declared a preserved line in July 1993, this train winds its way through picturesque scenery. However, the new route of this train no longer goes to Knysna, instead, it now runs between George, Hartenbos and Mossel bay.^[6]

The Outeniqua Transport Museum houses a large collection of steam locomotives and carriages.

The Garden Route Botanical Garden is situated the top of Caledon Street. The Garden Route boasts the largest continuous natural forest area in South Africa, covering some 650 km². Marketable timber is harvested from 20% of the State forest. Stinkwood, named for its unmistakable odour when freshly cut, is highly prized by the furniture industry, as are white pear, hard pear, ironwood and assegaai. The most sought after timber is the Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus).

The Outeniqua Farmers’ Market is located opposite the Garden Route Mall on the N2. The five-hectare site will be the home to nearly 80 food and craft stalls offering produce and goods created by local farmers and skilled craft people. From berries to bread, fish to flowers, and everything in between, local residents and international visitors will find carefully selected goods to suit the most discerning tastes, at consistently reasonable prices.

Churches[link]

St Mark's Cathedral

Pacaltsdorp Church is the oldest in the George district, completed in 1825. The Norman-style church has thick stonewalls and features a tall square tower topped by battlements. Across the road is the little mud house in which the first missionary, Charles Pacalt of the London Missionary Society, lived after arriving in 1813.

The Dutch Reformed Mother Church was consecrated in 1842 after taking 12 years to build with its 23 metre domed tower and 1 metre thick walls. It was constructed by a supervisor and a number of skilled slaves who continued to work as 'apprentices' after the emancipation of slaves in 1834. Completed in 1843, St Peter & St Paul Catholic Church in Meade Street is the oldest Catholic Church in South Africa. St Mark's Anglican Cathedral, designed by Sophy Gray and built in 1850, attained cathedral status in 1911. It was the smallest cathedral in the southern hemisphere until extensions in 1924-25. The nave is the oldest section. Its most distinctive feature is the number of stained glass windows in relation to its size.

Education[link]

George is the tertiary hub of the Southern Cape, with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, together with a number of private colleges.

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Saasveld, offers two centers of excellence – the Centre for Resource Management and the Centre for Business and Information Technology studies.

Schools include the Afrikaans-medium George High School established in 1947 and Outeniqua High School established in 1923. The English medium school is York High School and there is also a double medium technical school named PW Botha College. Glenwood House is an English medium co-ed Independent school from Grade 000 to Grade 12.

Transport[link]

N2 Freeway between Mossel Bay and George

Road: George is 420 km east of Cape Town along the N2 national road and 330 km west of Port Elizabeth.

Rail: There is no scheduled passenger service to George. Rovos Rail and the Union Limited however offer vintage train trips to the Garden Route. The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe steam train offers leisure rides between George and Mosselbay.

Air: George Airport (IATA code GRJ), situated approximately 7 km from the city centre, has scheduled flights to Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka International Airport (Durban) and OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg).

Tallest structures[link]

The majority of structures in George are limited to low-mid rise development, most of which is in the commercial sector. The tallest structure in George is the Sentech Tower, which is a Radio and Television frequency tower located at the foot of the Outeniqua mountains (33°55′39″S 22°27′1″E / 33.9275°S 22.45028°E / -33.9275; 22.45028 (George transmitter)) This is followed by the Telkom Tower located in the George CBD and the FAGG Radar Tower (55m) located at the George Airport.

The tallest building in George is also the FAGG Radar Tower. The concrete tower stands at 45m and 8 storeys (including the spherical radome, it stands at 55m). The George Medi-Clinic building (previously Lamprecht Clinic) stands at 40m and 8 storeys.

List of landmark buildings and structures in George (by height): Sentech Tower Telkom Tower FAGG Radar Tower George Medi-Clinic (Lamprecht Clinic) George Municipality building York Park (SARS Building) George Municipal Hospital Building Nedbank Building Old Mutual Building Department of Education and Land Affairs George Magistrates Court Eskom Building

Local government[link]

The Executive Mayor is Lionel Essau.

