Introduction
One of the largest cities in South Africa, Pretoria is also the country's seat of government. The city is in Gauteng province in the northeastern part of the country. It spreads along both sides of the Apies River in the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range.
Places of interest
Pretoria is a well-planned city famous for its streets lined with jacaranda trees. Church Square, in the center of the city, is surrounded by government buildings, including the Palace of Justice and the Raadzaal, or Council Chamber. Statues of Paul Kruger and Louis Botha commemorate the region's historic Boer, or early Dutch, leaders. The city's museums include the home of Paul Kruger and the National Cultural History and Open Air Museum.
Pretoria has many parks, such as the terraced gardens of the Union Buildings, the sunken gardens of Venning Park, the National Zoological Gardens, and several nature reserves. The city also has Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals and is home to the University of Pretoria, the University of South Africa, and technical and teacher-training colleges. At Pretoria's edge are the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa's largest research group.
Economy
Pretoria is primarily a seat of government, and most people work in the service industry. It is also an important rail center, with an industrial economy based on the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor), which has been in operation since 1934. Other industries include engineering, food processing, cement manufacturing, and diamond mining.
History
Founded in 1855, Pretoria was named for Andries Pretorius, a leader of the Boers. Pretoria became the capital of the Transvaal (a former province of South Africa) in 1860, the administrative capital of South Africa in 1910, and a city in 1931. In 1899 the future British leader Winston Churchill was jailed in Pretoria during the Boer War until he escaped. The Peace of Vereeniging that ended the war was signed at Melrose House in Pretoria on May 31, 1902. Population (1991), city, 525,583; urban area, 1,080,187.
