Table of Contents
Fast Facts
Cape Town
national legislative capital, South Africa
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Also known as: De Kaap, Kaapstad
Recent News
May 30, 2023, 12:58 PM ET (AP)
Possible Putin trip in spotlight as Russia, China foreign ministers set for meeting in South Africa
The Russian and Chinese foreign ministers are expected to meet with their counterparts from the BRICS economic bloc in Cape Town on Thursday
May 11, 2023, 6:36 PM ET (AP)
US ambassador accuses South Africa of providing weapons, ammo to Russia
The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December
Cape Town, city and seaport, legislative capital of South Africa and capital of Western Cape province. The city lies at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula some 30 miles (50 kilometres), at its southernmost boundary, north of the Cape of Good Hope. Because it was the site of the first European settlement in South Africa, Cape Town is known as the country’s “mother city.” Cape Town has a beautiful setting: parts of the city and its suburbs wind about the steep slopes of Table Mountain (3,563 feet [1,086 metres] high) and neighbouring peaks and rim the shores of Table ...(100 of 3715 words)