Suburbs[link]

The City of George is made up of a number of suburbs:

• Ballots View
• Bergsig
• Blanco
• Borchards
• Bo-Dorp
• Bos en Dal
• Campher's Drift
• Conville
• Denneoord
• Delville Park
• Denver Park
• Eastern Extension
• Eden
• Fernridge
• George Central (CBD)
• George Industria
• George South
• Glen Barrie
• Glenwood
• Groeneweide Park
• Heatherlands
• Heather Park
• King George Park
• Lawaaikamp
• Le Vallia
• Loerie Park
• New Dawn
• Pacaltsdorp
• Protea Park
• Rooi Rivier-Rif
• Rosemore
• Tamsui Industria
• Thembalethu
• Twee Rivieren

Famous people[link]

• Ernie Els - Professional Golfer
• Meryl Cassie - Singer, actress
• Megan Alatini - (née Cassie) Singer, TV personality
• Etienne Steyn - Singer and Songwriter
• Marco Wentzel - Former Springbok
• Carla Swart - Professional cyclist
• Elvis Blue - Singer, winner of 2010 Idols South Africa
• Victor Smith - Aviator

Sister cities[link]

• Tacoma, Washington
• Fuzhou

Sources[link]

• Brief History of George

References[link]

1. ^ "Chronological order of town establishment in South Africa based on Floyd (1960:20-26)". pp. xlv-lii. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07212011-123414/unrestricted/05back.pdf. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Main Place George". Census 2001. http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/11802. 
3. ^ Raper, R.E.. Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa). http://www.archive.org/stream/DictionaryOfSouthernAfricanPlaceNames/SaPlaceNames#page/n173/mode/2up. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Climate data for George". South African Weather Service. http://old.weathersa.co.za/Climat/Climstats/GeorgeStats.jsp. Retrieved 7 March 2010. 
5. ^ Poor protest against exclusive golf developments environment.co.za
6. ^ ChooTjoe steam train

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: George, Western Cape

• Clickonit Local George News & Print Publication
• George Herald Local George Newspaper
• Official town website
• George history overview

v t e Municipalities and communities of Eden District Municipality, Western Cape District seat: George Local municipalities Bitou George Hessequa Kannaland Knysna Mossel Bay Oudtshoorn Cities and towns Albertinia Boggomsbaai Brenton-on-Sea Buffelsbaai Calitzdorp Dana Baai De Rust Dysselsdorp Friemersheim George Glentana Gouritsmond Groot Brak Rivier Groot-Jongensfontein Haarlem Hartenbos Heidelberg Herbertsdale Herolds Bay Keurboomsrivier Keurboomstrand Klein Brak Rivier Knysna Kranshoek Kurland Estate Ladismith Mossel Bay Nature's Valley Noetzie Oudtshoorn Pacaltsdorp Plettenberg Bay Port Beaufort Rheenendal Riversdale Sedgefield Slangrivier Stilbaai Uniondale Volmoed Victoria Bay Wilderness Wittedrift Zoar

Western Cape Wes-Kaap (Afrikaans) Ntshona-Koloni (Xhosa)
—  Province of South Africa  —
The Province of the Western Cape
Coat of arms
Motto: Spes Bona (Good Hope)
Location of the Western Cape in South Africa
Country	South Africa
Established	27 April 1994 (1994-04-27)
Capital	Cape Town
Districts	6 City of Cape Town West Coast Cape Winelands Overberg Eden Central Karoo
Government
• Type	Parliamentary system
• Premier	Helen Zille (DA)
Area[1]
• Total	129,462 km2 (49,986 sq mi)
Area rank	4th in South Africa
Highest elevation	2,325 m (7,628 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2007)[2][3]
• Total	5,278,585
• Estimate (2011)	5,287,863
• Rank	4th in South Africa
• Density	41/km2 (110/sq mi)
• Density rank	5th in South Africa
Population groups[4]
• Coloured	50.2%
• Black African	30.1%
• White	18.4%
• Indian or Asian	1.3%
Languages[5]
• Afrikaans	55.3%
• Xhosa	23.7%
• English	19.3%
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code	ZA-WC
GDP (nominal)[6]	2009
- Total	R 264.98 billion US$ 33.88 billion
- Per capita	R 50,726 US$ 6,488
- Growth	-1.45%
Website	www.westerncape.gov.za

The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger (and now defunct) Cape Province. Prior to the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, it was called the Cape Colony (see the History of Cape Colony).

