Pretoria
Pretoria (/prɪˈtɔːriə, pri-/ prih-TOR-ee-ə, pree-; Afrikaans: [prəˈtʊəria] ⓘ) is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
Pretoria
Tshwane | |
|---|---|
|
Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: Jacaranda City | |
| Motto: Præstantia Prævaleat Prætoria (May Pretoria Be Pre-eminent In Excellence) | |
Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria | |
| Coordinates: 25°44′46″S 28°11′17″E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Municipality | City of Tshwane |
| Established | 18 November 1855 |
| Founded by | Marthinus Wessel Pretorius |
| Named for | Andries Pretorius |
| Government | |
| • Type | Metropolitan municipality |
| • Mayor | Cilliers Brink (DA) |
| Area | |
| • Capital city (executive branch) | 687.54 km2 (265.46 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 6,297.83 km2 (2,431.61 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,339 m (4,393 ft) |
| Population (2023) | |
| • Capital city (executive branch) | 2,818,100 |
| • Density | 4,100/km2 (11,000/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,921,488 |
| • Metro density | 460/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • White | 52.45% |
| • Black African | 41.95% |
| • Coloured | 2.50% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.93% |
| • Other | 1.17% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 47.67% |
| • English | 16.38% |
| • Sepedi | 8.02% |
| • Tswana | 5.44% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 0002 |
| PO box | 0001 |
| Area code | 012 |
| HDI | 0.75 High (2012) |
| GDP | US$ 75.6 billion |
| GDP per capita | US$ 23,108 |
| Website | tshwane.gov.za |
| Zulu | iPitoli |
|---|---|
| Xhosa | ePitoli |
| Afrikaans | Pretoria |
| Sepedi | Pretoria |
| Swazi | Pitoli |
| Sesotho | Pritoriya |
| Setswana | Tshwane |
| Xitsonga | Pitori |
| Venda | Pretoria |
Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountains. It has a reputation as an academic city and center of research, being home to the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the University of Pretoria (UP), the University of South Africa (UNISA), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the Human Sciences Research Council. It also hosts the National Research Foundation and the South African Bureau of Standards. Pretoria was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Pretoria is the central part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality which was formed by the amalgamation of several former local authorities, including Bronkhorstspruit, Centurion, Cullinan, Hammanskraal and Soshanguve. Some have proposed changing the official name from Pretoria to Tshwane, which has caused some public controversy.
Pretoria is named after the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, and South Africans sometimes call it the "Jacaranda City", because of the thousands of jacaranda trees planted along its streets and in its parks and gardens.