Neptune's Needle

City (1985 pop. 776,617), legislative (cap.) of the Republic of South Afr. and (cap.) of the Western Cape prov., a port on the Atlantic Ocean; sometimes referred to as South Africa’s Mother City. With one of the world’s largest drydocks, ship repairing is an important industry, and much of the former dock area is now a commercial and tourist waterfront area. Cape Town was founded in 1652 by Gov. Jan van Riebeeck as a supply station on the Du. East India Company’s sea route to the E. In 1795 the British occupied the city. It was returned to the Dutch in 1803 but recaptured in 1806 by the British, who established Cape of Good Hope Colony with Cape Town as capital. When the Union of South Afr. was formed in 1910, Cape Town became its legislative capital.

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Compiler

Peter Richards