Port St. Johns
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| Port St. Johns | |
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 Port St. Johns
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Port St. Johns
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| Coordinates: 31°37′44″S 29°32′13″E / 31.6288°S 29.5369°ECoordinates: 31°37′44″S 29°32′13″E / 31.6288°S 29.5369°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Eastern Cape |
| District | O.R.Tambo |
| Municipality | Port St Johns |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 8.79 km2 (3.39 sq mi) |
| Population (2001)[1] | |
| • Total | 5,181 |
| • Density | 589/km2 (1,530/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2001)[1] | |
| • Black African | 93.3% |
| • Coloured | 3.8% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.3% |
| • White | 2.5% |
| First languages (2001)[1] | |
| • Xhosa | 92.3% |
| • English | 5.6% |
| • Afrikaans | 1.3% |
| • Other | 0.8% |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
Port St. Johns (Port Saint Johns) is a town situated at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is thought to have been named after a Portuguese ship (the São João),[2] which was actually wrecked at Port Edward.[3] Later seafarers mistakenly identified the mouth of the Umzimvubu River as the site of this wreck.[2] The town was established in the 1880s by the British, after negotiations with local Pondo chiefs for rights to the banks of the river and adjacent territories.[2] The river mouth was used as a port, however this activity was abandoned in the 1940s due to siltation, which caused the river to become too shallow for vessels.[2] The town is now mostly a tourist destination.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Port St. Johns". Census 2001. http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/23308.
- ^ a b c d e van der Merwe, E. and Costello, K. Port St. Johns, "Paradise in Pondoland" (2nd edition).
- ^ About.com African History: 8 June 1552 – Portuguese Ship São João Wrecked off the KwaZulu Coast: http://africanhistory.about.com/b/2008/06/08/8-june-1552-portuguese-ship-sao-joao-wrecked-off-the-kwazulu-coast.htm, retrieved 17 August 2011.
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