Port Elizabeth is one of the major cities in the east of South Africa, in the Cape Province. Travelers will be interested in nature reserves, which demonstrate representatives of the fauna and flora of South Africa, and for vacationers - beautiful beaches, diving and entertainment centers.
Geography and location
As you can see in the photo, Port Elizabeth is located on the shores of Algoa Bay in the south of the Eastern Cape. By location, it is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean, between Cape Town (770 km to it) and Durban. Geographical coordinates of longitude and latitude of Port Elizabeth: 25°36'00''E. and 33°57'29''S The city runs for 16 km along the coast.
It is also called "Friendly City" and "Windy City". The population is about 1.15 million people (2018), in terms of number it ranks 5th among the cities of South Africa. The population is dominated by South Africans with black skin (58%), as well as "colored" (23%), "white" (16%) and Asians (more than 1%). Christian religion prevails (89% of the population).
History of the city
For the first timeEuropeans arrived here during the expeditions of B. Dias (1488) and Vasco de Gama (1498), who swam here to replenish fresh water. In 1799, during the war with Napoleon, the British authorities erected a stone fort Frederick here. He was supposed to protect the settlement from the landing of French troops. Fort Frederick has survived to this day - it is one of the attractions of Port Elizabeth.
In 1820, 400,000 immigrants from Britain arrived here to establish the Cape Colony, which was supposed to strengthen the influence of Europeans in the southeastern part of South Africa. Until that time, the territory was under the control of the Zulu tribes, forming Zululand. The Zulu King Shako allowed settlers to establish a city on these lands in exchange for a gift of firearms.
The name of the city was in honor of the late wife of Elizabeth, the first governor of the Cape Colony - Sir Rufan Donkin. Since 1861, he received the status of autonomy with the local municipality. The rapid development of the city began in 1873 with the construction of the railway to Kimberley.
During the 2nd Boer War, the port became a transit point, as soldiers sailed here on ships, food supplies and horses were brought. Due to hostilities, the city was replenished with refugees, among whom were Boer families with children. They were interned by the UK in concentration camps.
In 1905, at the direction of the mayor of the city, Alexander Fettes, a monument was inaugurated to the horses that died inwar. In total, more than 300 thousand horses fell here during the hostilities. The monument is one of 3 such memorials in the world.
Climate and industry
Port Elizabeth (South Africa) is characterized by a subtropical climate, with little rain throughout the year. In summer the temperature is +18…+25 °С, in winter - +9…+20 °С. Record cold temperatures are -1 °С, and heat - +41 °С.
The city is the largest industrial center of the Cape Province of South Africa: it is home to the automotive industry giant corporations Ford, Volkswagen and General Motors. Therefore, there is a car museum here, which presents a large collection of cars (more than 80 exhibits) collected during the 1920s-1960s.
The main income comes from the seaport, only in terms of transported ore it exceeds all similar figures of the countries of the southern hemisphere. The city has an airport, which is the 4th in terms of the number of flights and congestion in South Africa. There are also train and bus connections to other settlements.
Attractions
For lovers of ancient architecture in Port Elizabeth, it will be interesting to dive into the quarters of the upper part of the city, built up with houses of the Victorian era. There are cozy cafes and pubs, antique shops, monuments of history and architecture:
- Museum complex consisting of Elephant Park, Snake Park, Oceanarium, Dolphinarium, Zoological Museum - here you can watch the inhabitants of the underwater world through glass, as well as the colonypenguins and fur seals that successfully perform for the audience (opening hours 9:00-16:30).
- Ancient Fort Frederick, built by the British in 1799, its guns never fired.
- Horse Monument - Located on the corner of Ressel and Cape Roads.
- Nelson Mandela Museum of Art, Air Force Museum.
- East London Museum, where unique exhibits are stored: a stuffed coelacanth, a huge fish that was recognized by scientists as extinct 60 million years ago, but in 1938 a copy of the coelacanth was caught in the sea (its dimensions were 1.6 m, weight 57 kg), the eggs of the dodo bird, which was last seen at the end of the 17th century, is the only specimen that has survived on the planet.
Donkin Heritage Trail
This is a whole complex of historical sites and buildings that demonstrates the path of immigrants who came here in 1820. The "Donkin Trail" stretches for 5 km in length and contains 47 objects, including historical and architectural sights of Port Elizabeth (South Africa) located in the central area of Old Hill.
The beginning of the route is the central market square, on which stands the town hall (1858) and the Dias cross (it was installed by B. Dias in 1488 on the banks of the Algoa, now the original is at the University of Johannesburg). Walking along Donkin Street, you can see the Reserve with a lighthouse and a stone pyramid, on which an inscription in honor of Elizabeth is made.
Further on, the path passes through the building of the Casp Hill Library, which is an example of the Victorianarchitecture and is considered one of the first built by settlers. The next object is the Belfry (1926), from which you can see the panorama of the city. Nearby is the Cricket Club, where there are lawns for the game. The view of these buildings immerses travelers in the past, reflecting the life of the settlers who came to the Eastern Cape of South Africa many years ago.
National parks
There are many natural areas around Port Elizabeth protected by law, where nature reserves and national parks have been created to conserve animals and wildlife. The most famous of them is Eddo Elephant (Elephant Park), where you can see up to 30 giant animals at the same time. They move in caravans to the watering hole, following a certain hierarchy.
Nearby is the Shamwari nature reserve and the village of Kaya Lendaba, which was founded by the connoisseur of African antiquities and the famous medium Credo Mutwe. The original buildings in the village embody and recreate the myths of the ancient African tribes.
Here you can watch how warriors dance, get a session with local predictors of the future and look at healers who heal in ancient African ways.
For lovers of wildlife, it will be interesting to visit the reserves of Graaff-Reinet, Garden Route, Tsitsikamma, Cape Recife and others.
Nelson Mandela Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth was built in 2009 specifically for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.accommodates 50 thousand fans and is located 2 km from the ocean. The stadium is considered the most modest building in terms of budget - only 56 million euros were spent on its construction.
A distinctive architectural feature of the stadium is a complex of terraces that descend to the ocean. Sheet steel and plastic membranes were used to cover the building.
Beaches, Hotels & Activities
For tourists and travelers, the city of Port Elizabeth is interesting, first of all, for its chic clean beaches with clear sea water and fine sand, water activities. There are excellent conditions for lovers of scuba diving, diving, surfing and other hobbies.
For diving lovers of scuba diving prefer:
- Bell Buoy - the most popular dive site for divers, where you can see entire colonies of corals, depth 12-18 m;
- Devil's reef - beautiful bottom peaks, depth 7 m;
- Rye Banks - colorful fish and corals, depth 18-40m;
- Sunderblot reef - purple and orange placers of hard corals;
- wreck of a warship at a depth of 21 m (1987).
And those who are fond of surfing will be interested in information about Pollock Beach, where there are always high waves up to 50 m long and up to 1.5 m high, arising from the nearby sandy reef at the bottom.
There are many hotels, casinos and entertainment venues on the coast: Theaterdolphins, local Disneyland, The Boardwalk Casino & Entertainment World, Bay West shopping center and others.
