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Pretoria is a city located in the central part of the Transvaal Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive (administrative) and official de facto capital; the others being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.

Contents 1 Geography and climate 2 History 3 Cultural and academic 4 Sport 5 Economy 6 Sister cities 7 Places of interest 7.1 Museums 7.2 Nature Reserves 7.3 Stadiums 8 Trivia 9 See also 10 External links

Geography and climate

Pretoria is situated in the transitional area between the Highveld and the Bushveld, approximately 50 km north of Johannesburg in the north-east of South Africa. It lies in a warm, well sheltered, fertile valley, surrounded by the hills of the Magaliesberg range, 1,370 m (4,495 ft) above sea level. The city's coordinates are approximate 25°43′S 28°17′E / 25.717°S 28.283°E / -25.717; 28.283. Snow is an extremely rare event, which occurs once or twice in a century, with the last recorded snowfall on 27 June 2007.

Climate Table

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Highest recorded temperature (°C)	36	36	35	33	29	25	26	31	34	36	36	35	36
Average daily maximum temperature (°C)	29	28	27	24	22	19	20	22	26	27	27	28	25
Average daily minimum temperature (°C)	18	17	16	12	8	5	5	8	12	14	16	17	12
Lowest recorded temperature (°C)	8	11	6	3	-1	-6	-4	-1	2	4	7	7	-6
Average monthly precipitation (mm)	136	75	82	51	13	7	3	6	22	71	98	110	674
Average number of rain days (>= 1 mm)	14	11	10	7	3	1	1	2	3	9	12	15	87
Source: South African Weather Service

History

Nguni-speaking settlers, who later became known as the Ndebele (derived from the Sotho word for 'refugees'), were probably the first people to recognise the suitability of the river valley which was to become the location of the future city of Pretoria for settlement.

During the difaqane in Natal, another band of refugees arrived in this area under the leadership of Mzilikazi. However, they were forced to abandon their villages in their flight from a regiment of Zulu raiders in 1832.

Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. The elder Pretorius had become a national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over the Zulus in the famous Battle of Blood River. Andries Pretorius also negotiated the Sand River Convention (1852), in which Britain acknowledged the independence of the Transvaal. It became the capital of the South African Republic (ZAR) on 1 May 1860.

The founding of Pretoria as the capital of the South African Republic can be seen as marking the end of the Boers' settlement movements of the Great Trek.

During the First Boer War, the city was besieged by Republican forces in December 1880 and March 1881. The peace treaty which ended the war was signed in Pretoria on 3 August 1881 at the Pretoria Convention.

The Second Boer War (1899 to 1902) resulted in the end of the South African Republic and start of British hegemony in South Africa. During the war, Winston Churchill was imprisoned in the Staats Model School in Pretoria but escaped to Mozambique. The city surrendered to British forces under Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts on 5 June 1900 and the conflict was ended in Pretoria with the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902.

The Boer Republics of the ZAR and the Orange Free State were united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to become the Union of South Africa. Pretoria then became the administrative capital of the whole of South Africa, with Cape Town the legislative capital. Between 1860 and 1994, the city was also the capital of the province of Transvaal, superseding Potchefstroom in that role.

On 14 October 1931, Pretoria achieved official city status. When South Africa became a republic in 1961, Pretoria remained its administrative capital.

Cultural and academic

Pretoria is one of South Africa's leading academic cities, and it is home to both the largest residential university in the country (the University of Pretoria), the Pretoria Technikon and the largest distance education university (the University of South Africa, more commonly known by its initials, UNISA). The South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is also located in this city.

Sport

One of the most popular sports in Pretoria is rugby union. Loftus Versfeld is home to the Blue Bulls who compete in the domestic Currie Cup, and the Bulls who compete in the international Super 14 competition (Winners of the Super 14 in 2007). Pretoria also hosted matches during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Economy

Pretoria is an important industrial centre, with heavy industries including iron and steel casting as well as automobile, railroad and machinery manufacture. In a study entitled An Inquiry into Cities and Their Role in Subnational Economic Growth in South Africa and published in 2002 by statisticians at Potchefstroom University, the city was found to contribute 8.55% of the country's total GDP, making it the third biggest contributor behind Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Sister cities

• Johannesburg, South Africa

Places of interest

• The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa
• Church Square
• Union Buildings
• Marabastad
• Menlyn Park

Museums

• Kruger House (Residence of the president of the ZAR, Paul Kruger).
• Melrose House (The Treaty of Vereeniging which ended the Anglo-Boer War was signed here in 1902)
• Voortrekker Monument
• Transvaal Museum
• African Window

Nature Reserves

• Groenkloof Nature Reserve
• Rietfontein Nature Reserve
• Moreletaspruit Nature Reserve
• Fairy Glen Nature Reserve
• Wonderboom Nature Reserve
• National Botanical Gardens

Stadiums

• Loftus Versfeld

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (June 2007)

• Pretoria's main street, Church Street is the longest urban street in South Africa and one of the longest straight streets in the world.
• Many of the city's streets are lined with Jacaranda trees that blossom mauve (purplish blue) in spring, giving rise to the city's nickname "Jacaranda City" (or "Jakarandastad" in Afrikaans).
• The Cullinan Diamond (the largest gem diamond ever found) was discovered in the town of Cullinan near Pretoria at the Premier Mine on January 26, 1905.
• Pax Praetoriana was named after Pretoria.
• The initial full designation of the city was Pretoria Philadelphia (‘Pretoria of brotherly love’).
• In E. Peterbus Unum, Peter names his new micro-state "Pretoria"

See also

• Central Business District of Pretoria.

External links

• Pretoria portal

25°43′S 28°17′E / 25.717°S 28.283°E / -25.717; 28.283

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