The Cape of Good Hope is on. Cape of Good Hope. Cape of Good Hope as the personification of human hopes

The Cape of Good Hope is a popular attraction for tourists traveling to Cape Town, South Africa. It is a wonderful place with unpredictable weather, baboons and adorable penguins playing in the ocean. Here you can fully enjoy the stunning landscapes and the wealth of wildlife.

Description and location

Upland on the Cape Peninsula, located on the world map near Cape Town. It is mistakenly considered the southernmost point of the mainland and the place where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. In fact, the tip is located at Cape Agulhas (Agulhas), located on the South African Gardens Road, 200 km from the capital of South Africa.

The cold Bengal Current on the west coast and the warm Agulhas Current merge at the foot of one of Africa's top attractions, which, along with nearby Cape Point, offers breathtaking scenery.

The summit is located 70 km from Cape Town... You can get from the city by car in an hour and a half. Legend has it that the ghosts of the Flying Dutchman's crew inhabit the promontory and its waters, although visiting tourists are much more likely to see penguins, antelopes and possibly a southern whale.

The geographical coordinates of the cape are 54 ° 31'08 "north latitude and 42 ° 04'15" east longitude. Elevation: 93 m

origin of name

The historical fact why the Cape of Good Hope is so called is quite interesting. It dates from the time of exploration in the 15th century, when the European powers - Spain and Portugal, sent sailors to unknown places in search of wealth. The first European to see and discover the cape was the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeo Dias, who was looking for the southern borders of the African continent. The date of the expedition headed by him is considered to be 1486.

According to some historical sources, Dias called his discovery "Cape of Storms" (Cabo das Tormentas), but later changed it to the current name of the cape (Cabo da Boa Esperança), named after the proposal of King John II of Portugal because of the trade opportunities that brought this place. According to other sources, Diash himself came up with this name. He was from a family of hereditary sailors. His older brothers, moving south along the coast of West Africa, discovered the Bohador and Green capes.

Cape history

It was 9 years before Vasco da Gama, another Portuguese sailor, also attempted to travel to the southern tip of Africa on his way to India. The sailors met with people from the Khoya tribe, and several of Vasco da Gama's crew were injured in the collision with them. Other important facts in the history of this area are:

1. Although the Portuguese were the first to travel the cape, they were not seriously interested in southern Africa. They feared the indigenous population, and the weather was sometimes treacherous and dangerous.
2. Some early Portuguese sailors chose not to sail around the area. In addition, when it comes to trade, South Africa had very little to offer: gold had not yet been discovered, and the land seemed desolate and hopeless.
3. In June 1580, nearly 100 years later, Sir Francis Drake sailed past the Cape. He was on a trip around the world commissioned by Elizabeth I of England. The weather was calm and the landscape was serene. This view inspired Sir Francis Drake to utter the following words: "This cape is the most magnificent thing and the fairest cape that we have seen in the entire circumference of the earth." More British expeditions followed, and soon other European countries followed in their footsteps.
4. In the first half of the 17th century, the British and Dutch used the route, which was supposed to go around the cape, for trade purposes. Danish and French ships made stops to replenish water supplies and stock up on fresh food.
5. Although English, French and Dutch East Indian companies played with the idea of ​​establishing a base on the Cape in the 17th century, it was the Dutch who finally took the first step.

On December 31, 1687, a group of Huguenots was sent to the cape from the Netherlands. They fled France to avoid religious persecution. The Dutch East India Company needed skilled farmers on the Cape, and the Dutch government saw opportunities for the Huguenots by sending them there.

Cape of Good Hope plays an important role in South African history as a stopping point for merchant ships sailing between Europe and the European colonies to the east. Initially, Europeans traded with locals for food and water, but in April 6, 1652, the Dutch East India Company, led by merchant Jan van Riebeck, established a small supply station in a sheltered bay beyond the Cape Peninsula, forming the first European settlement in the region.

