Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. The Most South-Western Point of The African Continent | 360° Aerial Panoramas, 360° Virtual Tours Around the World, Photos of the Most Interesting Places on the Earth Photogallery Total Views: 1 152 135 The discovery of Cape of Good Hope — a geographic location with one of the most romantic names in the world — is due to Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias. At the end of the 15th century Portugal was literally obsessed with discovering the seaway to India sending one expedition after another. In 1487 this task was entrusted to Dias. His voyage, as well as his predecessors', was filled with adventures, shooting incidents with local tribes, and threats of mutiny from his crew. Dias ended up sailing only around Africa thinking that if one continues to sail forward, he would arrive to India sooner or later. After coming to this logical conclusion he turned around, and on his way home in May of 1488 he landed at what he thought was the southernmost point of Africa. The debarkation was not easy — the storm almost wrecked their ship on the cliffs.

As a result, Dias named this place "Cape of Storms" and returned to Portugal with peace of mind. But the King Juan the Second thought that the name was too shortsighted: who would want to discover India through such obstacles? So he changed the name to the Cape of Good Hope envisioning that the sea route to India would be well travelled one day. The expedition, led by famous Vasco da Gama, became a success. By the way, he owes his fame to this voyage as it made him the first European who sailed to India. On July 8th, year 1497 the expedition made a grand exit out of the Port of Lisbon and by November of the same year sailed around the Cape of Storms, or to be precise, the Cape of Good Hope. Needless to say that the storms continuing for days and days made it very difficult and caused a damage beyond repair to one of the vessels... However, the heroic deeds of the explorers were not in vain, as now humanity possesses not only the sea route from Europe to India but also an outstanding tourist "attraction".

Who wouldn't want to boast about standing on the most southern point of the African continent gazing at the vastness of the ocean and knowing that the only closest land is Antarctica? Centuries later, with the development of cartography, it became clear that "the southernmost point in the continent of Africa" was not the Cape of Good Hope but the Cape Agulhas located 155 km southeast. However, by that time, tourists already made their way to the "imposter" discovered by Bartolomeu Dias so the government decided to simply change the plate to read "The Most South-Western Point of The African Continent" :) Even this change didn't go without a trick! After arriving to Cape of Good Hope by bus tourists first ride the cable cars, then take a long walk to a high, beautiful, long stretching outbound cape with a panoramic view of the mirror-like ocean, where they take classic photos in "Me and The Most South-Western Point of Africa" style. However this cape, named Cape Point, is not really the most southwestern one.

The real most southwestern point of the African continent is actually situated several kilometers away — it's an unremarkable place by the water, with a small parking lot nearby and an official plate that reads "The Most South-Western Point of The African Continent" (see photo below). This location is hardly known and is visited by less than 10% of all tourists that come to the Cape of Good Hope :) Visitor of our website has pointed that the official sign says wrong latitude (23 degrees instead of 33). Photo above with wrong sign was taken in 2003. We found photo in the web of this sign of 2006, there you can see that wrong coordinates have already been fixed. Cape of Good Hope | promontory, South Africa | Britannica.com Cape of Good Hope Alternative Title: Cape of Storms Similar Topics Cape Horn Cape of Good Hope, rocky promontory at the southern end of Cape Peninsula, Western Cape province, South Africa . It was first sighted by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 on his return voyage to Portugal after ascertaining the southern limits of the African continent.

One historical account says that Dias named it Cape of Storms and that John II of Portugal renamed it Cape of Good Hope (because its discovery was a good omen that India could be reached by sea from Europe); other sources attribute its present name to Dias himself. Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Western Cape province, South Africa. © PhotoSky 4t com/Shutterstock.com Explore the popular attractions of Cape Town, South Africa, and the surrounding area, including the … Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Known for the stormy weather and rough seas encountered there, the cape is situated at the convergence of the warm Mozambique-Agulhas current from the Indian Ocean and the cool Benguela current from Antarctic waters. Grass and low shrub vegetation is characteristic of the promontory, which is part of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (established 1939) that encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula. There is a lighthouse on Cape Point about 1.2 miles (2 km) east of the Cape of Good Hope. Learn More in these related articles: Bartolomeu Dias c.

