| Paarl | |
| — Large Town — | |
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  Paarl
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country |  South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape Province |
| Region | Cape Winelands |
| European exploration | 1657 |
| European settlement | 1687 |
| Elevation [1] | 451 ft (137 m) |
| Population (2001) | |
| - Total | 108,000 |
Paarl (meaning "Pearl" in Dutch) is the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after Cape Town and Stellenbosch) and forms part of the Western Cape Province. The Drakenstein Mountains are part of the Cape Fold Belt and are in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. See also Western Cape wine The Cape Winelands is a region of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the Stellenbosch (ˈstɛlənbɒs is the second oldest European settlement in the Western Cape Province, South Africa after Cape Town, and is situated The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The 2001 census reports Paarl to have a population of approximately 108,000 which makes it the largest town in the Cape Winelands. See also Western Cape wine The Cape Winelands is a region of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is situated about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province and is renowned for its illustrious past and haunting scenic beauty. Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. Paarl is unusual in South Africa in that the name of the place is pronounced differently in English and Afrikaans: in English it is 'Paarl' (rhymes with marl) but in Afrikaans it is 'Pêrel' ('Pair-uhl'), although still spelt Paarl. An unusual feature of the name of the town is that Afrikaners customarily attach the definite article to it: people say (in Afrikaans), "I live in the Pearl" (in die Paarl), rather than "I live in Pearl". This idiosyncrasy has a parallel in Australia: "I live in the Alice", meaning I live in Alice Springs.
Paarl also hosted a match from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. The 2003 Cricket World Cup ( Official name: ICC Cricket World Cup 2003) was played in South Africa from February 9 to March 24.
The district is particularly well known for its Pearl Mountain or "Paarl Rock". This huge granite rock is formed by three rounded outcrops that make up Paarl Mountain and has been compared in majesty to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) in Australia. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. Uluru, also referred to as Ayers Rock, is a large Sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, Central Australia (However, they are not geologically similar. Paarl Rock consists of intrusive igneous rock, while Uluru is a sedimentary remnant).
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History
In 1657, while Abraham Gabemma was searching for additional meat resources for the new Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, he saw a giant granite rock glistening in the sun after a rainstorm and named it "de Diamondt en de Peerlberg” (Diamond and Pearl Mountain). The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک [2] Gabemma (often also spelled Gabbema) was the Fiscal (public treasurer) at the settlement on the shores of Table Bay. The "diamonds" soon disappeared from the name and it became known simply at Pearl Rock or Pearl Mountain.
Then, in 1687, just 35 years after the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape, land for farms was given to some Dutch settlers on the banks of the Berg River nearby. Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck ( 21 April, 1619 &ndash 18 January, 1677) was a Dutch colonial administrator The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Berg River (also called Great Berg River) is a river located just north of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The fertile soil and the Mediterranean-like climate of this region provided perfect conditions for farming. The settlers planted orchards, vegetable gardens and above all, vineyards,[3] which today produce some of the best red wines in the world. An orchard is an intentional planting of Trees or Shrubs maintained for Food production. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however A garden is a planned space usually outdoors set aside for the display cultivation and enjoyment of Plants and other forms of Nature. A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic
Tourist attractions
Like many towns in the Cape Winelands, Paarl is home to a prosperous community, with many well maintained and attractive Cape Dutch houses, beautiful gardens and streets lined with old oak trees. The term Cape Dutch was used to describe the inhabitants of the Western Cape of South Africa, descended primarily from Dutch and Flemish as well
Paarl boasts a unique cultural attraction: it was here that the foundations of the Afrikaans language were laid by the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners. Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in The Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners ( Afrikaans for "Society of Real Afrikaners" was formed on 14 August 1875 in the town of Paarl The "Afrikaanse Taalmonument" (monument to the Afrikaans language) on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the Language Museum and the Afrikaans Language Route through Dal Josaphat are memorials to this achievement. The Afrikaans Language Monument ( Afrikaans: Afrikaanse Taalmonument) is located on a hill overlooking Paarl, Western Cape Province, South
The former headquarters of the wine industry in South Africa is also situated here. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice : This was the famous "Co-operative Wine Growers' Association" (better known by its Afrikaans initials KWV). The KWV became a South African institution that has acquired an international reputation based on its unique achievements and its imprint of quality on the local wine industry. The Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Bpkt (usually abbreviated to KWV) was a Winemaking co-operative founded on 8 January 1918 Over the past decade, however, KWV became a completely profit-driven private company that has no administrative role anymore. (KWV's main wine production and maturation facilities are on its Paarl premises, while its brandy production takes place in Worcester and grape juice concentrate production in Upington in the Northern Cape). Brandy (from brandywine, derived from Dutch brandewijn — “burnt wine” is a spirit produced by distilling Wine Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Upington is a Town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa The Northern Cape is a large sparsely populated province of South Africa, created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up
The town and its surroundings attract many visitors with an array of activities and interests. There are magnificent Cape Dutch buildings (17-19th Century), scenic drives, hiking trails and the Paarl wine route, with its many wine tasting opportunities (including vintages from the famous Nederburg estate) and excellent restaurants. Wine tasting (often in wine circles simply tasting) is the sensory examination and evaluation of Wine.
The Paarl Rock itself is these days a popular Mecca for rock climbers. However, in the pioneering period of rock climbing in South Africa, the mountain was ignored or shunned because its steep faces were so smooth and unfissured that climbers could find no place to attach "runners" or anchor points for belays. Rock climbing is a Sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made rock walls with the goal of reaching the Belaying is also a Nautical term describing the act of making a line fast to a cleat, pin or other fixed object The first serious climbing routes up the rock were pioneered in 1969 by climbers from the University of Cape Town (notably J. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The University of Cape Town ( UCT) is a Public university located on the Rhodes Estate on the slopes of Devil's Peak, in Cape Town W. Marchant and J. Knight), who established a few routes on which the rope was run out for 100 m (330 ft) or more with no protection whatsoever. [4] This was in the days before bolting was possible and these achievements are still held in high regard today. Nowadays protection is afforded by bolts in the granite and there are on Paarl Rock a few dozen spectacular, beautiful and very hard routes that attract the best climbers of the current generation. (All of these climbs remain dangerous for the inexperienced. ) A guide book for these routes was published in mid-2006.
Districts
The town is basically divided in six different areas, namely:
Courtrai (in the southern part of town and including the wealthy suburbs), Northern Paarl, Paarl-East (this area has its own separate municipality under the jurisdiction of the main municipality, and also the towns poorest region), Central Paarl (generally known as upper-paarl and also containing wealthy suburbs), Denneburg (in the south east of the town), and Vrykyk (In the South).
Schools
The town boasts some of the best academic schools in the country including Paarl Boys' High School (est. Paarl Boys' High School known in Afrikaans as Hoër Jongenskool Paarl (also known as Boishaai, BHS or HJS) is one of the oldest 1868), Paarl Girls' High, Paarl Gimnasium High School (est. Paarl Gimnasium is a school in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa. 1858) and La Rochelle Girls' High School, in 2007 three of these four predominant high schools were placed in the Western Cape Province's top ten list (Paarl Gimnasium, being mainly sport orientated and not as academically established as the other schools, did not make the list).
External links
- Official Paarl Tourist information guide
- Cape Winelands Tourism your guide to Winelands accommodation, holiday and visitor information
References
- ^ Paarl, South Africa Forecast : Weather Underground
- ^ The concise illustrated South African Encyclopaedia. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. P. Schirmer, 1980. Central News Agency, Johannesburg. First edition, about 211pp
- ^ A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World, Vol XVI. John Pinkerton, 1814. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme.
- ^ Annual Bulletin. University of Cape Town Mountain and Ski Club (UCTMSC), 1970.
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