On January 19, 1806, Great Britain occupied the extreme point of the peninsula. It was ceded to Great Britain in the Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1814 and was henceforth administered as Cape Colonia.

Today, the small station that provided food for tired sailors has become the bustling city of Cape Town.

Vegetable world

The Cape Peninsula is one of eight protected areas in the region jointly recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its rich flora. Although the 553,000 hectares of the Cape Flower Region account for only 0.5% of Africa's area, it contains almost 20% of the continent's plant life. Finbosch, or "beautiful bush", is the most common type of plant found here, and many species are unique to the peninsula.

The promontory is part of Table Mountain National Park and park rangers can be seen working to remove invasive species such as wattle, pine and blue gum that threaten the survival of native plants.

wild nature

The peninsula is rich in wildlife, especially birds. The gannet, the African black oyster hunter and 4 species of cormorants live on its shores. But the most famous feathered creatures are the penguins on Boulders Beach. Tourists can see up close one of the few colonies on the mainland in False Bay. There are special paths that lead through the natural habitat of the penguins, and if you visit this place between February and August, you can see fluffy chicks.

Cape Mountain Zebra is rare in these areas... But the more common inhabitants are baboons, several species of antelope and the little furry dassi, the closest relative of the elephant. You can also watch whales and dolphins here.

Activities and activities

One of the main attractions of South Africa is a narrow peninsula overlooking the ocean. But this location implies the presence of wind and unpredictable weather. However, the landscape that opens to visitors will not leave anyone indifferent:

1. The coastline, against the backdrop of clouds with occasional glimpses of the sun, creates a dramatic landscape. While here, you can look at the roaming zebras. It is also a great spot for whale watching between June and November.
2. Climb the lighthouse for the best views of the cape. There are 3 ways to get to the top. There is a path with long stone stairs along the coastline. This route offers the best views of the coast. There is a road from the car park all the way to the top. The ascent is fairly easy and not very strenuous. For those who do not want or do not have the opportunity to walk, there is the Flying Dutchman funicular, which will take you to the observation deck in 3 minutes for a small fee.
3. A drive along the Cape Peninsula is one of the favorite additions to the tourist itinerary in Cape Town. Highlights of the day trip are the southern points of the headland, and the stunning sea cliffs and ocean views will make tourists feel like they are on the edge of the earth.

The best places

Muizenberg Beach. Muisenberg is a beachfront suburb of Cape Town known for its white sandy shores and the very colorful houses that adorn it. The warm waters of the Indian Ocean are an added bonus and attract surfers to this place.

Simons Town and Boulders Beach. Simons Town is a historic and charming naval town on False Bay, and Boulders Beach is famous for its African penguin colony. Thousands of individuals go about their daily activities: cleaning their wings, looking after their children. Walking through Boulders Beach takes place on a wooden plank. If you want to get close to the penguins, you need to go further along the sand dunes to Foxy Beach, but keep in mind that penguins can be aggressive, and if you get too close, you can experience how sharp their beaks are.

Cape Point. This summit can be reached by driving just over 1 km east of the main promontory. It is here that the Flying Dutchman funicular is located, overlooking the lighthouse.

Chapman's Peak Drive. Nothing beats the windswept Atlantic coastline, and Chapman's Peak provides the ocean road with the most breathtaking views. This toll freeway is carved into the rock, and has nearly vertical inclines and blind bends. It begins at the fishing village of Hout Bay and continues to Cape Chapman and then ends at Nordhoek. The ocean views are incredible along the route, but the best from Cape Chapman, the highest point on the road.

The Cape of Good Hope is known to many travel lovers for its beautiful nature, warm climate and Russian-speaking guides who will show and tell all the features of this place.

Not everyone knows, although the guides often remember this, but it was here that the famous legend of the Flying Dutchman was born. Thanks to the films, this legend is indirectly known to many, but its essence was never revealed, as well as the place where it appeared. Many are also surprised to hear her, they say, but what about Captain Davy Jones? Isn't it the Island of the Cross? No, it was the Cape of Good Hope, and not Captain Jones, although the name of the historical figure is controversial.