1450 May 29, 1500 at sea, near Cape of Good Hope Portuguese navigator and explorer who led the first European expedition to round the Cape of Good Hope (1488), opening the sea route to Asia via the Atlantic and Indian oceans. He is usually considered to be the greatest of the Portuguese pioneers... in European exploration: The sea route east by south to Cathay ...navigate by their coasts and the seas of Guinea.” In the same year, another Portuguese navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, found encouraging evidence that this was so. In 1487 he rounded the Cape of Storms in such bad weather that he did not see it, but he satisfied himself that the coast was now trending northeastward; before turning back, he reached the Great Fish River, in what is now... More about Cape of Good Hope 1 Reference found in Britannica Articles Assorted Reference Cape of Good Hope - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky point on the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula. The Cape Peninsula sticks out from southwestern Africa into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Cape of Good Hope gave its name to a European colony that once covered nearly all of southern Africa. The Cape Colony lasted until 1910, when it became a part of South Africa. Cape of Good Hope - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The southernmost tip of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula is called the Cape of Good Hope. It is known for the stormy weather and rough seas encountered there. One of the southernmost points in Africa, it is among the most famous capes in maritime history. Its discovery by Europeans in the 15th century opened the first all-water route from Europe to Asia. Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered.

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(Photo: Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images ) Climate in the Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope is a peninsula just outside the city of Cape Town in South Africa. The Cape of Good Hope itself is a rocky promontory at the tip of the Cape peninsula and in the past marked the point where a ship traveling south from Europe turned east. Today, most of the Cape peninsula, including the Cape of Good Hope, is part of Table Mountain National Park. Name Origins The Cape of Good Hope's name dates from the days of exploration in the 15th century, when the European powers such as Spain and Portugal sent explorers into uncharted places in search of wealth. The first European to see the Cape was Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias, who was searching for the southern limits of the African continent. According to some historical accounts, Dias named the place the "Cape of Storms," but later changed it to "Cape of Good Hope" at the suggestion of King John II of Portugal. Other accounts suggest Dias came up with the name himself. History The Cape plays an important role in South African history as a stopping point for trading ships sailing between Europe and European colonies in the east.

Initially the Europeans bartered with the local Khoikhoi people for food and water but in 1652 the Dutch East India Company established a small provision station in the sheltered bay behind the Cape peninsula, forming the first European settlement in the region. Today the small station that provided refreshments to weary sailors has grown into the bustling city of Cape Town. Nature The Cape peninsula is one of eight protected areas in the region, jointly designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the richness of its plant life. Although the 553,000 hectares of the Cape Floral Region make up only 0.5 percent of the area of Africa, nearly 20 percent of the continent's plants are represented. Fynbos, meaning "fine bush" are the most common category of plant found here and many of the species are unique to the Cape peninsula. In Table Mountain National Park, you might see park rangers working to remove invading species like the rooikrans, wattle, pine and blue gum that threaten the survival of native plants. Wildlife The Cape peninsula is also rich in wildlife, particularly birds.

The shore of the peninsula is home to the cape gannet, the African black oystercatcher and four species of cormorant, but the most famous feathered residents are the colony of jackass penguins at Boulders Beach. Visit the 3,000-strong colony in False Bay to see the birds up close in one of only a small number of mainland colonies. Wheelchair friendly walkways guide you through their environment and if you visit between February and August when the penguins are breeding you might see some fluffy baby birds. References Intro (English) to the Resolutions of Cape of Good Hope / History of the Cape of Good Hope of the Council of Policy of Cape of Good Hope History of the Cape of Good Hope A Portuguese discovers the sea route from Europe to India In August 1486 the Portuguese navigator, Bartholomeu Dias, set sail from the Tagus River at Lisbon with his fleet of two small vessels and a cargo ship. The objective of his journey was to sail round the southern point of Africa in order find a seaway and a trade route to India . At Angra Pequena (now Lüderitzbucht , Namibia ) he erected a cross.

Then a tremendous storm forced his ships off course and he and his crew did not reach land until they entered the bay, which is known today as Mossel Bay . It was then that Dias realised that they had already passed the tip of Africa and had actually discovered the sea route to the East. The indigenous Khoi pastoralists fled when they saw the ships entering the bay. On the island of St. Croix near Algoa Bay he also erected a cross and probably kept on sailing until they reached the Fish River in the present Eastern Cape . There the small fleet had to turn back because of insufficient supplies on board. On his return voyage Dias, elated by the realisation of having discovered the sea route to India , changed the name Cabo Tormentoso ‘cape of storms’ to Cabo da boa Esperanza ‘cape of good hope’. Portugal continued the expansion of its Indian empire and Portuguese fleets to the East regularly passed the Cape . In 1498 Vasco da Gama named the above-mentioned bay where Dias landed Aguada de Sâo Bras ‘fountain-head of St. Blaize’.

