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Durban
eThekwini (Zulu) | |
|---|---|
City | |
      Clockwise from top: Durban beachfront (Golden Mile), uShaka Marine World, Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, and Durban City Hall | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Durban  Durban  Durban | |
| Coordinates: 29°53′S 31°03′E / 29.883°S 31.050°E | |
| Country |  South Africa |
| Province |  KwaZulu-Natal |
| Municipality | eThekwini |
| Established | 24 August 1824[1] |
| Named for | Benjamin D'Urban |
| Government | |
| • Type | Metropolitan municipality |
| • Mayor | Mxolisi Kaunda (ANC) |
| Area [2][3] | |
| • City | 225.91 km2 (87.22 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,556 km2 (987 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • City | 595,061 |
| • Rank | 17th in Africa 3rd in South Africa |
| • Density | 2,600/km2 (6,800/sq mi) |
| • Metro [3] | 4,239,901 |
| • Metro density | 1,700/km2 (4,300/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Durbanite[4] |
| Racial makeup (2011) [2] | |
| • Black African | 51.1% |
| • Coloured | 8.6% |
| • Indian/Asian | 24.0% |
| • White | 15.3% |
| • Other | 0.9% |
| First languages (2011) [2] | |
| • English | 49.8% |
| • Zulu | 33.1% |
| • Xhosa | 5.9% |
| • Afrikaans | 3.6% |
| • Other | 7.6% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 4001 |
| PO box | 4000 |
| Area code | 031 |
| GDP | US$ 83.9 billion[5] |
| GDP per capita | US$ 15,575[5] |
| Website | www |
Durban (/ˈdɜːrbən/ DUR-bən; Zulu: eThekwini, from itheku meaning "bay, lagoon")[a] is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean, Durban is South Africa's busiest port and was formerly named Port Natal. North of the harbour and city centre lies the mouth of the Umgeni River; the flat city centre rises to the hills of the Berea on the west; and to the south, running along the coast, is the Bluff. Durban is the seat of the larger eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which spans an area of 2,556 km2 (987 sq mi) and had a population of 4.2 million in 2022,[3] making the metropolitan population one of Africa's largest on the Indian Ocean. Within the city limits, Durban's population was 595,061 in 2011.[2] The city has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, wet summers and mild, dry winters.[6]
Archaeological evidence from the Drakensberg mountains suggests that the area had been inhabited by hunter-gatherers millennia ago. Later, the Nguni people occupied the region. During Christmas 1497, Vasco da Gama saw the coast and named it Natal, the Portuguese word for Christmas. In 1824, English traders from Cape Colony, led by Francis Farewell and Henry Fynn, established a trading post at Port Natal, and later that year, Shaka, the Zulu king, granted them land around the Bay. In 1835, the settlement was named after Sir Benjamin D'Urban, then governor of Cape Colony. From 1860 onwards, indentured labourers from British India arrived in Durban, as well as later passenger Indians. Natal colony, which had grown, became a province of the Union of South Africa in 1910, and the town of Durban became, in 1935, a city.[7]
Durban has a rich, diverse heritage, with large Zulu, Indian, White, and Coloured populations. Historically, it was a popular tourist destination domestically because of its beaches and warm climate,[8] but in recent years, tourism has declined.[9][10] Some notable places are the Golden Mile beachfront, Botanic Gardens, the Art Gallery and Natural Science Museum at City Hall, the Tudor-style Playhouse Theatre, uShaka Marine World, and the International Convention Centre. In addition to various architectural styles, ranging from Victorian to contemporary, Art Deco left its stamp on many of Durban's buildings.[11] As of 2018, the metro contributed 59.9% and 9.6% to the provincial and national gross domestic product, respectively, and the main sectors were finance, community services, manufacturing, trade, transport, and tourism.[12] Durban was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, for which the Moses Mabhida Stadium was built,[13] and is UNESCO's first City of Literature in Africa.[14]
- ^ Robson, Linda Gillian (2011). "Annexure A" (PDF). The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii. hdl:2263/26503.
- ^ a b c d e "Main Place Durban". Census 2011.
- ^ a b c "Census 2022: Provinces at a Glance" (PDF). Statistics South Africa. 2023. pp. 25, 61. ISBN 978-0-621-51559-6. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ McCracken, Donal P.; Eileen M. McCracken (1988). Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens. National Botanic Gardens. p. 72. ISBN 9780620116480.
- ^ a b "Global city GDP 2014". Brookings Institution. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ^ Roberts, Debra; O'Donoghue, Sean (2013). "Urban environmental challenges and climate change action in Durban, South Africa". Environment and Urbanization. 25 (2): 299–319. doi:10.1177/0956247813500904. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Durban Timeline 1497-1990". South African History Online. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ Maharaj, Brij; Pillay, Vino; and Sucheran, Reshma (2008). "Durban - A subtropical coastal paradise? Tourism dynamics in a post-apartheid city". Études caribéennes (9–10). doi:10.4000/etudescaribeennes.1192. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Sikhakhane, Naledi (4 January 2024). "Durban tourism still limping following lacklustre holiday season while KZN overall sees uptick". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Dludla, Siphelele (24 September 2023). "Durban can wave tourism goodbye if it doesn't get its act together fast". Independent Online. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Munro, Kathy (3 December 2019). "Art Deco Durban". The Heritage Portal. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "About EThekwini". EThekwini Municipality. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ Bason, Tom; Cook, David; and Anagnostopoulos, Christos (2015). "Legacy in major sport events: empirical insights from the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa". Choregia. 11 (1): 44–61. ISSN 1791-4027. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ David, Darryl; Meyer, Naomi (1 November 2017). "Durban first city on the African continent to become a Unesco World City of Literature". LitNet. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
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