Eastern Cape

Coordinates: 32°S 27°E / 32°S 27°E / -32; 27
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Eastern Cape
  • iMpuma-Kapa (Xhosa)
  • Oos-Kaap (
    Afrikaans
    )
Coat of arms of Eastern Cape
Motto: 
Development through Unity
Map showing the location of the Eastern Cape in the southern part of South Africa
Location of the Eastern Cape in South Africa
Coordinates: 32°S 27°E / 32°S 27°E / -32; 27
Country South Africa
Established27 April 1994
CapitalBhisho
Largest cityGqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
Districts
Government
 • Type
US$30.7 billion[4]
Websitewww.ecprov.gov.za
Eastern Cape
XhosaiMpuma-Kapa
AfrikaansOos-Kaap
SetswanaKapa Botlhaba

The Eastern Cape (

East London and Gqeberha
. Due to its climate and nineteenth century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also known for being home to many anti-apartheid activists, the most famous being Nelson Mandela hailing from the province.

The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after the Northern Cape, it was formed in 1994 out of the Xhosa homelands or bantustans of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province. The central and eastern part of the province is the traditional home of the indigenous Xhosa people. In 1820 this area, which was known as the Xhosa Kingdom, began to be settled by Europeans who originally came from England,from Scotland and some from Ireland.

Since South Africa's early years, many Xhosas believed in Africanism, and figures such as

.

History

The Eastern Cape as a South African Province came into existence in 1994, and incorporated areas from the former Xhosa homelands of the

Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), Bhisho and Mthatha, and had enclaves of KwaZulu-Natal
in the province. The latter anomaly has fallen away with amendments to municipal and provincial boundaries.

The Xhosa Kingdom was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Africa, and had all states in the Eastern Cape as tributaries. Any group, people, or tribe that recognised the Xhosa Kingdom as Paramouncy became Xhosa, practiced Xhosa culture and used isiXhosa as their main language. Some of the tribes that fall under the category of Xhosa people include: AmaMpondo, AbaThembu, AmaMpondomise, AmaHlubi, AmaBhaca, AmaXesibe, AmaBomvana and more.[original research?]

European settlers

In the late 18th century the

Cape Colony (1806) and encouraged British citizens to migrate there as a means to boost the British population[citation needed
] in the area.

From the early 1800s until the formation of the

King William's Town
(1836).

Demographics

The population of Eastern Cape Province is 6,562,053, of whom 86.3% are

Port Elizabeth is the largest city in Eastern Cape Province.[5]

Notable people

Law and government

The first premier was Raymond Mhlaba and the current premier is Oscar Mabuyane, both of the African National Congress. The province is served by the capital of Bhisho next to King William's Town. The parliament and other important government buildings are situated in the precinct. The High Court that is superior to all courts in the region is situated in Grahamstown and has local seats in Port Elizabeth, East London, and Bhisho.

Geography

The southern part of the province seen from space. Various mountain ranges in the Cape Fold Belt are visible, besides Cape Recife and Cape St. Francis.

The Eastern Cape gets progressively wetter from west to east. The west is mostly semiarid

Queenstown towards the KwaZulu-Natal border – a region known previously as Transkei
– is lush grassland on rolling hills, punctuated by deep gorges with intermittent forest.

Eastern Cape has a coast on its east which lines southward, creating shores leading to the south Indian Ocean. In the northeast, it borders the following districts of Lesotho:

Domestically, it borders the following provinces:

Climate

Climate is highly varied. The west is dry with sparse rain during winter or summer, with frosty winters and hot summers. The area

Rhodes
.

Tourism

Aloe ferox on the R61 route between Cofimvaba and Ngcobo.