On his voyage to India (1501-1502) Joâo de Nova and his fleet also visited the bay and in his turn he named it Golfo dos Vaqueiros ‘bay of herdsmen’. He also built a small chapel, the first Christian structure erected in South Africa . De Nova continued his journey and reached Rio de la Goa ‘river of the lake’, the place that was named in 1544 by Lourenço Marques after himself. In 1503 one of the three squadrons belonging to this fleet was under the command of Antonio de Saldanha who made a navigational error and eventually reached the bay now known as Table Bay . In March 1510 the Portuguese viceroy Francisco d’ Almeida who had just established Portuguese authority in the Indian Ocean, and a number of his high-ranking officers were killed in Table Bay during a skirmish with a group of Khoi. The inhospitable coastline of Southern Africa was the most important reason why the Portuguese rulers were not interested in occupying this country.

How the Cape of Good Hope Got its Name « Taj – Cape Town How the Cape of Good Hope Got its Name Posted by: Taj Cape Town | Posted in History | on: March 30, 2010 It has been many a year since the Cape of Good Hope was referred to by this olden-day moniker. Nowadays, locals, foreigners and seafarers alike refer to it simply as the Cape – but the story of how the region got its name is an interesting one nonetheless. Top station of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (image by Cape Town Media – the time it was discovered in 1488 by Bartolomeu Dias, the Cape was celebrated for its beauty and maritime importance. However, when the Portuguese explorer first came upon the region it was its perilous seas, rather than its scenery or nautical significance, that made the greatest impression upon him. Thus, he named it The Cape of Storms – or Cabo das Tormentas – for the dangerous waters and inclement weather that had put paid to many an exploration. However, although treacherous, the Cape of Storms also presented much hope and relief to the sailors who later arrived on its shores.

Not only did it mean that fresh water and supplies would soon be available, but it also provided a valuable channel to India and the East. Thus, it was later renamed Cape of Good Hope – Cabo da Boa Esperança. From then on, the term “Cape of Good Hope” was used to refer to the entire region, until it became the Cape Province in 1901. It’s also interesting to note that during the time of Jan van Riebeeck, Cape Town was known as The Tavern of the Seas, due to the fact that it provided vital supplies to sailors travelling around Africa. Cape of Good Hope history, with Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias Brief history of the Cape of Good Hope With the diversity of the South Africa's population in the back of one's mind, it is good to know that the first white people arrived in the country at the Cape of Good Hope, long after the black people did. That was in 1486 when Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias and his crew were the first Europeans to sail around the southern point of the continent of Africa. He named it: The Cape of Good Hope ("Cabo de Boa Esperanca").

Because it was hoped that it would clear the way to India, which would simplify trade with the East. Nine years were to pass before Vasco da Gama, another Portuguese seafarer, also attempted a voyage around the southern point of Africa on his way to India. Once again the seafarers met up with Khoi people and some of Vasco da Gama's crew were hurt in a skirmish with them. Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu dias and his crew rounding the Cape in stormy seas Cape of Good Hope history, with Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias The Khoi were prepared to trade with the seafarers but, because of communication problems and misunderstandings, there were many problems and disagreements between the two groups. On 25 December 1497, Da Gama reached the coast of Pondoland and called it "Natal", meaning "Christmas". Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama Cape of Good Hope history, with Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias Although the Portuguese were the first to travel around the Cape, they were not seriously interested in southern Africa.

They were wary of the indigenous population and the weather at the Cape was sometimes treacherous and dangerous. Some of the early Portuguese seafarers referred to the Cape as "The Cape of Storms" and preferred not to sail around it. Furthermore, as far as trade was concerned, South Africa offered very little, gold had not yet been discovered and, except for the presence of the Khoi people, the southern point of Africa seemed deserted and without promise. Painting of Vasco da Gama's ship Cape of Good Hope history, with Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias In June 1580, nearly a hundred years later, Sir Francis Drake sailed past the Cape. He was on a voyage around the world, commissioned by Elizabeth I of England. It was winter, the weather was calm and the landscape serene. The sight inspired Sir Francis Drake to utter the following words: "This Cape is a most stately thing and the fairest Cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth." More British expeditions followed and other European countries soon followed in their footsteps.