Geography[link]

Map of the Western Cape

The Western Cape is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape of Good Hope, the southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about 400 kilometres (250 mi) northwards along the Atlantic coast and about 500 kilometres (300 mi) eastwards along the Indian Ocean coast. It is bordered on the north by the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape. The total land area of the province is 129,462 square kilometres (49,986 sq mi),^[7] about 10.6% of the country’s total. It is roughly the size of England or the US state of Louisiana.

The Breede, Berg and Olifants Rivers are major rivers of the province. The capital is Cape Town and other major cities include Stellenbosch, Worcester, Paarl, and George. The Garden Route and the Overberg are popular coastal tourism areas.

The Western Cape is exceptionally topographically diverse. Most of the province falls within the Cape Fold Belt, a range of sandstone folded mountains of Permian to Carboniferous age that range in height from 1000m to 2300m. The valleys between ranges are generally very fertile and contains alluvial loamy to clay soils.^{[citation needed]} The far interior forms part of the Karoo Basin and is generally arid and hilly with a sharp escarpment in the north. Coastal areas range from sandy between capes, to rocky to steep and mountainous in places. The Western Cape is also the southernmost region of the African continent with Cape Agulhas as its southernmost point, only 3800 km from the Antarctic coastline.

Vegetation is also extremely diverse, with one of the world's seven floral kingdoms almost exclusively endemic to the province, namely the Cape Floral Kingdom, most of which is covered by Fynbos (Afrikaans: Fine Bush). It is extremely rich in species diversity, with more plant species occurring on Table Mountain than the entire United Kingdom. It is characterised by various types of shrubs, thousands of flowering plant species and some small trees.

The arid interior is dominated by Karoo drought-resistant shrubbery. The West Coast and Little Karoo are semi-arid regions and are typified by many species of succulents and drought-resistant shrubs and acacia trees. The Garden Route is extremely lush, with temperate rainforest (or Afromontane Forest) covering many areas adjacent to the coast and along the mountain ranges. Typical species are hardwoods of exceptional height, such as Yellowwood, Stinkwood and Ironwood trees.

Climate[link]

The Western Cape is also diverse climatologically, with many distinct micro- and macroclimates created by the varied topography and the influence of both the Indian (warm water) and Atlantic (cold water) oceans, thus climatic statistics can vary greatly over short distances. Most of the province is considered to have a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The interior Karoo has a semi-arid climate with cold, frosty winters and hot summers with occasional thunderstorms. The Garden Route and the Overberg on the south coast have a maritime climate with cool, moist winters and mild, moist summers. Mossel Bay in the Garden Route is considered to have the second mildest climate worldwide after Hawaii.

Thunderstorms are generally rare in the province, except in the Karoo interior, with most precipitation being of a frontal or orographic nature. Extremes of heat and cold are common inland, but rare near the coast. Snow is a common winter occurrence on the higher lying ground, however frost is relatively rare in coastal areas and many of the heavily cultivated valleys.

The dependency of the Prince Edward Islands are subantarctic islands, which experience year-round cool to cold temperatures with high precipitation and little annual deviation on both accounts.

• Cape Town International Airport averages: January maximum: 26 °C (min: 16 °C), July maximum: 18 °C (min: 7 °C), annual rainfall: 515mm
  • Kirstenbosch, Cape Town annual rainfall: 1395mm
• George averages: January maximum: 25 °C (min: 15 °C), July maximum: 19 °C (min: 7 °C), annual rainfall: 715mm
• Marion Island (Prince Edward Group) averages: January maximum: 10 °C (min: 5 °C), July maximum: 6 °C (min: 1 °C), annual rainfall: 2401mm

Cities and towns[link]

The population figures quoted only include urbanised areas:

Population 1,000,000++

• Cape Town

Population 200,000+

• George
• Somerset West

Population 50,000+

Population 10,000+

Population < 10,000

Political history[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In 1994, at the introduction of the Interim Constitution and the first non-racial election, South Africa's original provinces and bantustans were abolished and nine new provinces were established. The former Cape Province was divided into the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and part of North West.