A pinch of history

There was also an interesting history with the name of the cape. It was discovered by Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese sailor, who called it the Capes of Storms because the cape was often subjected to severe storms. As can be seen from history, it did not become the Cape of Good Hope at once, it was renamed by King João II, when his ships plowed the vastness of its waters. The king's hope was justified, a sea route to India was opened for Portugal, and the cape remained "Good Hope" forever.

Historical legends

The sailing ship "Flying Dutchman" is known in history, but the name of its captain is controversial. In one of the myths, the captain was the Dutchman Philip Van der Decken (and according to another version of the story of Van Straaten), in 1700, his ship sailed from the East Indies, carrying a married couple on board. He desired the unfortunate lady, the captain got rid of her husband, and called her in marriage, but the girl could not imagine herself in the hands of the murderer of her lover, so she jumped overboard.

While trying to go around the cape, the ship got into a violent storm, but despite the plea of ​​the crew to wait it out in the nearest bay, the angry captain decided on a desperate act. Challenging all the gods, he led the ship through the storm, dooming himself and the entire crew to certain death. Swearing that no soul would go ashore, he signed his own sentence. Now the ship is forced to wander, over and over again trying to go around the cape. However, according to one of the versions, the captain can still remove the curse, which he himself called. Once every 10 years, he is supposed to go ashore and find a wife who will voluntarily agree to marry the damned captain. Another version says that the Flying Dutchman and everyone on board can be released by some magic word, but who knows or keeps it - the unknown secret of the seven seas.

Another version of the legend

The Dutch captain vowed that he would sell his soul if he passed the cape unharmed. He made the mistake of not pointing out that he only needed to do it once, and the Devil played a cruel joke on him. Now the captain and his crew are going around the cape unharmed over and over again.

In a severe storm, the ship could not bypass the Cape of Good Hope (in another version, it was Cape Horn). The team asked to turn back, but Van Straaten said he would swim until he reached the goal. In response to angry speeches, a voice burst out from the sky: "So be it - swim even until the second coming."

In those days, terrible diseases raged, and one of them overtook the "Flying Dutchman", not a single port agreed to accept such a ship, fearing infection. The Dutchman sailed from port to port for a long time, while his crew members were dying. Without finding help, the ship continues to wander, winding up terror and bringing misfortune to other ships.

There are incredibly many versions. Yet another one says that the Dutchman met the ghost ship Kenara, but having overcome it, he took on the curse of the pirate ship. According to other stories, the captain was in such a hurry to go home that he did not help the sinking ship encountered at sea, for which he was cursed by all maritime laws.

There are many places in the world worthy of attention and visiting. Among them there are so amazing and legendary that the flow of travelers there from all over the Earth has not dried up for centuries. The southern coast of Africa, washed by two currents at once, is one of such places, but everything is in order.

Where is the Cape of Good Hope

Southern Africa can be called a "wonderland" without any reservations. Agree, it is difficult to imagine any other place on Earth where fur seals and penguins feel great together with baboons and cheetahs! And all this is due to the fact that from the South the "Black Continent" is washed by two ocean currents at once: one cold and one warm. The cold Benguela Current on the western side dries up a huge territory - Namibia, and the warm Agulhas current makes the eastern part of South Africa a flourishing and multicolored region. In the middle there is a famous one, which for a long time was considered the southernmost point of the continent, until meticulous geographers found out that the neighboring cape (Igolny) is several kilometers "south".