The Cape is not the most southern tip of Africa Cape of Good Hope history, with Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias In the first half of the 17th century, it was mainly the English and the Dutch who made use of the route around the Cape for trading purposes. Danish and French ships also made stopovers to replenish their water supplies and to stock up with fresh produce. Although the English, French and Dutch East India Companies all toyed with the idea of establishing a base at the Cape in the 17th century, it was the Dutch who finally took the plunge. History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History THE APARTHEID ERA The beginning,... The oldest evidence of Homo Sapiens itself such as footprints dating back 117,000 years and collections of bones dating back 80,000, was found in the region of present day Cape Town, especially in the mountains north of the city. The famous fossilized scull of one of the very first ancestors of humankind, believed to be 2,5 million years, old known today as Mrs. Ples.

History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History copyright © South African tourism Hard evidence of the first human communities that lived in South Africa and also in the Cape region is the rich legacy of rock and cave paintings that are to be found all over the country, some of it dating back as far as 27,000 years ago. We know them as the San (Bushmen) and the Khoikhoi (Hottentot) people. In small communities of around 20 people, the San people were hunter-gatherers, living a highly mobile nomadic life, dispersed over a vast area. The Khoikhoi people on the other hand were herders of cattle and sheep and therefore able to live in larger groups, leading a more stable and home based life. Battle Cave, ancient home of the San people in the Injusati valley, Drakensberg mountains History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History copyright © South African tourism The first known written record of the Cape Town area which includes the Peninsula, Table Bay and False Bay comes from the hand of Portuguese seafarer and discoverer.

Sailing southward, following the western coastline of Africa, he and his crew were the first Europeans to reach and explore the southern tip of the African continent in 1488, after enduring an extremely ferocious storm. It is believed that because of this terrible experience, he gave the tip of the Peninsula the name Cabo Tormentosa (Cape of Storms), as it is sometimes still called today. Later however, it was replaced by the name Cabo da Boa Esperance (Cape of Good Hope) , to implying the hope that the maritime route to the Far East was clear. Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias and his crew rounding the Cape in stormy seas History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History << Top of Page The arrival of the Europeans,... This hope was fulfilled 10 years later when another Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama completed Bartholomeu Dias' journey, sailing from Portugal and rounding the Cape of Storms on his way to India, proving that a sea route to the East was a feasible proposition.

Because the overland trade routes between Europe and Asia were often cut off by warfare, the new sea route soon became highly popular and eventually developed into one of the busiest arteries of world trade. The first European to actually set foot on land in Table Bay was Antonio de Saldanha in 1503, also a Portuguese seafarer. He gave Table Mountain its name, calling it "Taboa da caba" (table of the cape), which became Table Mountain. A replica of the ship in which in which Portuguese seafarer Bartolomeu Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa in 1488 History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History copyright © South African tourism Throughout the 16th century the Portuguese and later also the Spanish continued to dominate the trade route around the cape. They never showed any interest of establishing on-land settlements, because firstly they feared the local inhabitants the San end the Khoi as well as the reputation of the Cape of Storms. Secondly they were eager to travel to India, turn around and get back to Europe as fast as possible, in order to cash in their profits in the European harbors.

So for up to 160 years after its discovery, the Peninsula remained unaffected by the vast stream of goods and people that sailed around its shores. The Noord-Nieuwland in Table Bay, 1762 painting with Table Mountain in the background History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History In 1600 the English founded the English East India Company (EEIC) followed soon by the Dutch setting up the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602. Although both became powerful trading companies it was the VOC who eventually controlled the flow of trade and commerce rounding the Cape from Europe to the East and vice versa. The English did make some use of the Cape for re-provisioning their ships. But in the end it was the Dutch VOC that decided to establish a permanent halfway refreshment station for their ships on their way to the east and back. They appointed one of their commanders Jan van Riebeeck as governor of the new settlement. He arrived in Table bay on 6 April 1952.

