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Pretoria

Capital of South AfricaAbout 56 km north-northeast of Johannesburg, Pretoria lies in a warm, sheltered valley surrounded by the hills of the Magaliesberg range. The Apies River runs through the city.

Why it's the capital

Pretoria became the capital of the South African Republic in 1860. When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the capital roles were shared out: Pretoria became the administrative capital, Cape Town the legislative capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital.

Fun facts

  1. Marthinus Pretorius founded the city in 1855 and named it after his father, Andries Pretorius.
  2. Its nickname is the Jacaranda City, because thousands of jacaranda trees, which come from South America, grow along its streets and in its parks.
  3. Nelson Mandela was sworn in as president in 1994 at the Union Buildings, designed by Sir Herbert Baker and completed in 1913.

Finding it on the globe

Find Johannesburg, far inland in the northeast of South Africa, and move just a short way north: Pretoria is its close neighbour.

Easy to mix up

South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria for the government, Cape Town for Parliament and Bloemfontein for the courts. Johannesburg, the largest city, is not a national capital.

Sources: Wikipedia: Pretoria, Wikipedia: Union Buildings, Wikipedia: Johannesburg