The place where two oceans meet - the Atlantic and the Indian - attracts tourists with its uniqueness and beauty. On the water surface, the border between the oceans almost always appears, the two currents stubbornly try to overcome each other. The difference in water temperature in the currents leads to constant fogs, clouds, rough seas and strong winds. High rocky shores allow you to personally enjoy a delightful and grandiose landscape. Penguins and fur seals, who settled here a long time ago, feel great, forgetting about their native Antarctica. Reserve Cape of Good Hope provides animals and birds exotic for the African continent with a safe and comfortable existence. Penguins are protected from cheetahs, or vice versa, because these birds are not at all distinguished by their liveliness and peaceful disposition. All these natural beauties frame the main object - the Cape of Good Hope.

Cape of Good Hope - photo

History

Nobody knows how many swear words were addressed to this place, perishing for sailors, in the entire history of navigation. Judging by the efforts courageous navigators and pioneers had to make to overcome this cacophony of ocean currents, there are quite a few ... A few antique sources give very scant information about the southern tip of Africa, but ... Today it is safe to say that the Egyptians were the first to come here 500 years before the birth of Christ. The tireless and very active Pharaoh Necho II hired the brave Phoenicians to find a roundabout way to Europe for the delivery of Egyptian goods (by this time Egypt had ceased to be the strongest power, and economic interests were at that time priority too!). The Phoenicians set out to look for the place where Africa ends on the east side. The voyage took about three years. Twice the mariners had to stop to grow something edible for themselves, as supplies ran out. they probably skirted (it’s impossible to say more precisely because of the years ago), since the documents retained a mention that discouraged sailors noticed that at some point "the sun turned out to be from the north side", which means that they nevertheless crossed the equator. Returning to Egypt and reporting on their impressions of the voyage, the Phoenicians went about their usual business affairs. The pharaoh also abandoned his venture, since Africa turned out to be too huge to use the roundabout route for trade. In other words, costs exceeded revenues. For the next two thousand years, no one sailed here from Europe. African penguins calmly basked in the sun and dived into one or the other ocean for fish. Idyll.

Who discovered the Cape of Good Hope

By the end of the 15th century, Europe realized that it “had to go” by sea. The vast Muslim lands tightly closed the entire Western world from spices, silk, precious stones and other pleasant and expensive luxury items. Relations with the followers of the teachings of Muhammad did not give any hope of improving relations and normalizing trade. Numerous crusades averted Muslims from "friendship" with Christians for a long time. The first who desperately threw themselves into the sea to meet India were the Portuguese. By order of King João II, he was sent to find a way around the known routes to the country of elephants. With great difficulty, overcoming currents and the hostile attitude of Africans towards uninvited travelers, his squadron managed to reach Cape of Good Hope... However, in those days this cape did not have any name at all, and Bartolomeo Dias himself called it the Cape of Tempests, since the Portuguese had suffered here above the roof. After sailing a little more, the expedition was forced to return home. The sailors refused to continue the journey, which had no end at all, and even nature itself seemed to resist their advance to the East.

The beginning, despite some incompleteness of the expedition, was laid. After hearing the report of Diash, the king was pleased with the "intelligence". One thing he did not like was the name of the insidious cape. The monarch seriously feared that no one would want to go to India through such difficult and dangerous lands. It was decided to change the name to Good Hope. There was in view of the hope for a successful completion of the expedition to India. No sooner said than done. And after a few years he noted in the logbook that after lengthy and skillful maneuvers, his ship passed the Cape of Good Hope. The name really brought good luck to the Portuguese, yes Gama, as you know, visited India.

