The administrative capital of South Africa, as well as one of thethe largest cities of this state, is Pretoria. Where is this locality, what are its natural features, what kind of people live there, and also the most interesting - how it was formed. Read all about this below.
First, let's look at where exactly South Africa is locatedon the world map. This state is located in the southernmost point of the African continent. In his possession is the famous Cape of Good Hope. It is not only one of the most beautiful viewing platforms in the world, but also a place of intersection of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. In 155 km southeast of Good Hope is Cape Agulh - the most southern point of Africa. Considering South Africa on the world map, everyone will pay attention to the fact that the country partially enters the desert zone of Namibia. Therefore, in the north-west of the republic gusty winds always blow, and the temperature differences have the maximum difference in the region. The eastern coast is washed by the Indian Ocean, due to which the local climate is mild, tropical, with a moderate amount of precipitation. The western shores are a region of gusty winds and hurricanes that come from the Atlantic. Winter here is windy and cold, and summer is warm, but not hot. The central part of South Africa is practically not populated, as the area is deserted.
South Africa is one of the fewStates, where several capitals are officially recognized. Pretoria is the administrative capital, since all the representatives of the legislative power sit here. Parliament is located in Cape Town, and judicial representatives in Bloemfontein. This state of affairs is explained by the fact that South Africa was previously a confederative country, and various authorities were in different places. After the formation of the South African Union, representatives of previously separate powers began to work together, but did not change their location.
In 1855, our planet officially appeareda new city - Pretoria. Where he is now, there he was founded almost 150 years ago by Martinus Pretorius, who named him in honor of his father, Andries Pretorius. He, in turn, defeated the Zulus during the Battle of the Bloody River. Five years later Pretoria became the official capital of the Republic of Transvaal (South Africa). During the first and second Anglo-Boer wars, the city was repeatedly besieged. As a result, part of the territories went to the domain of England, but the capital still remained independent. In 1910, after the unification of the Transvaal, the colony of the Orange River, the Natal colony and the Cape colony, the city became the administrative capital of the newly-formed South Africa, and Cape Town - the legislative one. Since 2001, Pretoria is also the center of the province of Zwane.
Where is the administrative capitalrelative to other cities in South Africa, as well as what landscapes prevail here, now try to figure it out. First, the city is located in the north-eastern part of the state and has no access to the sea. 55 kilometers from it to the south-west is Johannesburg, the nearest major neighbor of the capital. In terms of geography, Pretoria is located, as it were, in the corridor between the southern plateau of the High Wold and the northern, lower Plateau of the Shrub Weld. It is also noteworthy that the city is located in a warm valley at an altitude of 1.339 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by the Magalisberg Ridge, which protects it from winds and hurricanes that can come from both the desert and the ocean.
Thanks to the fact that the city of Pretoria is inprotected by mountains, a very mild and warm climate was established here. The air masses are mostly tropical, which means a long warm summer and a very short, wet but not frosty winter. The hottest month is February, when the temperature can rise to +30 and even more. During this period, a lot of rains fall, but they are all strong and short-lived. The coldest month is July. During this period, the temperature drops to -1 Celsius. Snow will fall very rarely (literally three times a century, as it was recorded). But it melts immediately because the earth is very warm.
We all know perfectly well that even afterthe colonization of Great Britain by the southern regions of Africa in these territories is still mostly inhabited by representatives of the black race. But Pretoria in this respect is very different from the main part of the state. Here more than 57 percent of the population are white people. Basically, they all live in the center of the city, where the level of urbanization reaches a maximum. Closer to the outskirts and suburbs, of course, the aborigines of these lands settle. In Pretoria, as in all of South Africa, the official language is Afrikaans. However, the metropolitan residents perfectly understand English, and also are familiar with a lot of local dialects, among which there are sesoto, pedi, Zulu and many others.
Nowadays, some people are often confused with whatit is the city - Pretoria or Canberra - in Africa is located. At once we will allocate, that Canberra is in Australia and is its unique official capital. Pretoria is no less a large and developed city, which dominates in South Africa. Actually, it's not so difficult to confuse. Despite the fact that Africa is considered the poorest continent of the planet, the cities of its south have greatly succeeded in industry. Therefore, they are teeming with skyscrapers, wide thoroughfares, chic parks and theaters, recreation areas and nightclubs. Now, when you arrive there, you really get the impression that you are in Australia or in America, where all the buildings are, all the streets and details are megacrafts.
We briefly considered what of ourselvesrepresents the city of Pretoria. Where is it in relation to other settlements in South Africa, that is, what is its geographical location, what is the climate and weather there. They also learned which people inhabit the capital of the republic, what languages they speak and what history they can boast. If you want to get to know the city better, come personally!
