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Johannesburg |
Johannesburg, Gauteng ( South Africa)
In Johannesburg, Gauteng South Africa, visitors can experience the vibrant life of the streets and the sophistication of exclusive subrubs, while Soweto features and insight into the daily lives of South Africa’s urban black people. Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city. The contrast between rich and poor is most evident here.
Johannesburg is South Africa’s financial and commercial heartland which is densly populated. Johannesburg is located at an altitude of 1,763 meters above sea level. It is at the Western Deep Gold Mine where shafts reach 3,777 meters below the ground.
Soweto and Johannesburg form the urban conglomerate which developed around the rich gold mines of the Witwaterstrand in Gauteng. North of Johannesburg lies Pretoria which was founded before the discovery of gold. Today Pretoria is South Africa’s administrative capital. Northwest of Johannesburg and Pretoria is the Hartebeespoort Dam which has become a popular weekend and holiday destination for water enthusiasts. To the south of Johannesburg, the Vaal Dam is another source of water which also become a center for recreation.
Johannesburg and its suburbs have developed through the mining of gold. Gauteng’s weather is hot and lush in summer. The afternoons in Gauteng are characterized by strong and violent thunderstorms.
Also known as the gateway to Africa, the city of Johannesburg is built on gold. Founded in 1886 when gold was discovered in this particular region in South Africa, Johannesburg has been rebuilt four times in the past century. Johannesburg started off being a tent town, changed then to a tin-shack settlement, then became a a four-storey Edwardian settlement and is today a modern city of glass and concrete skyscrapers. Johannesburg is one of the youngest major cities in the world and is a mix of African and European cultures, and can therefore be referred to as most possibly being the most cosmopolitan city on the African continent.
Located high on the South African escarpment at over 2 000 meters, Johannesburg is a vibrant, energetic and bustling city offering something for everyone. As South Africa's largest city and economic hub, Johannesburg is home to over 3,2 million people, including the residents of Soweto. Johannesburg is the City of Gold and is definatelly a city that never sleeps. The young can dance the night away at one of the many nightclubs which are found in Johannesburg - from jazz to kwaito everything can be found. Cigar lounges, sophisticated restaurants and world-class theatre productions are also on offer in Johannesburg. A truly authentic and traditional South African experience can be enjoyed in the shebeens of Soweto and Alexandra which are suburbs of Johannesburg.
Due to the great inner-city renewal of Johannesburg, the cultural suburbs of Newtown and Constitution Hill, which are the birthplace of democratic South Africa, rank high on visitor itineraries. Johannesburg offers over 150 heritage sites, and the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is located about a 30 minutes drive from Sandton itself. Visitors who like to shop can explore the glittering shopping malls of Sandton City, Hyde Park, Rosebank or North-, East-, South- or Westgate. Alternately, enjoy graceful Lippizaners at the only Lippizaner centre outside Austria, stargaze at the planetarium, visit the Johannesburg zoo or tour Soweto and see Nelson Mandela's home. In Johannesburg, the leisure and entertainment possibilities are truly endless. |
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