LOCATIONS in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline. To the north of the country lie the neighbouring territories of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclavesurrounded by South African territory. South Africa is a multi-ethnic nation and has diverse cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin : South African English and Afrikaans.
GAUTENG
Gauteng serves as one of South Africas best filming destinations. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa’s first all-race elections on 27 April 1994. It was initially named Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging (or PWV) and was renamed ‘Gauteng’ in December 1994.
Situated in the heart of the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province in South Africa, with only 1.4% of the land area, but it is highly urbanised, containing the cities of Johannesburgand Pretoria. As of 2007, it had a population of nearly 10.5 million, making it the most populous province in South Africa.
KWAZULU-NATAL
KwaZulu-Natal (also referred to as KZN or Natal) is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu.
In the 1830$, the northern part was the Zulu Kingdom and southern part was briefly a Boer republic called Natalia (1839-1843). In 1843, the latter became the British Colony of Natal; Zululand (KwaZulu in Zulu) remained independent until 1879.
This region is the birthplace of many notable figures in South Africa’s history, such as Pixley ka Isaka Seme (founder of the African National Congress and the first Black lawyer in South Africa), John Langalibalele Dube (founding president of the ANC), Mangosuthu Buthelezi (founder of the IFP), Chief Albert Luthuli (ANC president and the first African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize), Anton Lembede (founding president of the ANC Youth League), Jacob Zuma (Current President of South Africa), and Bhambatha. It is called the garden province and is the home of the Zulu nation.
LIMPOPO
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal. The following year, it was renamed Northern Province, which remained the name until 11 July 2003, when the name of the province was formally changed to the name of its most important river-on the border with Zimbabwe and Botswana-after deliberation by the provincial government and amendment of the Constitution. A notable consideration for the name was Mapungubwe, the area where the most ancient gold-using civilisation of the province was discovered a few years earlier.
Another name that was proposed for Limpopo was Vhembe, a Venda name for Limpopo river but this name was voted against by absolute majority of members of the Legislature.
EASTERN CAPE
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the “independent” Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province.
Landing place and home of the 1820 settlers, the central and eastern part of the province is the traditional home of the Xhosa people. This region is the birthplace of many prominent South African politicians, such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki,Raymond Mhlaba, Chris Hani, Thabo Mbeki, Steve Biko and Charles Coghlan.
FREE STATE
The Free State (Afrikaans: Vrystaat, Sotho: Foreistata; before 1995, the Orange Free State) is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa’s judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province.
The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and included into the provinces of South Africa. It is also the only one of the former provinces of South Africa not to undergo border changes, excluding the incorporation of Bantustans.
NORTH WEST
North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mahikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng. The provincial government consists of a premier, an executive council of ten ministers, and a legislature. The provincial assembly and premier are elected ■ for five-year terms, or until the next national election. Political parties are awarded assembly seats based on the percentage of votes each party receives in the province during the national elections. The assembly elects a premier, who then appoints the members of the • executive council. The premier of North West Province as of 2011 is Thandi Modise[7] of the African National Congress. In 2010 she replaced Maureen Modiselle who had only served one year before being removed from office.
NORTHERN CAPE
The Northern Cape (Afrikaans: Noord-Kaap) is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana. It also includes the Augrabies Falls and the diamond mining regions in Kimberley and Alexander Bay. TheNamaqualand region in the west is famous for its Namaqualand daisies.
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The southern towns of De Aar and Colesberg, in the Great Karoo, are major transport nodes between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. In the northeast, Kuruman is famous as a mission station and also for its ‘eye’. The Orange River flows through the province, forming the borders with the Free State in the southeast and with Namibia to the northwest. The river is also • used to irrigate the many vineyards in the arid region near Upington.
Mpumalanga
Zulu name for “the place where the sun rises”) is a province in eastern South Africa, bordering the nations of Swaziland and Mozambique. It embraces the southern half of Kruger National Park, a huge nature reserve with abundant wildlife including big game. The province’s iconic Blyde River Canyon, among the world’s largest, is known as a green canyon because of its subtropical foliage
The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and included into the provinces of South Africa. It is also the only one of the former provinces of South Africa not to undergo border changes, excluding the incorporation of Bantustans.
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 Overbergare • popular coastal tourism areas.