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The Sotho word, Gauteng, meaning "Place of Gold", is the name of the Pretoria - Witwatersrand - Vaal Triangle, one of the largest industrial regions in the southern hemisphere. A more fitting label would be hard to find. Vibrant, exciting Johannesburg, the provincial capital of Gauteng offers visitors a large selection of recreational, cultural and historical attractions. Situated some 50 km north of Johannesburg, Pretoria is renowned for its colourful gardens, shrubs and trees, particularly beautiful in spring when jacarandas envelop the avenues in mauve.
In 1886, on a patch of windswept veld, an unemployed miner stumbled upon a stone bearing traces of gold. This seemingly insignificant event had colossal repercussions and led to the discovery of the world's richest natural treasure house. Speculators, prospectors, fortune-seekers and adventurers arrived in the area from the ends of the earth, and the pastoral landscape changed almost overnight.
Gold rush shantytowns sprang up and were rapidly transformed into modern concrete cities, Johannesburg became "The Gold Capital of the World", and the entire country was catapulted into an economic boom. The revenue generated from gold, most valuable of South Africa's exports, has enabled the country to develop its impressive industrial, commercial and financial strength. Today, in a great, still growing concrete sprawl, Gauteng comprises the commercial heart of South Africa. But much of the region has escaped industrial development. In dozens of quiet retreats and leisure resorts, city-dwellers find relaxation and a welcome respite from day-to-day routine. Johannesburg
The history of Johannesburg extends back to 1886 when George Harrison discovered gold on the farm Langlaagte. Gold Diggers and fortune hunters arrived in droves and soon a tent town had sprung up, which later became the city that is now South Africa's main commercial centre.
Gold was the catalyst which brought Johannesburg into being, and the city's identity will always be closely linked with gold. In the heart of the city, mine dumps are constant reminders of the city's origins. Appropriately enough, iGoli, the Nguni name for Johannesburg, is derived from the word "gold".
The city is high voltage nouveau rich territory; fast paced, fun, a modern cosmopolitan metropolis packed with vitality and verve. Apart from an exciting pleasure repertoire, superb hotels, restaurants and shopping centres pander to people with five-star tastes. In quiet, leafy suburbs, baronial mansions in manicured gardens lined with limousines testify to the fact that Johannesburg, at the top of the super-tax bracket, is a very affluent society.
In the central business district, fortunes are made by the astute on the Stock Exchange each day. Skyscrapers tower over chic boutiques, aromatic Indian bazaars, and African muti (medicine) shops where traditional healers dispense advice and herbal remedies. And jets from near and far soar overhead en route to Johannesburg International Airport; the major gateway to South Africa.
Pretoria
The city developed at a more sedate pace than Johannesburg, and the town planners had the foresight to include an abundance of open spaces. Pretoria has more than 100 parks, including bird sanctuaries and nature reserves.
Large numbers of Voortrekkers arrived in the region in the 1850s, and an air of history pervades much of central Pretoria, especially Church Square, around which the city has grown. The square was the site of the first church, the first markets and the first shops.
Progress has brought to Pretoria high-tech shopping centres, museums, art galleries and multi-culinary restaurants. The city has four universities and a number of scientific institutes, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute, both internationally renowned. Within easy reach, day walks provide a relaxing introduction to the region's natural habitats, many inhabited by indigenous animals and birds
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