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Facts & History

DURBAN

Fast Facts

  • Population 3 million (2007)

  • Busiest port in Africa
  • Largest city in the KwaZulu-Natal Province
  • Located on a natural lagoon that forms its harbor
  • Home to a diverse range of cultures
  • Juma Masjid Mosque is the largest mosque in the Southern hemisphere
  • Boasts the largest Hare Krishna temple in Africa

History

  • The San people lived in the Ukahlamba/Drakensberg Mountains about four thousand years and documented their history in rock art
  • The Zulu nation migrated south from the Great Lakes region as part of the Nguni migration, and settled in the area now known as KwaZulu-Natal
  • On December 25, 1497, Vasco da Gama anchored in a natural lagoon which is the site of present-day Durban
  • Vasco da Gama named the lagoon “Rio de Natal” (Christmas River), but it was later changed to “Port Natal”
  • Port Natal became Durban in 1835, in honor of the Cape Governor, Sir Benjamin D’Urban

Activities and Points of Interest

  • uShaka Marine World – Africa’s largest marine-themed park, with one of the five largest aquariums in the world
  • The “Golden Mile” – a four-kilometer stretch of beaches, promenades, swimming pools and restaurants
  • Durban Botanical Gardens – founded in 1849; 50 acres of gardens on the slopes of Berea Hill
  • Mini Town – a “walkabout” model featuring some of Durban’s most interesting buildings and landmarks
  • Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park – various landforms such as coral reefs, costal dunes, lake systems, swamps, and reed and papyrus wetlands
  • Ukahlamba/Drakensberg National Park – the largest collection of rock paintings south of the Sahara

Durban Stadium

  • Capacity 70,000
  • Will host one of the semi-finals of the World Cup
  • Design was inspired by the South African flag
  • Has a cable car that ascends to a viewing platform at the top of the 350-metre arch spanning the stadium
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