Painting by Charles Bell depicting the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in the Cape History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History To fill the need for laborers the Dutch started in 1654 to bring in Asian exiles and slaves from their colonies Java and Madagascar. They are the foundation of the Cape Malay and Cape Colored communities in the cape as we know them today. In 1666 work began to replace the wooden fort that Van Riebeeck and his people had built. The new castle built largely with bricks brought in from Holland was completed in 1679. In that year Jan van Riebeeck was replaced by a new governor, Simon van der Stel. As amateur viticulturist van der Stel brought his own grape vines from Holland, which he used to grow his own grapes and make his own wine. He is seen as the founder of the wine industry in the cape. 1680 Sketch of the Castle of Good Hope History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History The year saw 1688 the arrival the French Huguenots. Persecuted in France by the Catholics, they had fled to Holland.

Looking for settlers to bolster the population of the colony in the Cape, the VOC offered them farmland and free passage. Bringing their extensive French wine production skills with them, they proved to be a great boost for the Cape's viticulture for many years to come. The famous Franschhoek valley, wine heartland of South Africa hemmed in by mountains History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History copyright © South-Africa-tours-and-travel.com << Top of Page The 1700s,... In 1780 war broke out between France and Great Britain. By that time the Cape settlement contained a population of around 6,000 Europeans and 7,000 slaves. The Netherlands choose sides with France in the war, which resulted in a detachment of French soldiers to be shipped to the Cape to safeguard the colony against the British. However, they left again in 1785. In 1795 Holland was invaded and conquered by the French under Napoleon and became the Dutch Batavian Republic under French control. This had serious consequences for the continuance of the cape settlement.

Especially because the VOC which had been in decline since 1780, ended up in a bankrupt financial wreck in that same year. The Prince of Orange who had taken refuge in Great Britain, had asked the British to send a military force to the Cape to protect it against the French. The British, keen to expand their colonial might, were eager to oblige. And so the Cape Colony became British. The Arrival of the French Generals Jarmin and Collineau at Sea Point House in April 1860 History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History Courtesy: Hilton T @ Flickr << Top of Page The 1800 and 1900s,... The war between France and England ended in 1802 and the Cape was given back to the Dutch. When the war flared up again three years later, The British returned to the Cape. With victory for the British, this war ended in 1814. By this time the British had no intention to return the Cape to the Dutch. They offered the virtually bankrupt Dutch government a large sum of money and other possessions.

The Dutch were not in a position to argue and they accepted on the condition that they could continue to use the Cape as a replenishment and repairs station for their ships. And so the Cape became a British colony. In 1829 a number of discriminatory bylaws were repealed and in 1834 slavery was abolished and all the slaves were liberated. In theory all races were now equal to the Europeans. Table bay around the year 1900 History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History Courtesy: Hilton T @ Flickr There was much resistance by the Dutch population, who later called themselves "Afrikaners", against the liberal winds of change. This led to one of the most important and significant episodes in the history of the Cape and also that of South Africa, "The Great Trek". The Great Trek migration started in 1836 and lasted until about 1845. Wanting to break away from British rule more than 10,000 Dutch families left the cape for the interior of the country in search of freedom and independence.

1840 saw another milestone in the history of cape Town, with the institution of the Cape Town municipality with a population at that time of just over 20,000. The discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West in the 1870s and gold at the Witwatersrand in the Transvaal in the 1870s led to unprecedented urban growth and consequently a flood of immigrants. Greenmarket Square in 1889 History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History Courtesy: Hilton T @ Flickr Realizing that there was great riches for the taking beyond the borders of the Cape, the British started focusing their attention towards the interior. Inevitably this led to conflicts with the "Voortrekkers" or "Boers" as the newly established Dutch Community in the interior regions were calling themselves. What followed was a further momentous event in South African history, the two Anglo-Boer wars. The first one from 16 December 1980 to 23 March 1881 was won by the Boers with the British, not prepared for this war, eager to sign a peace treaty.

The second one from 11 October 1899 to 31 may 1902 ended in clear victory for the British. Adderley Street, Cape Town in the early 1900s History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History Courtesy: Hilton T @ Flickr With the British having gained control over the whole of South Africa with Johannesburg and Kimberley as the country's industrial and economic powerhouses, the status and position of Cape Town and the Cape Colony changed. With the unification of the Colony of Natal, the Orange Free state and Transvaal republics and the Cape Colony into the Union of South Africa 1910, the Cape Colony became in fact a province within the Union. Cape Town became the capital of the province and legislative capital of the Union and later on also legislative capital of the republic of South Africa. In 1872 The Cape received self-government rights and all residents regardless of race could vote on the condition that they were property-owners. Corner Strand and Burg Streets 1862, watercolor by T.W.

Bowler History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History Courtesy: Hilton T @ Flickr << Top of Page 1910 to 1948,... The early 1900s saw Cape Town growing fast into a modern city with a highly diverse population including a variety of Coloured, African and English and Afrikaans speaking people. It was also a period within which old racial prejudices came alive again and together with new laws and regulations caused increasing discrimination and separation between races. "Afrikaner" nationalism grew stronger and stronger and by 1948 the National Party won the national elections under the rallying cry of "Die swart gevaar" (the black danger), on a podium of racial segregation as official government policy. The torrent of racial legislation that followed, categorizing and controlling the South African people by race group, marked the start of the infamous apartheid years which lasted until 1994.

Victoria road near Clifton with the Twelve Apostles in the background History of Cape Town South Africa, Cape of Good Hope History Courtesy: Hilton T @ Flickr After the Apartheid era , tourists and visitors started to return Cape Town, inciting unparalleled development of the city, turning it into one of the top 5 tourist destinations in the world. What was the significance of sailing around The Cape of Good Hope? - Quora Quora Answer Wiki 5 Answers Quora User, Some say I'm a sailor, I just got used to pulling a rope when yelled at. Wikipedia: Cape of Good Hope Rounding “The Cape of Good Hope” as well as “Cape Horn” are both famous and notorious in Sailing lore. Successful completion of such, even in modern times, is a milestone event. It was done and you lived to tell the tale. It would be a good place to mention the original “European” name of The Cape Good Hope was Cabo das Tormentas ("Cape of Storms"). There are many celebrated seafaring events. In “English tradition” crossing the equator, Antarctic circle, Arctic circle, rounding Cape horn, and rounding the Cape of Good Hope some may argue are the celebrated top 5.

It is debated, usually over rum. When crossing the circles, someone has to tell you it is happening. Often an excuse for a social gathering with a cheer or ritual when the line is crossed. There is no need for notification if one is rounding the Cape of Good Hope, you are painfully aware of your proximity to it. Generally rounding a Cape (geography) , may not be a special event. When rounding a Cape, traditionally, it’s good practice to be within visual range and confirm it’s sighting and position in relation to your own. Namely, is this the landmark you are rounding and mark a fixed set heading point (SHP) before sailing a line without land reference. A cape maybe the last land visual reference available for some time. A navigational double check if you will. Since this is an outcrop into the ocean, rocks occasionally are a concern. Visual confirmation limits the distance to only a few km or less depending on weather. However, there are many capes that separate different bodies of water. These differing bodies of water may have a particular sea state, winds, and currents attached to them. The mixing zone around these capes can make for unpredictable and treacherous seas. Then add rocks.

Both the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn are the extreme example of such and have a legendary aspect to their rounding. ________________________ Of note, I have never, or ever plan to, round Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope. I have heard a few stories from people who have. I do have a fun first hand experience of rounding Cape Race. I’ll save that for another day. Written May 16, 2016 My only information comes from online and following the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), but in addition to the other answers, I’ll note that Cape Town obviously became a prominent port on the maritime trading routes for very good reason. One brief description says, “[The Cape of Good Hope is significant] not least because of the stunning view of Table Mountain and the long tradition that Cape Town has with sailing.

But even more important is that the Cape of Good Hope is the [generally accepted] dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.” A bit more description of some of the challenges of rounding the Cape of Good Hope from a VOR article: “From the South African port, a truly historic stopover for the Volvo Ocean Race, the navigators will need to make their way through strong southeasterlies, and try not to spend too much time suffering the effects of the Agulhas current. It is worth noting that light airs off the Cape of Good Hope can also force the crews to stay in close to the coast. Once in the Indian Ocean, a large zone of calms will probably have to be dealt with, and the goal will then be to get to the SE trades first” (they headed North to Abu Dhabi in Leg 2 of that edition of the VOR). Sources: Cape of Good Hope Cape of Good Hope Cape of Good Hope $ 12.95 Cape of Good Hope is an uplifting collection of Jim’s original piano-featured instrumentals with engaging melodies and heartwarming, lush arrangements.