Flying Dutchman

Perhaps this is the most important legend Cape of Good Hope... The legend has many options, the names of the characters are different, but on the main point they all agree - here the captain of a Dutch ship was cursed. It was like this ... There was no person in the world more disgusting than Captain Van Stratten. Foul language and blasphemer. It was said that he was on friendly terms with the devil himself. The captain never let go of a whip with lead plaques on the end. This lash walked on the backs of the sailors continuously. Van Stratten carried spices and African slaves in the holds of the ship. Unhappy Africans died in dozens, so the terrible captain's ship was constantly accompanied by well-fed and contented sharks, whom the captain himself affectionately called "my fish". Once, when Van Stratten's ship was at the Cape of Good Hope in a storm, the sailors tried to persuade the captain to come back to wait out the bad weather. The captain, as usual, swore badly, added a couple of terrible blasphemies and vowed that he would not back down even if the end of the World came. At that moment, a thunderous voice opened the heavens: "You said! Now swim!" Since then, Captain Stratten's ship can be found at the southernmost cape of Africa. Restless and doomed to eternal voyage, he plows the oceans. The blasphemer himself and his team, sentenced to immortality, are not able to land on the shore. When meeting with other courts, they try to convey the message to their family and friends, who have long been in a better world. Woe to the one who takes a letter from them - the curse will pass to the compassionate helper.

This legend, in different variations and in detail, is told by all the guides on Cape of Good Hope... And tourists eagerly peer into the horizon, hoping to see the tops of the "Flying Dutchman" masts. To make it easier to look, there are now many convenient viewing platforms and hiking trails. In nearby restaurants, local aborigines sing and dance for the eager for all the exotic visitors to the southern outskirts of Africa. And the penguins on the coast walk around with such an important look, as if they know for sure everything about the "Flying Dutchman", but they never tell anyone about him. Intriguing.

Cape of Good Hope on the map, panorama

To find the Cape of Good Hope, seafarers have embarked on a journey more than once, suffered failures, crashes, but the search did not stop - the road to India must be open. It was the rocky promontory, which is the most extreme point in the south-west of Africa, the place where the waters of two oceans collide with each other, forming a seething white strip crashing against the rocks, that opened the way for them to Asia.

The Cape of Good Hope is located in Africa and is the southernmost part of the Cape Peninsula, from where it turns north and after forty-five meters abuts against Cape Point, at the foot of which Falls Bay begins on the opposite side, whose waters are heated by the warm current of the Indian Ocean ...

The temperature of both air and water in the east of the peninsula is much warmer than on its western side, where the Benguela current flows from Antarctica. True, the winds blow stronger here and tourists are rarely allowed to soak up the warm rays.

Despite the fact that the Cape of Good Hope has long been considered the most extreme point of Africa, it is actually Cape Agulhas (on the map it is located more than one hundred and fifty kilometers in the southeast direction).

This cape is notable for the fact that from it the African coast turns eastward for the first time and opens a passage between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (you can accurately calculate where the Cape of Good Hope is on the map by the following coordinates: 34 ° 21 ′ 32.88 ″ S lat. , 18 ° 28 ′ 21.06 ″ E).

Discovery history

The Cape of Good Hope was discovered at the end of the 15th century. Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias, before whom the king set a specific task. It was necessary to find out if it was possible, having rounded Africa from the south, to get to India. It was extremely costly for his country, located in western Europe, to organize land expeditions to Asia.

The discovery of the Cape of Good Hope happened by chance, while unexpected help was provided by the terrifying force of the storm, mercilessly fluttering the Portuguese ships for several days: when the ocean calmed down, it turned out that Dias had no idea where the bad weather had brought him. He randomly went north and after a while found himself off the coast of Africa, which turned eastward.

True, he did not swim further: the provisions were coming to an end, the ships were in poor condition, and the team rebelled. They decided to return home, and on the way he noticed a cape, having rounded which he saw that the African coast stretches northward, home.

Interestingly, initially, seeing ocean waves beating against high rocks, he decided to name this land area Cape of Tempests.

But the king of Portugal did not like the ominous name, and he gave it a more optimistic name - the Cape of Good Hope, hoping that the road to India was indeed discovered. His hope was justified: a few years later Vasco da Gama, passing the Cape of Good Hope, sailed to India.

Cape lighthouses

Calling the rocky area of ​​land protruding into the sea Cape Buri, Diash gave it a rather accurate name: strong currents, winds, storms, fogs, sometimes icebergs swimming into this area, led to the wreck of a huge number of ships. An important role in this was played by the fact that the rocks along the coast were not only similar to each other, but were often wrapped in fogs.

