DJ Trava

Many cities throughout the world were founded close to water.  Johannesburg was not.  It sits inland on top of a rocky mountain, Witwatersrand.  Johannesburg was founded and grew out of the days of the South African gold rush. The gold discovered here resulted in one of the quickest developments of a city in the history of the modern world.  Now it is a metropolis, a cultural mecca, filled with galleries, boutiques, markets, and luxury hotels.  Johannesburg,  just one hundred years ago, was a crude settlement of tents and equipment, and now skyscrapers stretch out in every direction.  This city is the financial and the technological center of the entire country of South Africa.  Johannesburg is the gem of the continent.

Soweto is a neighborhood just under twenty miles from the center of the city.  More than 5 million people call Soweto home.  This is the site of a former township that was set up during the times of Apartheid as a temporary site for those working in the gold mines.  In 1923, this area was deemed a ghetto by the Urban Areas Act.  Now Soweto is a culture of contrasts.  Shacks and shanties sit across the street from luxurious and extraordinary mansions.  The largest hospital for the public, in the world is located in Soweto.  Piles of trash sit next to green, lush fields and parks.  And although the high rate of unemployment affects the daily lives of many of the residents, the atmosphere is cheerful and friendly.

A program for government housing is in development, however there are many camps filled with squatters and homeless people.  The city has nice suburbs however, with plenty of public schools and cultural sites such as museums and libraries.  One such museum is the African Institute of Arts.  This was founded in 1984, and was the answer to the absence of art programs and educational opportunities at the time.  This is allowing people the chance to access an education and participation in the world of visual arts.  Public transportation is reliable and plentiful, through the trains, the buses and the taxi cabs.  Many locals take the taxis regularly as they are extremely affordable.  Soweto is one of the interesting locations in the country of South Africa, one that should be placed on the schedule of those visiting and touring the country.

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1. Johannesburg Theme Park
2. The Neighborhood of Bo-Kaap in Cape Town, South Africa
3. Healing Plants of South Africa
4. Historic Mauritius
5. Fugard Theatre in Cape Towns District Six