Johannesburg

Johannesburg is the most populous city in South Africa and the second (or third) most populous city in Sub-Saharan Africa, behind Lagos (and probably behind Kinshasa). Local residents have nicknamed the city "Jo'burg", "Jozi", and "". Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng Province, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and the site of the South African Constitutional Court. It is one of the newest major cities in the world, and is one of the few major cities in the world not along a coast or near a large river.

Tourism

Johannesburg is not generally known as a tourist destination, but the city is a transit point for connecting flights to Cape Town, Durban, and the Kruger National Park. Consequently, most international visitors to South Africa pass through Johannesburg at least once, which has led to the development of more attractions for tourists. Recent additions have centred around history museums, such as the Apartheid Museum and the Hector Pieterson Museum. Gold Reef City, a large amusement park to the south of the Central Business District, is also a large draw for tourists in the city. The Johannesburg Zoo is also one of the largest in South Africa.

Related Topics:
Cape Town - Durban - Kruger National Park - History - Museums - Apartheid Museum - Hector Pieterson Museum - Gold Reef City - Amusement park - Johannesburg Zoo

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The city also has several art museums, such as the Johannesburg Art Gallery, which featured South African and European landscape and figurative paintings. The Museum Africa covers the history of the city of Johannesburg, as well as housing a large collection of rock art. The MarketTheatre complex attained notoriety in the 1970s and 1980s by staging anti-apartheid plays, and has now become a centre for modern South African playwriting.

Related Topics:
Art - Johannesburg Art Gallery - Museum Africa - Rock art - MarketTheatre - 1970s - 1980s

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There is also a large industry around visiting former townships, such as Soweto and Alexandria. Most visitors to Soweto go to see the Mandela Museum, which is located in the former home of Nelson Mandela.

Related Topics:
Townships - Soweto - Alexandria - Mandela Museum - Nelson Mandela

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The Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site is 25 kilometres to the northwest of the city. The Sterkfontein fossil site is famous for being the world's richest hominid site and produced the first adult Australopithecus africanus and the first near-complete skeleton of an early Australopithecine.

Related Topics:
UNESCO World Heritage Site - Sterkfontein - Fossil - Australopithecus africanus - Australopithecine

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