This often knocked sailors sailing from India off course: they turned north ahead of time and ended up in False Bay.

If they were lucky, the ships stuck to the sandy shore, but mostly they just crashed on the rocks. This bay is notable for the fact that it is far from always possible to get out of it on a sailing ship - despite the fact that it is very windy here, it is quite possible to spend here almost half a year while waiting for a suitable air flow.

Despite all these circumstances, the authorities on the cape built a lighthouse only in the middle of the 19th century. - and then, after, during one of the inspections, the inspectors noticed icebergs floating to the coast. The ice blocks near the coast of Africa shook them so much that the decision to build a lighthouse and an observation post here was made almost immediately. It was built on the nearby Cape Point Mountain, which offers a magnificent view of the Cape of Good Hope.

Lighthouse number 1

The construction of the first lighthouse was completed in 1860. It was located at an altitude of 270 m - and it could be seen from a distance of 80 km. There was one "but": it was designed in Britain, so the British, unfamiliar with the climatic features of southern Africa, did not take into account one detail, the top of the mountain on which it was decided to install the structure was often enveloped in clouds at night, making the lighthouse absolutely useless. At the same time, he "served" for about half a century, until journalists drew attention to the problem.

The first case that attracted widespread public attention was the crash in 1900 of the newest steamer "Kakapu", which was heading from Britain to New Zealand. Fooled by the lighthouse and low clouds, the captain gave the wrong command, as a result of which a high tidal wave threw the ship to the coast. The authorities managed to hush up this story, accusing the captain of negligence.

But the crash, which happened eleven years later, could not be silenced: the huge Portuguese liner "Lusitania" hit the reef a few kilometers from the working, but completely covered by clouds of the lighthouse. It was possible to save the passengers (and there were almost eight hundred people on the ship) only because the ship sat on the reef very firmly, which gave time to launch all the rescue boats.

The lighthouse keeper, having received the distress signal, descended with a lighted lantern, orienting the crew of the liner and making it possible for almost all boats to safely moor to the shore, except for one (she capsized and four of her passengers died). The decision to build a second lighthouse was made, but this one was closed and now it serves as a museum, with magnificent views from the observation deck.

Lighthouse No. 2

Despite the fact that the new lighthouse is located below, at an altitude of 88 meters, and can be seen at a shorter distance, 40 km, there was much more benefit from it - shipwrecks in this area were almost reduced to zero. At the end of the 20th century, an electric cable was installed to the lighthouse, restaurants were erected, a cable car leading from the parking lot to the top of Mount Cane Point adjacent to the cape was installed, and after a corresponding advertising campaign, they gave impetus to the development of a successful tourism business.

National park

The Cape of Good Hope is almost seventy kilometers away from Cape Town, the second most populous city in South Africa, Cape Town, and therefore from the capital of the Western Cape, armed with a map, by car, on a very good road, you can get there in four hours.

The road will not seem boring, since the way here lies through the Table Mountain National Park, whose area exceeds 7 thousand hectares, and it itself is distinguished by extremely lush vegetation.

The fauna of the reserve is also interesting: beside monkeys, ostriches, antelopes and cheetahs, spectacled penguins and fur seals, which not only came here from Antarctica, but also managed to adapt to the conditions of local life, feel great here.

Spectacled Penguins

The penguins live on the west coast called Boulders Beach. They chose this place of residence for a reason: the cold waters of the Bengal Current help the birds to endure the heat - they spend most of their time in the water. And only during nesting, in winter, when the air temperature becomes more or less optimal, they stay on land for a long time. Interestingly, they hatch their eggs in burrows, which they dig in the decomposed remains of bird droppings, which helps to protect the eggs from overheating.

They are given the opportunity to maintain an optimal body temperature by the pink markings located above the eyes and working as a kind of conditioner: when the birds get very hot, the heated blood begins to flow faster to the marks, where, thanks to the thin skin, it quickly cools.

