I am sure that everybody has a certain image in their head when they think about South Africa and Johannesburg in particular. No matter what your expectations are, I am sure that you will have a really pleasant experience visiting this city and that you will learn a lot of interesting things about South Africa’s history. Here are some fun facts that are nice to know before heading to Johannesburg.
- Johannesburg is the most popular city in South Africa and it represents the headquarters for a lot of important companies that sustain the economy of the country. The city is one of the 40th largest metropolitan areas in the world.
- It is an important center of gold and diamonds trade, the area it is renowned for the riches find inside the mines. This is why the area is one of the wealthiest provinces in the country.
- 40 percent of the total amount of gold it is found here, this is why a popular name of the city is Egoli that can be translated as Piece of Gold.
- The day last just as long as the night, the city receives 12 hours of sunlight daily.
- It appears that a the history of the human race is closely linked with the area of Johannesburg, 40% of the fossils of human ancestors were found around this area. If you are passionate about history and archeology you will be able to explore a lot of monuments and sites.
- There are 10 million trees in Johannesburg that were planted by people, this is why the city prides itself with the largest man-made forest in the world.
- Before the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the city needed to deal with the high criminality rate so it hired the former mayor of New York- Rudy Giuliani as a consultant. This happened because New York dealt with similar problems in the past.
- The city has the most highways in South Africa but this doesn’t make traffic any lighter, it is easy to get lost not easy to get somewhere.
- The city is built on 12 river systems that flow thought it. This offers beautiful landscapes and places to go for a walk.
Johannesburg is a city to be explored; with patience and with enthusiasm you will find places filled with beauty and history. The city offers an amazing contrast between the first and the third world and it is up to you what you choose.
