GAUTENG

Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994. It was initially named Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging (or PWV) and was renamed 'Gauteng' in December 1994.

Sesotho for "place of gold", Gauteng was built on the wealth of gold found deep underground - 40% of the world's reserves. The economy has since diversified, with more sophisticated sectors such as finance and manufacturing setting up shop, and gold mining is no longer the mainstay. The province is essentially one big city, with 97% of its population living in urban centres.

Johannesburg is by far the biggest city in South Africa - and Africa as a whole. Also known as Jo’burg or Jozi, it is often compared to Los Angeles, with its similar urban sprawl linked by huge highway interchanges.

Johannesburg is a single municipality that covers over 1 645 square kilometers. Sydney's central municipality, by comparison, covers 1 500 square kilometers. It's been calculated that if a resident of the southern-most area, Orange Farm, were to walk northwards to the inner city, the journey would take three days.

Mine-dumps and headgear remain symbols of Johannesburg's rich past, while modern architecture abuts fine examples of 19th-century engineering. Gleaming skyscrapers contrast with Indian bazaars and African medicine shops, and the busy streets throng with fruit sellers and street vendors. An exciting blend of ethnic and western art and cultural activities is reflected in theatres and open-air arenas throughout the city.

South of Johannesburg is Soweto, developed as a dormitory township for black people under the apartheid system. Much of the struggle against apartheid was fought in and from Soweto, which has a population of over two million people.

The urban area extends virtually uninterrupted east and west of Johannesburg through a number of towns: Roodepoort and Krugersdorp on the west and Germiston, Springs, Boksburg and Benoni on the east.

To the north is Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, whose southern suburbs are slowly merging with the Johannesburg sprawl. The city is dominated by government services and the foreign diplomatic corps. It's also known for its colourful gardens, shrubs and trees, particularly beautiful in spring when some 50 000 jacaranda trees envelop the avenues in mauve.

With a total area of 16 548 square kilometres, Gauteng is slightly smaller than the US state of New Jersey. While it's the country's smallest province, it has the second-largest population after KwaZulu-Natal, and by far the highest population density - 576 people per square kilometre. (The Northern Cape, by comparison, has an average of three people per square kilometre.)

The people of Gauteng have the highest per capita income level in the country. The province blends cultures, colours and first and third-world traditions in a spirited mix, flavoured by a number of foreign influences. The world's languages can be heard on the streets and in offices, from English to Mandarin, Swahili, French, German and more.

The province has the most important educational and health centres in the country. Pretoria boasts the largest residential university in South Africa, the University of Pretoria, and what is believed to be the largest correspondence university in the world, the University of South Africa, or Unisa.

More than 60% of South Africa's research and development takes place in Gauteng, which has 41% of the country's core biotechnology companies. It's also home to leading research institutions such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Agricultural Research Council and the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute.

Although the province is highly urbanised and industrialised, it contains wetlands of international importance, such as Blesbokspruit near Springs. And it's home to the Cradle of Humankind, one of South Africa's seven Unesco World Heritage sites. The region of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and environs has one of the world's richest concentrations of hominid fossils, evidence of human evolution over the last 3.5-million years.

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CLIMATE

Gauteng’s climate is mostly influenced by altitude. Even though the province is at a subtropical latitude, the climate is comparatively cooler, especially in Johannesburg, at 1,700 m above sea level (Pretoria is at 1,330m). Most precipitation occurs as brief afternoon thunderstorms; however, relative humidity never becomes uncomfortable. Winters are crisp and dry with frost occurring often in the southern areas. Snow is rare, but it has occurred on some occasions in the Johannesburg metropolitan area.

Johannesburg averages:

January maximum: 26°C (min: 15°C), June maximum: 16°C (min: 4°C), annual precipitation: 713 mm

Pretoria averages:

January maximum: 29°C (min: 18°C), June maximum: 19°C (min: 5°C), annual precipitation: 674 mm

SEASONS

Johannesburg:

Johannesburg has a delightfully mild climate, neither humid nor too hot. There are about six weeks of chill in mid-winter (from July to August) and summer offers warm sunshine followed by balmy nights (October to March). The seasons are flexible, one running into the next, and summer habitually spills over into spring and autumn. The nights can be chilly particularly in winter. Bring a jacket to wear in the evenings. The rainy season is in summer rather than winter. Rainstorms are often harsh accompanied by much thunder and lightning and occasional hail, but they are brief and followed by warm sunshine.

Pretoria:

Pretoria's climate is similar to that of Johannesburg, but it lies at a somewhat lower altitude than its neighbour and its air temperatures are, on average, about two degrees higher. This is a summer-rainfall region. Between November and February summer thunderstorms produce flashes of lightning and brief but torrential afternoon downpours. Summer days are hot, though rarely to the point of discomfort.

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