Gauteng

Gauteng, province in northeastern South Africa, bounded by Free State province on the south, Mpumalanga province on the east, Limpopo Province on the north, and North-West Province on the west. Created in 1994 from part of Transvaal, one of the four former South African provinces, Gauteng was named for the Sotho word meaning “place of gold.”

Most of the province lies in the High Veld, a plateau of grassy plains that covers much of central South Africa. The Witwatersrand, (which is Afrikaans for “ridge of white waters”) is a rocky ridge that extends for about 80 km (about 50 mi) down the middle of Gauteng and is famous for its rich gold deposits. Average temperatures in Gauteng range from 16° to 32° C (60° to 90° F) in the summer (October to April), and from 6° to 17° C (43° to 63° F) in the winter. Annual rainfall totals 510 mm (20 in), with most of the rain falling in the summer months.

Gauteng is the smallest but most densely populated province in South Africa, with an area of 17,010 sq km (6,568 sq mi) and a population9,018,000 (2005 estimate). Gauteng has the richest mix of ethnic groups and languages of any province in South Africa. The main black African groups are Zulu, Sotho, Pedi, and Tswana. Other groups include Afrikaners, Italians, Portuguese, and Greeks. Dominating Gauteng is its provincial capital and South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg, founded in 1886 after gold discoveries on the Witwatersrand. South Africa's stock exchange and the headquarters of many corporations are located there. Adjacent to Johannesburg is Soweto (South-Western Townships), a residential area that began as squatter camps for black laborers and was developed after World War II as an area designated for blacks, under the South African government's former policy of apartheid, or racial segregation. To the north of Johannesburg is Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital and the location of most foreign embassies. Other important cities include Benoni, Brakpan, Germiston, Heidelberg, Krugersdorp, Randburg, Springs, Vanderbijlpark, and Vereeniging.

Universities in Gauteng include two in Johannesburg and three in Pretoria. Johannesburg is the site of Rand Afrikaans University (founded in 1966) and the University of the Witwatersrand (1922). In Pretoria are the University of Pretoria (founded as Transvaal University College in 1908; became University of Pretoria in 1930), Vista University (1982), and the University of South Africa (1873). Vista University and the University of South Africa are correspondence schools. Important cultural and historical places include the home of Jan Smuts (prime minister of South Africa from 1919 to 1924) in the town of Irene; the Voortrekker Monument, a monument completed in 1949 outside Pretoria commemorating the migrations of Afrikaners north from the Cape of Good Hope during the Great Trek in the 1800s; the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where the president's executive offices are located; the Sterkfontein Caves, near Krugersdorp, where bone fragments of protohumans have been discovered; and the MuseumAfrica in Johannesburg, which displays exhibits on the history of South Africa.

Gauteng serves as South Africa's commercial, financial, and industrial hub. Most industry is concentrated in the center of the province in what is often called the PWV (Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging) triangle. In addition to gold mining, major industries include iron and steel production. Although Gauteng is South Africa's most urbanized province, it does have farming areas that produce maize (corn), vegetables, dairy products, meat, and fruit. Gauteng has two major airports, and an extensive network of roads and railways connects it to the rest of the country.

Gauteng's provincial government consists of a premier, an executive council of ten ministers, and a legislature. The provincial assembly and premier are elected for five-year terms, or until the next national election. Political parties are allocated seats in the assembly based on the percentage of votes each party receives in the province during the national elections. The assembly elects a premier, who then appoints the members of the executive council.