Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape

      province, south-central South Africa. It is bordered by Western Cape province to the west, Northern Cape province to the northwest, Free State province and Lesotho to the north, KwaZulu-Natal province to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast and south. The eastern portion of the former Griqualand East (surrounding Umzimkulu) is now an exclave of Eastern Cape located in southern KwaZulu-Natal. Eastern Cape was part of former Cape of Good Hope (Cape Province) province until 1994. Bisho is the provincial capital.

      Eastern Cape is predominantly mountainous country. It includes the southern spur of the Drakensberg, rising to more than 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in the northeast, and descends southward from the great interior plateau (Highveld) of southern Africa to form a relatively narrow coastal plain along the Indian Ocean. Southwest of the Highveld and the Great Fish River, the topography is characterized by east-west-trending mountain ranges and valleys. East of the Great Fish River, including the lower valley of the Great Kei River, perennial streams have carved deep valleys on their way to the ocean. The province's natural vegetation is largely grassveld, with some forest on the coast west of Humansdorp. Mountain Zebra National Park is located west of Cradock.

      The climate along the coast is subtropical; it is mild at higher elevations to the north. Summers are hot, and snow falls in winter on the high northern mountains. The average annual precipitation increases from 14 inches (350 mm) near Graaff-Reinet in the west to more than 35 inches (900 mm) along the coast near East London in the east.

      More than three-fourths of Eastern Cape's population are black, and they are predominantly speakers of Xhosa, an Nguni language. Persons of mixed race constitute about one-tenth of the total population, and whites constitute an even smaller proportion. Afrikaans is spoken by about one-tenth of the population. Several other languages, including English, are also spoken.

      Merino sheep, Angora goats, and dairy cattle are raised throughout Eastern Cape. Wheat, corn (maize), and sorghum are grown inland with irrigation, while oranges, pineapples, tobacco, and potatoes are cultivated along the coast. Port Elizabeth and East London are manufacturing centres where the production of motors and the canning of fruit and vegetables are important. There are seaside resorts along the Indian Ocean. Grahamstown, Fort Hare (near Alice), and Port Elizabeth have universities. The seaports of East London and Port Elizabeth are connected by road and rail with Queenstown and Umtata to the northeast and Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg to the northwest. Area 65,475 square miles (169,580 square km). Pop. (2005 est.) 7,039,300.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Eastern Cape — Oos Kaap (Afrikaans) Mpuma Kapa (Xhosa)   Province of South Africa   The Provi …   Wikipedia

  • Eastern Cape — Oos Kaap Ostkap Wappen Basisdaten Hauptstadt: Bisho Fläche: Rang: in % Südafrikas …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Eastern Cape —   [ iːstən keɪp, englisch], Provinz der Republik Südafrika,Ost Kap …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Eastern Cape — Admin ASC 1 Code Orig. name Eastern Cape Country and Admin Code ZA.05 ZA …   World countries Adminstrative division ASC I-II

  • Eastern Cape Parks — is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Parks Managed by Eastern Cape Parks* Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve * Commando Drift Nature Reserve * Dwesa …   Wikipedia

  • Eastern Cape Technikon — is a higher education institution in South Africa. It was first established as an engineering campus of the University of Transkei in 1985. It received autonomy in 1994. In the past 10 years, it has become a regional powerhouse of technological… …   Wikipedia

  • Eastern Cape Provincial Division of the High Court of South Africa — The Eastern Cape Provincial Division of the High Court of South Africa, formerly known as the South Eastern Cape Local Division of the High Court of South Africa, handles the highest level criminal and civil cases in the High Court of South… …   Wikipedia

  • Eastern Cape Redfin — Taxobox name = Eastern Cape Redfin status = LR/nt | status system = IUCN2.3 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Actinopterygii ordo = Cypriniformes familia = Cyprinidae genus = Pseudobarbus species = P. afer binomial = Pseudobarbus afer …   Wikipedia

  • Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature — The Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Eastern Cape. It is unicameral in its composition, and elects the premier and the provincial cabinet from among the members of the leading… …   Wikipedia

  • eastern Cape redfin — raudonpelekis ūsorius statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Barbus afer angl. eastern Cape redfin; red finned minnow rus. южноафриканский красноплавниковый барбус ryšiai: platesnis terminas – ūsoriai …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”