Cape Town (afrikaans: Kaapstad / english: Cape Town / Xhosa: iKapa) is South Africas 2nd largest city after Johannesburg. In 2004 it has become the exclusive headquarter for the South African parliament (before that, in Cape Town parliament used to be in session only during winter). Cape Town is the capital of the Western Province (Wes-Kaap/Western Cape).
Cape Town is named after the Cape of Good Hope which is approximately 45 km further south. Due to its currents and rocks, it used to be one of the most dangerous areas sailors had to pass on their way to India. As it was the first city founded during the South African Colonial era, Cape Town is also called ‚Mother City‘ by the South African population (Afrikaans: Moederstad).

Cape Town is named after the Cape of Good Hope which is approximately 45 km further south. Due to its currents and rocks, it used to be one of the most dangerous areas sailors had to pass on their way to India. As it was the first city founded during the South African Colonial era, Cape Town is also called ‚Mother City‘ by the South African population (Afrikaans: Moederstad).Cape Town is situated in the southwest of the South African Republic, directly at the table bay of the Atlantic Ocean. The city owes its popularity to its famous landmark Table Mountain. Amongst Lion’s Head and Devil’s Peak, the mountain’s striking, leveled surface dominates Cape Town’s skyline and causes the city’s uniqueness. The ocean around the Peninsula is quite rough – that’s why the Cape of Good Hope got also known as the ‚Cape of Storms‘.Apart from tourism, the textile industry as well as the information technology (IT) are the mosdt important business sectors in Cape Town. Other main sources of the city’s income base on advertisement, transport as well as ex- and import. Agricultural products – to name fruits, wine and flowers – originated in the Western Province are exported directly from Cape Town, whereas natural resources such as iron ore are brought further north to Saldanha first before finding their way overseas. Approximately 3.5 mio residents live in Cape Town, estimated 50% of them in one of the 20 townships each.