Cape of Good Hope

Article Summary by: MAHIDHARSINGH

Original Author: Mahidhar Singh

Summary rating: 5 stars (1 Ratings)
Visits : 91
words:600
Comments : 0

Cape of Good Hope is at southern tip of a narrow strip of land called Cape Peninsula, in the southernmost part

of Africa. This rugged peninsula with its mountainous backbone extends south from the city of Cape Town and separates Table Bay from False Bay. The Cape of Good Hope itself is a rocky promontory or headland which rises about 250 metres (800 feet) above the stormy seas below. It is usually thought of as the point furthest south in the continent of Africa, but in fact Cape Agulhas is about 160 kilometres (100 miles) further South and East of the Cape of Good Hope.
The Cape of Good Hope can be reached by road from Cape Town about 48 kilometres (30 miles) to the north. A drive along this road is one of the area’s most popular attractions. The narrow Cape Peninsula has a mild climate and spectacular scenery, as well as the excellent bathing facilities along False Bay, on the eastern side, where the water is warm. On its western side the water is cold.
The Cape of Good Hope was discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias, who named it the Cape of Storms. Dias was sent by John II of Portugal to sail around the continent of Africa to find an all-water route between Europe and the Orient was only partly by water and it was necessary to cross the lands of the Middle East. When Dias reported his discovery of the Cape to King John, the king changed its name to Cape of Good Hope because he felt that its discovery meant that the sea route to the East would soon be opened. In 1497-98, another Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama made the complete voyage from Portugal around Africa to India. This was the only all-water route from Europe to the orient until the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

Published: June 21, 2007

Relevant Links: