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Gauteng

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Gauteng is one of the nine provinces in South Africa.

Map of Gauteng with municipalities labelled
Map of Gauteng with municipalities labelled

It is the smallest province if you look at the land area. However, it is the most crowded place in the whole country. About 26% of all people in South Africa live here. This means more than 16 million people call Gauteng home.

Gauteng population density map
Gauteng population density map

It is a very busy place with many people living close together.

The name Gauteng comes from Sotho-Tswana words. It means "place of gold." This name fits because people found gold in the area in 1886. This discovery helped the province grow very quickly. Much of the land sits on the Highveld. The Highveld is a high grassland. The weather here is often cool because of the high altitude.

Farm Views
Farm Views

In the winter, the air is crisp and dry. You might even see frost on the ground.

Gauteng has a very interesting history. Long ago, people found very old fossils in the Sterkfontein caves. These fossils belong to early human relatives. The province also saw many important events during the struggle against apartheid. Many people fought for change in places like Soweto. The province was once called PWV. It officially became Gauteng in 1995.

Maropeng in June 2009
Maropeng in June 2009

There are many large cities in this province. Johannesburg is the largest city and a major hub for money. Pretoria is the administrative capital where the government works.

Old Arts Faculty Building, University of Pretoria
Old Arts Faculty Building, University of Pretoria

You can also find the large township of Soweto here. Other busy areas include Midrand, Ekurhuleni, and Sandton.

Sandton Gautrain Station
Sandton Gautrain Station

The province is very wealthy compared to other parts of South Africa. It is the center for much of the country's business.

Life in Gauteng is full of different activities. You can see big stadiums used for sports.

FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg

There are also large airports like O.R. Tambo International.

Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis
Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis

Many people speak different languages at home. Zulu is the most spoken language, but many others are used too. People live in many types of homes, from big cities to farms. It is a place where many different cultures meet and live together.

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🖼️ Images & Media (15)
File:Johannesburg City Hall.jpg
Johannesburg City Hall.jpg
File:Farm Views.jpg
Farm Views.jpg
File:Map of Gauteng with municipalities labelled.svg
Map of Gauteng with municipalities labelled.svg
File:Gauteng population density map.svg
Gauteng population density map.svg
File:Gauteng dominant language map.svg
Gauteng dominant language map.svg
File:Sandton Gautrain Station.JPG
Sandton Gautrain Station.JPG
File:Ekurhuleni_Aerotropolis.jpg
Ekurhuleni_Aerotropolis.jpg
File:Old Arts Faculty Building, University of Pretoria.jpg
Old Arts Faculty Building, University of...
File:The Wits University East Campus (archived) (square).jpg
The Wits University East Campus...
File:Maropeng in June 2009.jpg
Maropeng in June 2009.jpg
File:URC trophy on display at Loftus Versfeld.jpg
URC trophy on display at Loftus Versfeld.jpg
File:FNB Stadium, Johannesburg.jpg
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg.jpg

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