Seal Island

Sometimes fur seals rest near the cape, which sailed here from their rookery, located on a small island, immediately behind the lighthouse, in Falls Bay (about 75 thousand animals live on it). Such a huge colony could not fail to attract the attention of white sharks constantly swimming in this bay.

Therefore, from May to September, the island of fur seals is literally surrounded by predators who patiently wait for their prey, and as soon as they see an opportunity, they jump out and grab the seal with their teeth and go to the bottom. Interestingly, False Bay is the only place in the world where sharks completely jump out of the water while hunting.

The Cape of Good Hope - the most famous cape in Africa - is located in the Republic of South Africa, on the Cape Peninsula.
It was discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias (about 1450-1500). The discoverer called this place the Cape of Tempests: an inopportune storm almost sank all three of Diash's ships. Presumably, it was renamed into the Cape of Good Hope by the Portuguese king João II the Perfect (1455-1495): the king was incredibly happy that Portugal had found a way to India and would now compete with Arab merchants, who for many centuries had a monopoly on trade with this a fabulously rich land.
Exhausted by the long voyage and frequent skirmishes with the natives, the crew of Dias' ships, under threat of revolt, forced the captain to head home to the coast of Portugal. The Portuguese expedition of 1497-1499, which rounded the Cape of Good Hope, successfully sailed to India and returned to Lisbon to report success, was commanded by Vasco da Gama (circa 1460-1524), and his task did not include the development of South Africa.
This was done by the Dutch in 1652, who were the first to settle in these places. It turned out that for a long time in the vicinity of the cape there has been a people of the so-called capoid small race, akin to the Bushmen, called the Hottentots by the Dutch (from the word "stutter") because of the special clicking sounds in their speech (later the name "Hottentots" acquired a sharply negative connotation, in Africa in our time it is considered an insult, it was replaced by the self-name "koi-koin" of the Nama people, which is part of the Hottentot group).
The Dutch founded the most important port city for their time (English “city on the cape”). Cape Town has long been the most important and only transit point in southern Africa on the route from Rotterdam to India and back; the place where the sick were treated, and the center for supplying the Dutch East India Company merchant ships with fresh water and food.
At first, the natives received the guests cordially, but when, in 1657, the Europeans began to oust them from their native land and enslave them, bloodshed and racial conflicts began. "Local atheists" showed stubborn resistance.
In 1795 Great Britain took the south of Africa from Holland, the territory became known as the Cape of Good Hope colonial province. The descendants of the first colonists - the Boers (in Dutch "peasants") were dissatisfied with the new order, began to move to the north of the continent ("Great Track") and settled there, overcoming the resistance of the Zulu. The British showed interest in the Boer republics when deposits of diamonds and then gold were discovered there. At the end of the XIX century. after two stubborn Anglo-Boer wars (1899-1902), the British completely captured the entire territory of South Africa. In 1910, four British colonies - Natal, Transvaal, the Orange Free State and the Cape were united to form the Union of South Africa.
After a long period of colonial dependence, the free state of South Africa was created in 1961.
The Cape of Good Hope is an important part of the Table Mountain National Park (Table Mountain), called the Cape of Good Hope National Reserve with an area of ​​more than 7 thousand hectares. No less fame than its unique geographical position, the Cape of Good Hope was brought by its peculiar flora and fauna.
Several thousand plant species grow on the territory of the Cape Peninsula alone, and at least 250 bird species are found. Feathered here are attracted by the seeds of many species of evergreen stiff-leaved shrub (common name "finbosh" in Afrikaans) growing in South Africa.
The most recognizable birds of the Cape of Good Hope are African penguins, and the scientific name of this bird is spectacled, or black-footed, penguin. Sometimes he is called "donkey" - for a characteristic cry. The penguin reaches 65-70 cm in height, its weight is from 3 to 5 kg. He has practically no enemies here, except for feral cats and seagulls. People have long been accustomed to these cute birds and resigned themselves to the need to drive them out from under cars with a stick, where penguins climb in search of shade. In addition, penguins are popular with tourists, and tourism brings tangible income to the budget of the Western Cape. When oil spills from giant supertankers that bend the cape, the penguins are covered in oil, and then people come to their aid: the soiled favorites of the public are washed with special means by volunteer detachments from all over Cape Town.
The colony of the bear baboon is no less famous: these primates, which are called chakma in Africa, settled here a million years ago. Baboons have perfectly adapted to life on the ocean coast, even switched from plant food to shellfish and shark eggs, washed ashore. Baboons collect and eat their prey at low tide.
Local ostrich farms are also more of a tourism business than an agricultural industry: they take decent money from tourists for an excursion, about $ 50.
Among surfers, the Cape of Good Hope is famous for its luxurious surf: amateurs from all over the world come here to ride on wide waves. Sometimes there are so many surfers that there is literally no “pushing through” around the cape.
The waters off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope are full not only of surfers, but also of whales that migrate from all over the Southern Hemisphere towards the Cape Coast to breed there. The whale season is from June to October, and then the entire coast of the southern - southwestern tip of Africa turns into a large platform for watching the dancing of the largest marine mammals.
Robben Island with a colony of fur seals can also be seen from the headland. The islet is small - only 4 km 2, but it is famous not only for cats, but also for its history. Since the 17th century. there was a military base, a hospital and a prison. It was here that the fighter for the rights of the black population and the future President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela (born in 1918), was imprisoned. In 1999, Robben Island with a colony of fur seals was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a museum was opened on it.