This “sister CD” to Northern Seascape also features the Irish flute player from the Titanic Soundtrack and Elton John’s guitar player, as well as sax-legend David Sanborn, Dan Fogelberg, Stephen Bishop and many others. Burt Bacharach says the album “makes a classy artistic statement. Good melodies and attractive arrangements. …very genuine.” In February 2002, Cape of Good Hope became the 8th best-selling CD in its genre on the Billboard Charts. Add to cart Bartholomeu Dias | South African History Online South African History Online Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on People category: Portuguese navigator discovered the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 and maritime explorer First name: 24 May 1500 Lives of Courage Bartholomeu Dias, also called Bartholomew Diaz, was a Portuguese navigator whose discovery in 1488 of the Cape of Good Hope showed Europeans there was a feasible route to India around the storm-driven southern tip of Africa. He also discovered for Europe the south-east trade winds and the westerlies to the west and south of South Africa, thus establishing the wind system for those who sailed after him.

King João II of Portugal financed Dias’s expedition. Dias took part in Cabral's expedition that discovered Brazil, but Dias’s ship sank during a storm. It is very unlikely that Dias was, in fact, the first mariner to round the Cape. The great merchant traders of antiquity Â¾ the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Arabs, Chinese and Indians ”” all made journeys down the west and east African coasts, and one expedition went right around the continent. Nevertheless, the voyage of Dias was fraught with consequences, for at the time the search for a passage to the Indies was a move in the great struggle between the Moslem world and Christendom. The epoch-making voyage of Dias not only opened up the sea route to the Indies; it paved the way for contact between Europe, Africa, and the East, greatly extending the Portuguese sphere of influence. Early information about Dias's voyage is limited because all the actual records of his voyage perished when the castle of São Jorge, in which they were housed, burnt down after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755.

However, historians have reconstructed story from chronicles written in the sixteenth century, from near-contemporary maps, and from the stone pillars or padroes which the explorers raised on headlands along the African coast during their voyages, and from old rutters (sailing instructions). The route-book of Duarte Pacheco Pereira has been particularly useful. Pereira wrote the Esmeraldo de Sito Orbis, in which he records his own adventures on the Guinea coast. He wrote from direct experience because Dias rescued him in 1488 on his return voyage after the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope. Dias's squadron of three ships departed from the River Tagus below Lisbon in August 1487. The name of the flagship has not survived, but we do know that Dias’s pilot was Pero de Alenquer. The second caravel was the São Pantaleao, commanded by João Infante and piloted by Alvaro Martins. Diogo Dias, Bartolomeu’s brother, commanded the storeship, a square-rigger. Her pilot was João de Santiago, who had previously accompanied Diogo Cão up the Congo River.

(See Cão, D.) They also carried with them six African hostages who had been taken to Portugal earlier, some by Diogo Cão. They were to be landed at various places on the coast to praise the greatness of the Portuguese and to explain to local chiefs that the Portuguese king wished to establish friendly relations and make contact with Prester John, the legendary Christian king of Ethiopia. The Portuguese king wished them to know that they were seeking a way to India in order to trade. To replenish provisions before voyaging beyond the Congo, the squadron called at São Jorge de Mina, the Portuguese fortress on the Gold Coast. They touched on the barren Namibian coast in December, and on the coast of Angola, they transferred provisions and supplies from the storeship and left it at anchor with a caretaker crew of nine men. Beyond Cape Cross, they sailed close to the coast. It is thought that they reached Golfo da Conceicão (Walvis Bay) on 8 December, where it is likely that they anchored. Sailing southward along the Namaqualand coast, they named the Gulf of St Thomas (Spencer Bay) and the Angra das Voltas (Luderitz).

Continuing along an inhospitable coast, they sailed into Golfo de Santo Estevão (Elizabeth Bay). On 6 January, Dias named a range of mountains Serra dos Reis (the northern Cedarberg). Beyond this point, tradition has it that they encountered adverse winds. Beating on for some days without sighting land, they unwittingly rounded the Cape of Good Hope in late January 1488. While coasting along the southern shores, they came to the Gourits estuary where they saw Khoikhoi tending their wide-horned cattle. They named this river, Rio dos Vacqueiros (River of the Cowherds). Much worn by wind and weather, in early February 1488 they pressed on eastwards along the coast and, realizing they must have rounded the continent of Africa, they anchored in a broad bay to replenish their water casks. They named this bay Golfo de São Bras (Mossel Bay). Here, the local inhabitants accepted their trinkets and the sailors were able to buy by barter cattle and sheep. But the Khoikhoi later grew distrustful of the interlopers and attacked them.

