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KwaZulu-Natal, often referred to as "KZN", is
one of nine
provinces in South Africa. It was formed after the
first free elections in 1994 from
the province of Natal and the territories
that made up the Bantustan of KwaZulu. It is the
traditional home of the
amaZulu.
KwaZulu-Natal is located on the eastern side of
South Africa and has an
area of
92,100 km².
The population is nearly 9.5 million,
representing approximately 20% of the South Africa's
population. The language spoken by most is isiZulu,
followed by English.
According to the 2000 national census, the
population is made up mainly of Black (85%),
followed by Indian (9%) and Whites (5%).
The major cities and towns
in the KwaZulu-Natal are Durban, Estcourt,
Ladysmith, Margate, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg,
Richards Bay and Vryheid. The capital, Pietermaritzburg, is in the southern-central part of
the province.
Durban is a rapidly growing city (second largest
in South Africa) and is the busiest port in Africa.
Sugar refining is the main industry, although sheep,
cattle, citrus fruits, corn, cotton, bananas, and
pineapples are also important products in the area.
Average temperatures in the province range from
17 to 28°C in the summer (October to April) and from 11 to
25°C in the cooler winter months (June to
September). Annual rainfall is about
690mm, spread throughout the year.
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Related pages
Durban,
Estcourt, Ladysmith, Margate,
Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg,
Richards Bay, Vryheid
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The climate of
the coastal areas is humid and subtropical, although
towards the border with Mozambique the climate
becomes almost pure tropical.
The province has three distinct
topographical
areas: the lowland region along the Indian Ocean
coast; the plains in the central section; with the Drakensberg in the
west and the Lebombo Mountains in the north.
The
Tugela River flows west to east across the centre of
the province.
The coastline is dotted with small towns
and tourist resorts. North of
Durban is
commonly known as the "North Coast"
and holiday resorts include Ballito, Umhlanga
and Salt Rock. South of
Durban is commonly
known as the "South Coast" and holiday
resorts include Margate, Port Shepstone, Scottburgh and Port Edward.
Fantastic
beaches of world-class quality are found along
virtually every part of South Africa's eastern
seaboard, with some of the least developed beeches
found in the far southern and northern parts of the
province.
The interior of the province consists largely of
rolling hills, stretching from the Valley of a Thousand Hills to
the Midlands. The Valley of a Thousand Hills lies
between Pietermaritzburg, and Durban where the Umgeni River meets the Msunduzi
River.
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