Eastern Cape Province

The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bisho. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, as well as the eastern portion of the Cape Province. It is the traditional home of the Xhosa, and the birthplace of many prominent South Africans, such as Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.

Economy

The Eastern Cape remains one of the poorest provinces in South Africa. This is largely due to the extreme poverty found in the former homelands, where subsistence agriculture predominates. The two major industrial centres, Port Elizabeth and East London have well-developed economies, based on the automotive industry. General Motors and Volkswagen both have major assembly lines in the Port Elizabeth area, while East London is dominated by the large DaimlerChrysler plant. The largest construction project in Africa is currently underway at Coega, about 20 km north of Port Elizabeth, where a new harbour is being built. It is expected that this development will give the province a major economic boost.

Related Topics:
Port Elizabeth - East London - General Motors - Volkswagen - DaimlerChrysler

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There is a small exclave of Eastern Cape province completely surrounded by the neighbouring province of KwaZulu-Natal. Its main town is Umzimkulu.

Related Topics:
Exclave - KwaZulu-Natal - Umzimkulu

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