Cape+Town

Cape Town is one of the largest most important cities in South Africa. It was founded on April 7th, 1652. Even though the area was known to exist before this day, the area was not exactly called “Cape Town” during that time. People just knew the area as “Table Mountain.” The first people to ever climb and discover Table Mountain were Portuguese seamen. Their ships were part of a fleet that was on its way to India in 1503. These people had many quarrels and disagreements with the people surrounding the area, which were the Khoi people. Despite all of these arguments, European ships began to use Table Bay for fresh water and food until the year 1647.

In 1647, a Dutch ship had arrived and was wrecked in the bay. The survivors of this accident returned to Holland to report back to people that Table Bay was fertile and suitable for growing plants and make a living on. In 1651, the directors of the Dutch East India Company decided to establish an outpost in the cape. They figured that they could get water and supplies in this area. Jan van Riebeck, who had been in serious trouble with the Dutch East India Company for four years before they engaged in trading privately, turned what was the original outpost for Europeans in South Africa to a place where the company allowed sailors and soldiers to come in and settle in the cape, while also forming their own farms and homes on the cape. Soon, Table Mountain was filled with these soldiers and sailors, along with European immigrants as well. The company took into consideration the newcomers from other European countries with the Dutch, which they had encouraged to integrate with each other. Shortly after, the area where all these people had settled and lived for many years will be called //Kaapstad,// or Cape Town.

Today, Cape Town is the largest city in the Western Cape Province. It is also the legislative capital of South Africa. Many people from different countries go there to experience some of the interesting things that it is known for now. Cape Town known for an array of things, like its beaches, vineyards, majestic landscapes, and limitless oceans. Cape Town is an extraordinary city with so much history behind it, and it is by far one of the greatest cities in South Africa.