general information

Nearest major city: Cape Town, 3 497 097 people. (2007).

Languages: Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Swazi.

Ethnic composition (Cape Town): mulattos (so-called "brown people") - 48.1%, Africans - 31%, whites - 18.8%, Asians and others - 2.1% (2001).
Religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism.

Currency unit: South African rand

Airport: Cape Town International Airport.

Numbers

Climate and weather

Average temperature in July:+ 10 ° C.

Average January temperature:+ 27 ° C.

Average annual rainfall: 540 mm (mainly from May to August).

Relative humidity: 75-80%.

sights

Curious facts

■ Bartolomeu Dias - the discoverer of the Cape of Good Hope - later took part in the discovery of Brazil, but while sailing off the coast of Africa, his ship disappeared without a trace in the ocean, and the fate of the navigator remained unknown.
■ At the beginning of the XX century. the number of spectacled penguins at the Cape of Good Hope was more than a million individuals. In the past, the total population of this species has been steadily declining: 1956 - 145 thousand, 1972 - 70 thousand - due to the uncontrolled use of penguin eggs for food. As a result of protective measures, the current number of the African penguin has reached 185 thousand individuals. In order for African penguins to calmly breed, and to protect eggs from gulls, special clay oval houses are equipped for penguins in nesting places.

■ Finbosh is about 9000 species of evergreen stiff-leaved shrub, which is the general name for a local vegetation type (in Afrikaans). Of these, 6200 are endemic. There are about 2200 plant species on the Cape Peninsula - more than in Great Britain or Holland, where about one and a half thousand species grow. Although the finbosh occupies about 0.5% of the territory of Africa, it accounts for about 20% of the species diversity of the flora of the African continent.
■ There are currently about 400 bear baboons living at the Cape of Good Hope. This species of primate, despite increased protection, is endangered. The reason is in the narrowing of the habitat, genetic isolation and conflicts with people whose houses baboons visit in search of food.
■ Local legend tells that it is here, at the Cape of Good Hope, that one can most often see the Flying Dutchman - a mysterious ship whose captain sold his soul to the devil in 1680 for a chance to escape the storm. They say that this ship is destined to be seen by someone with whom misfortune will soon happen. The funicular, which takes you up to the lighthouse, is also called the Flying Dutchman.