Intresting Facts About the Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a headland located on the Atlantic coast side of South Africa. It is a rocky, mountainous land form near the southwestern tip of the continent and is known for its spectacular scenery. It's also home to The Flying Dutchman, a legendary ghost ship that is doomed to sail the seas forever, which helps to make the Cape a popular travel destination.
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Geography
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Contrary to belief, The Cape of Good Hope is not Africa's southernmost tip.
History
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In 1652 Dutch merchant Jan van Riebeeck set up a Dutch East India Company resupply camp near the cape; the camp eventually became Cape Town.
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Features
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The Cape of Good Hope features a diverse habitat of mountains and beaches that is home to more than 250 bird species.
Fauna
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Chacma baboons thrive on the Cape Peninsula and have occupied the area for about 1 million years.
Fun Fact
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Rebecca Ridgeway was the first woman to kayak alone around the cape in 1992. In 1993, she wrote a book about her adventure titled "Something Amazing" (Hodder and Stoughton Publishing).
Flora
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The Cape of Good Hope is part of the smallest yet richest of the planet's six floral kingdoms, the Cape Floristic Kingdom, and has 1,100 indigenous plants, many of which grow only in this region.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Images: Wikimedia Commons
