Today, Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa as well as the capital of the Western Cape province. Since it was the first site of European settlement, Cape Town is known as South Africa’s “mother city”. The city traces its origin back to 1652 when the Dutch East India Company established a refreshment station for its ships on the shores of Table Bay.
Here, while the indigenous provided cattle and the company imported slaves, mixed-race unions took place leading to the development of a new ethnic group, the Cape Coloureds, and to the city’s multi-ethnic population. In 1781 the French established a garrison to help the Dutch defend the city against British encroachment, influencing local architecture and culture.
With the British succeeding in their occupation, freedom for the slaves and new parliamentary and judicial concepts came along. However, it was only with the formation of the Union of South Africa that the town councils of Cape Town and several others combined to form the City of Greater Cape Town. In the last decade, the arts sector in Cape Town has incredibly flourished, especially after the inauguration of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art, and the city has been a major hub for emerging artists of the region.
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