Johannesburg: the economic hub of South Africa

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Johannesburg, located in the province of Gauteng, is the most populous city in South Africa with over four million inhabitants (but the metropolitan area reaches eight million). The city is located in the eastern highland of South Africa called Highveld in the center of the rich South African gold mining region. The city is located at a height of 1,753 meters above sea level along the hilly ridge of the Witwatersrand. Johannesburg is the main economic and financial center of the country, there are diamond, manufacturing and mining industries.

The city represents South Africa in its ethnic composition. In the urban area of Johannesburg the majority of the population is black (64.2%). The other important ethnic groups are the Coloured (13.9%), the whites (13.9%) and the Asians (6.7%). The most spoken language in the city is English which is native to 31.1% of the inhabitants. Other important languages are Zulu (19.6%) and Afrikaans (12.1%).

CITY BORN THANKS TO THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD

The city was built at the end of the nineteenth century due to the discovery of the rich gold deposits and developed in the following years thanks to the exploitation of mineral resources. Johannesburg is made up of a center made up of modern buildings and skyscrapers, where the city’s commercial and financial activities are concentrated, and numerous residential districts. The city is also surrounded by numerous poor suburbs the most famous of which is the Soweto neighborhood. In the city there are numerous parks and a beautiful botanical garden (Johannesburg Botanical Garden) with a spectacular rose garden which houses over 10,000 rose plants.

Johannesburg has numerous examples of modern architecture. The city is home to an important university and numerous interesting museums, including those dedicated to Natural History (Zoology Museum), the history of Africa (Museum Africa) and Apartheid (Apartheid Museum). In Soweto, the house where Nelson Mandela lived has become a small museum. Johannesburg is served by two international airports and a domestic airport. The most important airport in the city and the largest and busiest airport in Africa is the O.R. Tambo International Airport.

The climate of Johannesburg.