The Third most populous city in South Africa is Cape Town. The local government is the City of Cape Town it is governed by 210 city council members who report to the 28 member executive council. The mayor is Helen Zille of the Democratic Alliance and she was chosen by the city council.

Robben Island a penitentiary island, which is 10 kilometres out to sea. Nelson Mandela was held here for many years. On his release he made his first public speech from the balcony of Cape Towns City Hall on 11th February 1990. This speech was the beginning of a new era for the country and four years later the first democratic election were held.

The major problems in the city are HIV, Aids, tuberculosis and drug related crimes. There has been murders targeting Somail shopkeepers. The poorer suburbs often have the highest crime rate.

The city has several well known tourist attractions Table Mountain, Table Mountain National Park, City Bowl and Table Mountain Cableway.

Table Mountain is a prominent land mark overlooking Cape town it is a flat top mountain and forms part of Table Mountain National Park. At the top the cable station offers walking trails and a view point. Rock climbing on the mountain is popular.

Table Mountain National Park has two well know landmarks the Cape of Good Hope and Table Mountain. The park was previously known as the Cape Peninsula National Park and is managed by South African National Parks.

The City Bowl is a natural amphitheatre- shaped area bordered by Table Bay. Included in this area is the harbour Devils Peak, the central business district of Cape Town and the Company Gardens.

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is one of Cape Towns popular tourist attraction it is a cableway to the top of Table Mountain. From the top cable station you can see views over Cape Town, Robben Island and Table Bay.

The famous Boulders Beach is best know for its colony of African penguins that settled there in 1982.

Beautiful beaches lay between the mountains of the peninsula. Wind surfers and kite surfers go to the west coast beaches where the wind and surfing conditions are good. False Bay beach water is often warmer then the water located on the Atlantic Coast.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a working harbour and attracts the highest rate of tourists than any other attraction. It offers entertainment and a variety of shopping. The marina houses the luxury apartments and world class hotels.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - History of Cape Town

About the Author

Douglas Scott works and writes for Car Rentals The Car Hire Specialist. and is a free lance writer for The Villa Rental Site