In the 1994 election the Western Cape was one of two provinces that did not elect an African National Congress (ANC) provincial government (the other being KwaZulu-Natal). The National Party (NP) won 53% of the votes and 23 seats in the 42-seat provincial legislature, and Hernus Kriel, a former Minister of Law and Order, was elected Premier. He resigned in 1998 and was replaced by Gerald Morkel.

The 1999 election marked the beginning of a period of great turbulence in Western Cape politics. No party achieved an absolute majority in the provincial parliament, as the ANC won 18 seats while the New National Party (NNP), successor to the NP, won 17. The NNP went into coalition with the Democratic Party (DP), which won 5 seats, to form a government, and Morkel remained Premier. In 2000 the DP and the NNP formalized their coalition by forming the Democratic Alliance (DA).

In 2001, however, the NNP broke with the DA over the removal of Peter Marais from office as Mayor of Cape Town by DA leader Tony Leon. The NNP instead went into coalition with the ANC; Gerald Morkel, who was opposed to the split, resigned as Premier and was replaced by Peter Marais. In 2002 Marais resigned as Premier due to a sexual harassment scandal, and was replaced by NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk. During the 2003 floor-crossing period four members of the provincial parliament crossed to the ANC, giving it an absolute majority of 22 seats in the 42-seat house. However, the ANC remained in coalition with the NNP and van Schalkwyk remained as Premier.

In the 2004 election there was again no absolute winner in the provincial parliament; this time the ANC won 19 seats, the DA won 12, and the NNP won 5. The ANC-NNP coalition continued in power, but van Schalkwyk took up a ministerial post in the national cabinet and was replaced as Premier by the ANC's Ebrahim Rasool. The NNP was finally dissolved after the 2005 floor-crossing period and its members joined the ANC, again giving that party an absolute majority of 24 seats. In the 2006 floor-crossing period the ANC gained a further three members of the provincial parliament. In 2008 Rasool resigned as Premier due to internal party politics, and was replaced by Lynne Brown.

The 2009 election marked a significant change in Western Cape politics, as the Democratic Alliance won 51% of the votes and an absolute majority of 22 seats in the provincial parliament, while the ANC won 14 seats with 32% of the vote. The DA leader Helen Zille was elected Premier. In 2010 the Independent Democrats, which had won 3 seats with 5% of the vote, merged with the DA.

Law and government[link]

Western Cape provincial building, Cape Town.

The capital of the Western Cape is the City of Cape Town. The Premier of the Western Cape is Helen Zille^[8] while the Director-General of the provincial administration is Virginia Petersen.^[9]

The Constitution of the Western Cape was adopted in 1998 and is published in the official languages of the province: Afrikaans, English and Xhosa.

The Western Cape Provincial Parliament is responsible for creating laws within its responsibilities as set out by the South African Constitution. Some of the issues dealt with cover agriculture, education, environment, health services, housing, language policies, tourism, trade, and welfare. It is housed in Cape Town and has a total of 42 members. The Fourth Provincial Parliament was elected in the election of 22 April 2009; 22 seats are held by the Democratic Alliance, 14 by the African National Congress, 3 by the Congress of the People, 2 by the Independent Democrats, and 1 by the African Christian Democratic Party.

Municipalities[link]

Map of the municipalities of the Western Cape

The Western Cape is made up of one metropolitan municipality, and five district municipalities subdivided into 24 local municipalities.

Economy[link]

The Western Cape's total GDP for 2008 was R268.26bn, making the province the joint second largest contributor to the country’s total GDP, at 14.3%. It also has one of the fastest growing economies in the country, growing at 4% in 2008^[10] and is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2011.^[11] At 19.7% the province has a substantially lower unemployment rate than the national average standing at 23.2% in 2009.^[12] The province's Gini coefficient of 0.63 is lower than South Africa's Gini coefficient of 0.7 making it more equal then the rest of the country^[13] whilst still being extremely high and unequal by international standards. The Western Cape's Human Development Index is the highest in South Africa at 0.7708 compared to the South African average of 0.6675 in 2003.^[14]

