Gqeberha

Sister cities

• Jacksonville
• Palm Desert

History

Cave sites in the area, such as Albany, Wilton and Howieson's Poort, have given their names to various archaeological cultures. The Howieson's Poort site has been of particular interest to interpretations about the origins of fully modern human behaviour. Dating to 65,000 to 62,000years ago, it has yielded extremely old evidence for bow-and-arrow hunting and shell-bead jewellery. Earlier and Middle Stone Age lithic material has been found in the Sundays River Valley, while at the important site of Amanzi Springs, 40km north of Gqeberha near Addo, Earlier Stone Age artefacts are found in situ with well-preserved plant and faunal remains within spring sediments (Deacon, 1970). There is Later Stone Age archaeological material preserved in caves and rock shelters, such as Melkhoutboom Cave, in the Cape Fold Mountain Belt surrounding Gqeberha (see Deacon and Deacon, 1963; Deacon, 1976; Binneman, 1997) and large numbers of coastal shell middens have been reported at Humewood, St Georges Strand and the Coega River Mouth (Rudner, 1968). Most recently, Binneman and Webley (1997) reported thirteen shell middens and stone tool scatters about 500m east of the Coega River mouth in the archaeological assessment carried out for the development of maritime infrastructure for the Port of Ngqura. Importantly, some of this archaeological material was recorded in secondary context in the gravels from older river terraces along the banks of the Coega River. Hunters and gatherers ancestral to the San first settled the area around what is now called Algoa Bay at least 10,000 years ago. Around 2,000 years ago, they were gradually assimilated by agriculturalist populations ancestral to the Xhosa people. The first Europeans to visit the area sailed with the Portuguese explorers Bartholomeu…

Geography

{{climate chart |Gqeberha |18 |25 |36 |18 |25 |40 |17 |25 |54 |14 |23 |58 |12 |22 |59 |9 |20 |62 |9 |20 |47 |10 |20 |64 |11 |20 |62 |13 |21 |59 |15 |22 |49 |16 |24 |34 |float = right |clear = right |source = SAWS The climate is very even throughout the year with extreme heat or moderate cold rare. The city represents a large percentage of South Africa's biological diversity is a confluence point five of the seven South African biomes, namely the Thicket, Grassland, Nama-Karoo, Fynbos and Forest Biomes. A number of municipal nature reserves have been included in, and can be visited along the "Outward Bound Route" of the city. A mosaic of these 5 Biomes could be experienced in these reserves. The outward bound route is an eco-outdoor adventure and sports route incorporating walking and wildlife experiences. The aim of this route is to spread tourism to similar attractions along the route, leading to increased foot traffic and related benefits to these sites. As a British colonial town, it had a strongly British character, and the central area retains that to this day. The colonial City Hall is a national monument, as well as the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex Opera House, the oldest theatre in Africa. The main public library is an excellent example of Victorian Gothic architecture. Various memorials are situated throughout the city environs, and there are many tours available, like the Donkin Heritage Trail, to familiarise visitors with the local culture and history, including the apartheid era history. The city could be considered to be the country's leading centre of Art Deco style architecture due to its European heritage. Many buildings display the intricate stonework, wrought iron and stained glass of that era which are prominently visible in the Central…

Most-observed species

• Cape Weaver

  Ploceus capensis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,305
• Cape Wagtail

  Motacilla capensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,237
• Cape Sparrow

  Passer melanurus (Statius Muller, 1776) · Aves
  2,216
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,031
• Speckled Mousebird

  Colius striatus J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  2,028
• Hadada Ibis

  Bostrychia hagedash (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  2,001
• Speckled Pigeon

  Columba guinea Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,972
• Red-eyed Dove

  Streptopelia semitorquata (Rüppell, 1837) · Aves
  1,933