East London (Afrikaans: Oos-Londen, Xhosa: Imonti) is a city in southeast South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province at 32.97°S and 27.87°E.[1]. The city is situated on the Indian Ocean coast, between the Buffalo River, and the Nahoon River, and is the country's only river port. East London today has a population of 250,000, with over 700,000 in the metropolitan area. Afrikaans is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia. ... Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. ... The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. ... Bufallo River can refer to: The Buffalo River, a tributary of the White River in Arkansas in the United States, and the location of the Buffalo National River. ... The Nahoon river is situated in the City East London on the East Coast of South Afica. ...

History

A British fort, Fort Glamorgan, was built at the site of the city in 1847, and annexed to the Cape Colony that same year. Three villages grew around the fort, and were eventually combined to form the town of East London, which was elevated to city status in 1914. Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Map of European presence in 1652 The Cape Colony was a part of South Africa under British occupation during the 19th century. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

During the early to mid-1800 Frontier wars, East London served as a supply port to service the military headquarters at nearby King William’s Town. With later development of the port came the settlement of permanent residents, including German settlers, most of whom were bachelors. In 1857 the British Government took pity on them and a cargo of 157 Irish girls arrived to help lift morale. 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

The existing port, in the mouth of the Buffalo River, adjoining the Indian Ocean, has been operating since 1870. The advent of the railway on the east bank in 1876 added momentum to ongoing development of the area into today’s thriving city of East London.

The unusual double Decker Bridge over the Buffalo River was completed in 1935 and to this day, is the only bridge of its type in South Africa. Modern day attractions include the East London Museum housing the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish thought to be extinct and numerous memorial statues. The city is well-known as a surfing mecca, and its beaches are among the best in the country. 1935(MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Species Latimeria chalumnae Latimeria menadoensis Coelacanth (meaning hollow spine in Greek; IPA: ) is a species of fish and represents the oldest lineage of living fish known to date. ...

In 1959, the Prince George Circuit race circuit opened; it hosted three Formula One South African Grand Prix races in the 1960s. In 2000, East London became part of the municipality of Buffalo City, also consisting of King William's Town and Bisho. 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Prince George Circuit is a 2. ... The inaugural Formula One World Championship was won by Italian Giuseppe Farina in his Alfa Romeo in 1950, barely defeating his Argentine teammate Juan Manuel Fangio. ... The South African Grand Prix was an event on the Formula 1 calendar. ... The 1960s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Buffalo City is a municipality situated on the east coast of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, at the coordinates of (27. ... King Williams Town, a town of South Africa, in the Cape province and on the Buffalo River, 42 m. ... Bisho is a town in South Africa, and the capital of the Eastern Cape Province. ...

Economy

The city is the second largest industrial centre in the province. The motor industry is the dominant employer. A major DaimlerChrysler plant is located near the harbour, manufacturing Mercedes-Benz vehicles for the local market, as well as exporting to the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan. Other industries include clothing, textiles, pharaceuticals and food processing. DaimlerChrysler AG (FWB: DCX, NYSE: DCX) has its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany and is a prominent automobile and truck manufacturer and financial services provider (through DaimlerChrysler Financial Services). ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ...

From the 1960s until 1994, the apartheid government created tax and wage incentives to attract industries in the former black independent states, including nearby Ciskei. Investment thus flowed into surrounding areas such as Fort Jackson and Dimbaza, leaving East London in relative isolation. The militant union activity of the time was not conducive to productivity or good labour relations. Infrastructure deteriorated and port activity wound down. A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Ciskei Flag of Ciskei Ciskei was a Bantustan in the south east of South Africa. ...

To encourage investment in the city, the East London Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) has been established on the West Bank, close to both the port and airport. 1500ha of land has been made available, and the site is one of four duty-free development areas in South Africa.

East London has good transport links with the rest of South Africa. The N2 highway connecting Cape Town and Durban bypasses the city, while the N6 highway joins East London with the inland city of Bloemfontein. The East London Airport, 10km from the city centre, has daily flights to all major South African cities. East London Airport is located in East London. ...

Demographics

The main languages spoken are English, Xhosa and Afrikaans. The city is home to a large number of retirees, thanks to the mild climate and holiday atmosphere. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. ... Afrikaans is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia. ...

On 26 December 2004 a death attributed to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake's tsunami occurred at Gonubie, outside East London, 7,800 km (4,800 miles) away from the earthquake that caused the giant wave. The epicenter of the earthquake was below the sea, off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. [2] December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hits Thailand The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, known by the scientific community as the !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ... A mile is any of several units of distance, or, in physics terminology, of length. ... The epicenter is directly above the earthquakes focus. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest part of Indonesia. ...

External links

• Official website of Buffalo City
• Tourist Information for East London
• Official website of the East London Industrial Development Zone