Northern Cape, province in northwestern South Africa, bounded on the north by Namibia and Botswana, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Western Cape, and on the east by Eastern Cape, Free State, and North-West Province. It is South Africa's largest province, with an area of 361,830 sq km (139,703 sq mi). Northern Cape was created in 1994 from a section of Cape Province, one of the four former South African provinces.

Most of Northern Cape is flat, rocky, and sparsely vegetated. The southern region is part of the Great Karoo, a vast, arid plateau (see Karoo). In the north, the Kalahari Desert extends into South Africa from Botswana. Along the Atlantic coast is Namaqualand, an area noted for its abundant minerals and for the profusion of wildflowers that bloom there in the spring. The Orange River and its major tributary, the Vaal River, converge in the province, and the Orange River then continues its course until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Near Upington on the Orange River is Augrabies Falls, one of Africa's tallest waterfalls. Rainfall in the province is normally limited to the summer months, from November to March, and amounts to only about 250 mm (about 10 in) annually. Average temperatures range from 17° to 32° C (62° to 90° F) in the summer and from 3° to 18° C (37° to 64° F) in the winter.

Although it ranks as South Africa's largest province in area, Northern Cape is the least densely populated. In 2005 its population was 902,300. People of mixed racial descent make up the majority of the population. The principal language of the province is Afrikaans; Setswana and Xhosa, two Bantu languages, are also widely spoken. The provincial capital and the province's only major city is Kimberley. Other towns include Upington, Victoria West, Kuruman, and De Aar. Important historical sites in Northern Cape include the Big Hole in Kimberley, a hole about 790 m (about 2,600 ft) deep that was the site of a major diamond dig in the 19th century; Kuruman, where Robert Moffat, father-in-law of the Scottish explorer David Livingstone, founded a mission station in 1824; and Griquatown, a city founded by the Griqua, a people of mixed Khoikhoi and European descent, and the site of a famous mission station. Kimberley is the site of the McGregor Museum (founded in 1907), which specializes in natural history, and the Duggan Cronin Gallery (1938). The province is also known for its nature reserves, such as Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which South Africa shares with Botswana.

Northern Cape's economy depends largely on agriculture and mining. The agricultural sector primarily centers around sheep farming and the production of wool and sheep pelts. Other products include wine, cotton, and fruit, which is grown along the Orange River valley. The principal minerals extracted are copper, iron ore, manganese, gypsum, asbestos, and gem stones, especially diamonds. Diamonds are mined around Kimberley, which is the headquarters of the diamond conglomerate De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited, and along the coast, especially around the mouth of the Orange River at the Atlantic Ocean. Two major airports serve the province at Kimberley and Upington.

Northern Cape'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. The number of seats allocated to political parties in the provincial assembly is determined by 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.