The biggest sector in the Western Cape's economy is the financial, business services and realestate sectors contributing approximately R77 billion in 2008. Manufacturing was the second largest contributor valued at R43.7 billion in 2008 with the agricultural sector being th fastest growing at 10.6% in the same year.^[10] High-tech industries, international call centres, fashion design, advertising and TV production are niche industries rapidly gaining in importance.^[15] The city of Cape Town is ranked as the most entrepreneurial city in South Africa with Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity being 190% greater than South Africa’s national average.^[16]

Infrastructure and communications[link]

Railway network in the Western Cape

The Western Cape has an excellent network of highways comparable with any first-world country. The primary highways are the N1 (from Cape Town to Three Sisters, continuing outside the province towards Bloemfontein and Johannesburg), N2 (from Cape Town to Bloukrans River, towards Port Elizabeth), N7 (from Cape Town to Bitterfontein, continuing towards Springbok and Namibia) and N12 (from George to Three Sisters, continuing towards Kimberley and Johannesburg). Other routes are the "R" roads which connect the smaller towns. All major roads are tarred with major rural gravel roads well maintained. Limited access motorways are limited to the Cape Metropolitan Area, Winelands and Garden Route, however due to the low population density of the remainder of the province, the highways remain efficient and high-speed, except during peak holiday travel seasons, when travel can be slow-going in places due to heavy traffic.^{[citation needed]}

Telecommunications in the province are highly sophisticated. Landline telephones are available extensively, and the majority of large urban nodes have access to ADSL and other high-speed internet services.^{[citation needed]} Mobile cellular networks are world-class, with reception extending from cities to highways and many remote rural areas.^{[citation needed]} Mobile networks also play an important role in the internet space due to their speed and widespread availability. Major cities and towns have access to mobile internet speeds in excess of 21 Mbit/s (HSDPA+). In areas where HSDPA+ is not available, networks make provisions for HSDPA, 3G, EDGE or finally GPRS if demand does not warrant higher speed investment.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics[link]

The 2001 Census recorded the population of the Western Cape as 4,524,335 people living in 1,173,304 households.^[17] As the province covers an area of 129,462 square kilometres (49,986 sq mi),^[18] the population density was 34.9 inhabitants per square kilometre (90 /sq mi) and the household density 9.1 per square kilometre (24 /sq mi).

The Community Survey 2007 determined the population of the province to be 5,278,585 people living in 1,369,180 households,^[19] giving a population density of 40.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (106 /sq mi) and a household density of 10.6 per square kilometre (27 /sq mi). The 2011 mid-year population estimate for the province is 5,287,863.^[20]

The majority, 50.2%, of the people of the Western Cape described themselves as "Coloured", while 30.1% described themselves as "Black African", 18.4% as "White", and 1.3% as "Indian or Asian".^[21] Afrikaans is the majority language, spoken as the first language of 55.3% of the province's population. IsiXhosa is the first language of 23.7% of the population, while English is the first language of 19.3%.^[22]

Afrikaans is the dominant language of the coloured population, being spoken as the first language of 81.0%, while English is spoken by 18.6%. White people are more evenly divided between Afrikaans- and English-speaking, at 55.4% and 43.2% respectively, while 1.2% of whites speak a foreign language. 88.6% of black people in the province speak isiXhosa as a first language, while 4.5% speak Afrikaans, 2.6% speak Sesotho, and 2.1% speak English.^[22]

Age distribution in the province is spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 15, 19.4% from 15 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 26 years. For every 100 females there are 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.3 males.

81.9% of the province's residents are Christian; large denominations include the Dutch Reformed Church at 15.1%, the Anglican Church at 8.5%, the Methodist Church at 6.7%, and the Catholic Church at 5.4%. 22.5% of the population are affiliated with a Pentecostal, Charismatic or Apostolic church. 9.0% of the population have no religion, 6.5% are Muslim, 0.4% are Jewish, and 0.2% are Hindu.^[23]

5.7% of residents aged 20 and over have received no schooling, 15.2% have had some primary, 7.9% have completed only primary school, 36.5% have had some high education, 23.4% have finished only high school, and 11.2% have an education higher than the high school level. Overall, 34.6% of residents have completed high school.

