South Africa :: Western Cape Geography :: Towns, Places and Locations
Majestic mountains, well-watered valleys, beautiful beaches, wonderful wineries . . .
From the Cedarberg Mountains to the wild Agulhas coast to the expansive Cape Winelands and the glorious Garden Route, the Western Cape is a province of extraordinary diversity. It has a unique cultural and natural heritage and a rural easy-going atmosphere coupled with a first world infrastructure. With a total area of 129,370 square kilometres, this is South Africa's fourth-largest province occupying about 10% of the total land area.
If three pyramids are the symbol of Africa's far north, then a flat-topped mountain is the symbol of its far south. Inner Cape Town nestles in the curve of Table Mountain at the start of the hook-shaped Cape Peninsula, which ends in the needle-point cliffs of Cape Point. The erroneous belief that this is the meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans persists. This is actually further south at Cape Agulhas, but certainly the waters of the eastern bay of the peninsula are warmer than the Benguela-chilled western waters. The Peninsula, world-renowned for its beauty and home to the major urban concentration, is in the province's far south-west but may reasonably be regarded as its heart.
The Western Cape is topographically and climatically varied. It has a temperate southern coastline fringed with mountains; here the typical vegetation, especially in the western section, is the famed fynbos. To the north it stretches deep into the Karoo plateau; its western coast is extremely dry. The winter rainfall of the peninsula and its mountainous neighbouring inland area provides ideal conditions for the cultivation of grapes, with numerous vineyards producing excellent wines. Other fruit and vegetables are also grown here, and north and east of Cape Town wheat is an important crop.
The southern coastal area is also fertile; fishing is the most important industry along the west coast. Sheep farming is the mainstay of the Karoo, and other forms of husbandry take place in the better watered parts of the province. While various industries are active, particularly in the Cape of Good Hope area, tourism is extremely important economically. Between Lambert's Bay and Plettenberg Bay, sweeping stretches of sand are punctuated by rocky promontories, fishing villages and holiday resorts. Saldanha and Port Nolloth are the main towns on the west coast; Malmesbury, Worcester, Paarl and Stellenbosch are among those in the wine region; inland, Beaufort West (in the north-east) is the major Karoo town and Oudtshoorn (in the south-east) is the centre of the ostrich-farming area and the site of the spectacular Cango Caves. The southern coastline's major centres include Mossel Bay, George and Knysna, all of which benefit from the tourist attraction of a beautiful coastal strip that includes a lake area. This southern coast has year-round rainfall.
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They enjoy the highest per capita income, life expectancy and the second highest literacy rates and educational achievement levels in South Africa. The unemployment rate is also the lowest in South Africa, at 13%.
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property, investment, reference data, infrastructure resources, lifestyle and geography. No adverts. No selling.
The Western Cape or Cape West
South Africas Western Cape province is truly one of the most desirable places on earth to live and work. It is like New Zealand or California or Florida or the Spanish Costas. Wonderful climate, and beautiful scenery and geography and beaches. With one of the worlds most attractive cities, Cape Town and its exclusive suburbs Clifton and Camps Bay. Many British people have moved there. It is a safe and secure area with a modern well developed infrastructure of roads and telecommunications. Excellent education system including schools, colleges and universities.
This is a great place to buy property or to invest in property, with a stable and rising market and where properties are comparatively cheap compared with other places in the world that are as attractive. The countryside includes wineries and farmsteads. You can play golf and live in one the many lush golf condominiums. Or play tennis, or sail or indulge in one of many watersports. The language spoken is English.
You can find and purchase land or plots. Or buy an apartment or a villa to live and work in, or as a holiday home or second home or as a great investment with secure growth potential. Urban, rural or suburban.
This website is a guide to the Western Cape, clear comprehensive information about the Western Cape.
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