Cape Town - South Africa's Mother City Quiz

Answer: South western coast

Cape Town is located on the south western coast of South Africa. It sits at latitude 33.55° S which is the same as Sydney and Buenos Aires and in the northern hemisphere, the same as Casablanca and Los Angeles. Cape Town is just east of the Greenwich meridian line at longitude 18.25° E and is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Pretoria is south west of Johannesburg in the northeast.
Durban is on the eastern coast near the Lesotho border.
Bloemfontein is centrally located near the diamond mines at Kimberley.

Answer: Portuguese

In 1488 Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese explorer named the area the Cape of Storms, but later King John II of Portugal changed the name to the Cape of Good Hope because of the optimism associated with the opening of a sea route to India and the East Indies.

It was wrongly thought as ships "rounded the Cape", that this was where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans met. This is not true. That occurs 150km to the east south east off Cape Agulhas, southern Africa's southern tip. However for ships sailing down the west African coast, rounding the Cape is where ships start travelling east rather than south.

In the 16th Century Portuguese, French, Danish, Dutch and English ships stopped over in Table Bay en-route to the East Indies. They traded tobacco, copper and iron with the local inhabitants, the Khoikhoi, who in return gave them fresh meat.

Answer: Indonesia and Madagascar

In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company was sent to the Cape to establish a layover port for ships sailing to the Dutch East Indies.
These visitors created the introduction of grapes, cereals, ground nuts, potatoes, apples and citrus, and became the ancestors of the first Cape Coloured communities.

In 1687 a community of French Protestants (Huguenots) arrived at the Cape of Good Hope from France via the Netherlands to flee religious persecution. A settlement was created on the edge of Table Bay near the Cape. The Dutch East India company needed farmers and the Dutch saw utility in sending them to the cape to farm.

Answer: 1795

In 1795, the British seized the Cape Colony from the Dutch but it was handed back by Treaty in 1803. In 1806, the British occupied the Cape again after the Battle of Blaauwberg. After an Anglo-Dutch Treaty was agreed upon in 1814, Cape Town was permanently ceded to Britain. It gained its first parliament in 1854 and its first Prime Minister in 1872.

Answer: Gold and Diamonds

The discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West in 1867 and the Witwatersrand Gold Rush in 1886, both located in the interior of the country meant that there were sudden influxes of immigrants to these places and the entry port was mainly Cape Town. These activities bought conflict between the two inland Boer Republics and the British colonial government which was in control of the Cape Colony resulting a long period of military activity and war.

This strife culminated in the second Boer War which lasted from 1899-1902 and which was was won by the British.

This victory resulted in the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910 which consisted of the four provinces being the two British colonies, the Cape Colony and the British Colony of Natal, and the two Boer Republics, the Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony.

In order to try and promote unity amongst this diverse group, three capital cities were declared with Cape Town becoming the legislative capital and home to the Union's parliament.

This is a role it still fulfils today.

Answer: Devil's Peak and Lion's Head

When looking at Table Mountain from the city centre, you see the following: On the left is the spire of Devil's Peak, then the flat mesa of Table Mountain, and then to the right, the dome of Lion's Head. At 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) high, Devil's Peak is slightly lower than Table Mountain's 1,087 metres (3,566 ft) but much taller than Lion's Head which stands at 669 m (2,195 ft). It is this backdrop that makes Cape Town one of the most picturesque cities in the world.

Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. It is small (five sq. km) and sits north-west of Cape Town in Table Bay. False Bay is a large bay to the south east of the city. Pringle Bay and Gorden's Bay are smaller inlets of False Bay. Sea Point and Green Point are two urban districts on the coast just west of the city centre.

Answer: Signal Hill

Signal Hill is a 350 m (1,150 ft) flat top hill wedged in between Lion's Head and the coast line. Because of its proximity to Lion's Head, it is sometimes called Lion's Rump. The hill has been left pristine with development all around but not over it.

The hill was used as a signalling point to ships. It is unclear why a lighthouse was not built on Signal Hill. As well the Noon gun operated by South African Navy and South African Astronomical Observatory operated by discharging a cannon at the same time everyday so sailors and ships could standardise their timepieces.

Answer: Western Cape

In the 1910 model of South Africa the four provinces were Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal and Orange River Colony. In 1948, the National government was elected on a policy of apartheid. Cape Town's multi-racial policy was dismantled and many black South Africans were forced out of the city. Large "Homelands" were formed for black South Africans.

In 1994 when the African National Congress became the most popular party in the national elections, the Homelands were dismantled, as were the four original provinces. Nine new provinces were created. The Cape Colony was effectively divided into three smaller provinces: Northern, Eastern and Western Capes with Cape Town being installed as the capital of Western Cape.

The National Parliament of South Africa sits on the one side of the Company's Garden Park, while the Western Cape Provincial Parliament sits on the other side of the park, both being a stone's throw from the Castle of Good Hope, arguably the historical centre of Cape Town.

Answer: Botanical gardens

One of the most visited sights in Cape Town for both visitors and locals alike is the magnificent Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. Kirstenbosch is considered to be one of the top botanical gardens in the world. It sits nestled at the foot of Table Mountain and covers some 528 hectares or nearly 1300 acres.

It was founded in 1913 with the aim of preserving South Africa's rich floral heritage and is home to over 7000 species of indigenous plants.

Answer: Diamond mine open to the public on the side of Table Mountain

While Cape Town boasts many wonderful sights to see, a diamond mine is not one of them. Diamond mining which is an important part of South Africa's economy takes place in the interior of the country. However, Cape Town does boast many beautiful beaches both on the Atlantic and on the Indian Ocean. Those along the western side of the peninsula are known as the Atlantic Seaboard which is famous as the "Riviera" of Cape Town. Those on the eastern side face onto the Indian Ocean and are much favoured by the locals for the warmer water.

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving building in South Africa and is situated on the site of the original fort built by the first Dutch Settlers. Commonly known as the V & A, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is sprawling complex of hotels, restaurants and shops situated within South Africa's oldest working harbour.

It is a major attraction of the city which attracts millions of visitors annually. It is also home to the Two Oceans Aquarium.