East London

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This article is about the city in South Africa. For the area of London, United Kingdom, see East London, England.

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.

1 History
2 Economy
3 Demographics
4 External links

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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.

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.

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.

In 1938 a live coelacanth, a fish belived to be extinct was discovered there by fishermen

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.

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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, pharmaceuticals and food processing.

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.

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.

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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.

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]