63.1% of housing units have a telephone and/or cell-phone in the dwelling, 34.2% have access to a phone nearby, and 2.7% have access that is not nearby or no access. 86.5% of households have a flush or chemical toilet. 87.8% have refuse removed by the municipality at least once a week and 1.4% have no rubbish disposal. 67.5% have running water inside their dwelling, 85.2% have running water on their property, and 98.3% have access to running water. 78.8% of households use electricity for cooking, 73.4% for heating, and 88.0% for lighting. 79.1% of households have a radio, 74.1% have a television, 18.2% own a computer, 73.5% have a refrigerator, and 41.4% have a cell-phone.

17.1% of the population aged 15–65 is unemployed. Of the unemployed persons, 53.4% are Black, 43.0% are Coloured, 0.4% are Indian/Asian, and 3.2% are White. 23.3% of Black are unemployed, 9.3% of Coloureds, 5.0% of Indians/Asians, and 2.0% of Whites.

The median annual income of working adults aged 15–65 in the Western Cape is R 18,703. Males have a median annual income of R 21,048 versus R 17,035 for females. The median annual income by race is R 12,213 for Blacks, R 16,354 for Coloureds, R 42,803 for Indians/Asians, and R 64,968 for Whites.

Education[link]

The University of Cape Town

The Western Cape is the most highly educated province with a very skilled workforce in comparison to any other African region.^[25] The high school graduation rate is consistently around 80%, higher than any other province. The proportion of adults with a degree or higher was 4.8% (2005),^[15] the highest in the country.

The province also boasts three internationally acclaimed universities, namely the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape.

• Universities
  • Stellenbosch University
  • University of Cape Town
  • University of the Western Cape
  • Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Other Educational Institutions
  • South African Military Academy

References[link]

• Municipal Demarcation Board

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Western Cape

• Provincial Government of the Western Cape
• Western Cape Tourism
• Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency

v t e Province of the Western Cape Cape Town (capital) Topics Climate · Ecology · Economy · Government · Politics Government Premier · Provincial Parliament · High Court · Municipalities Regions Cape Peninsula · Cape Flats · Boland · Swartland · West Coast · Breede River Valley · Overberg · Garden Route · Little Karoo · Great Karoo Cities and major towns Cape Town · Paarl · George · Worcester · Somerset West · Atlantis · Strand · Stellenbosch · Oudtshoorn · Wellington · Knysna · Mossel Bay · Vredenburg · Beaufort West · Saldanha · Grabouw · Malmesbury · Robertson · Vredendal · Swellendam · Bredasdorp · Riversdale · Ashton · Caledon · Hermanus · Montagu · Ceres · Piketberg · Plettenberg Bay

v t e Administrative divisions of South Africa Capitals: Pretoria (executive); Bloemfontein (judicial); Cape Town (legislative) Provinces Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga North West Northern Cape Western Cape Municipalities Metropolitan Buffalo City (East London) Cape Town Ekurhuleni (East Rand) eThekwini (Durban) Johannesburg Mangaung (Bloemfontein) Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) Tshwane (Pretoria) District Municipalities of the Eastern Cape of the Free State of Gauteng of KwaZulu-Natal of Limpopo of Mpumalanga of the North West of the Northern Cape of the Western Cape Full list Local Municipalities Full List Settlements in the Eastern Cape in the Free State in Gauteng in KwaZulu-Natal in Limpopo in Mpumalanga in the North West in the Northern Cape in the Western Cape

Coordinates: 34°S 20°E / 34°S 20°E / -34; 20

George Garden (ca. 1772 – October 15, 1828) was a Scottish-born businessman and political figure in Lower Canada. He represented Montreal West in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1820 to 1824.

He came to Quebec from Glasgow in 1793 and became partner in a firm involved in importing and exporting goods. He also became an agent for the Phoenix Assurance Company of London. Garden married Euphemia Forbes. He was one of the founders of the Bank of Montreal and served as one of its directors and as a vice-president. Garden was also part of the group involved in the construction of the Lachine Canal. He served as a captain in the militia during the War of 1812; Garden was also a governor of the Montreal General Hospital and a justice of the peace for Montreal. He died in Montreal at the age of 56.

References[link]

• "Biography" (in French). Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours. National Assembly of Quebec. http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/garden-george-3337/index.html. 
• "George Garden". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2005.