Snatching up a crossbow, Dias shot one of them dead causing the people to flee in terror. The sailors immediately withdrew to their ships, and the expedition sailed on eastward as far as Bahia da Roca (Algoa Bay) where they anchored in the lee of the largest of three rocky islets crowded with sea birds and sea-lions. On the summit, they raised a wooden cross and celebrated mass. They named the islet ilhéu da Cruz. A few days after leaving Algoa Bay, they came to a river mouth, which Dias called Rio de Infante after João Infante, the captain of the second ship. Here, his men compelled him to return them to Portugal because they were exhausted and frightened and their provisions were running out. Historians first assumed his turning point to be the mouth of the Great Fish, but it is now thought to have been the Keiskamma River at Hamburg, 50 km south-west of East London. On 12 March 1488, a little west of Bushman's River mouth, they dropped anchor at a headland, formerly called False Islet, now known as Kwaaihoek.

Here, Dias erected his farthest stone pillar, the padrão de São Gregorio and then resumed his homeward journey. Eric Axelson excavated fragments of this padrão in 1938. Again, Dias's caravels sailed into Algoa Bay. They anchored at Struisbaai Bay on 23 April, naming it Aguada de San Jorgy. They probably stayed here for some time renewing their supplies of fresh food. They saw Cape Agulhas on 16 May, but were unaware that this unimpressive point was the southern extremity of Africa, as all later maps indicate the Cape of Good Hope as being the tip of the continent. The caravels then sailed into Walker Bay, beyond which lies modern Hermanus. Sailing on past a backdrop of mountain ranges, they rounded Cape Hangklip, and entering False Bay, naming it Golfo dentro das Serras (the bay between the mountains). Dias sailed for some days in False Bay and it is very likely that he saw Table Mountain from here, as the side of the mountain is clearly seen fro this position. On 6 June, Dias erected a second padrão somewhere on the Cape Peninsula.

Legend has it, Dias called Cabo Tormentosa ””Cape of Storms ””, and the Portuguese king supposedly renamed it Cabo da Boa Esperanca. Professor Axelson scotches this with reference to Pacheco Pereira's statement: It was not without good reason that this promontory received the name Cabo da Boa Esperanca because Bartolomeu Dias, who discovered it at the command of the late King João in the year 1488, saw that the coast here turned northwards and north-eastwards towards Ethiopia-under-Egypt and on to the gulf of Arabia, which gave indication and expectation of the discovery of India, and for this reason gave it the name of Cabo da Boa Esperanca. Moreover, a note in a book of Christopher Columbus records that Dias gave an account to King João of how he navigated `to the promontory called by him Cabo da Boa Esperanca'. (Axelson, 1972: 149). Dias's chroniclers record that a padrão dedicated to São Filipe was placed on a prominence of the Cape of Good Hope on 6 June 1488 (Saint Philip's Day).

But no trace of it has ever been found. From the Cape of Good Hope, Dias sailed northward. On St Christopher's Day, 34 July, he rejoined the storeship they had left behind at Luderitz Bay. Of the nine men who had remained, six had been killed in attacks by Khoikhoi hostile to their presence, and the three survivors were so weak that the purser, Fernão Colaco, apparently died with joy at the sight of the returning ships. After setting fire to the store-ship, Dias erected his last padrão to the west of the bay that he called Golfo de São Cristovão. By the 1820s, the limestone pillar had been overthrown. Professor Axelson identified the original site on the foghorn knoll in 1953 and he recovered many fragments of the padrão at the foot of the hill and in the adjacent channel and shallows. Dias probably put in at the mouth of the Congo. He certainly anchored at Principe Island in the Gulf of Guinea, where he rescued Pacheco Pereira and the survivors of an expedition, which had been sent to explore the waterways entering the Bight of Biafra.

These explorers had fallen ill with fever and had lost their vessel after a fruitless search for a navigable route to the land of Prester John. Dias dropped anchor at the river Tagus in December 1488 after a voyage of sixteen months and seventeen days, and having discovered 350 leagues of coastline unknown to Europeans. According to Christopher Columbus, who said he was present at the time, Dias sketched and wrote in a chart for the king, league by league, the voyage he had just completed. This chart has since vanished. In the same decade that Dias had reached the Cape of Good Hope, Christopher Columbus had sailed across the Atlantic, also looking for a sea route to the Indies. To settle conflicts between Spain and Portugal arising out of Columbus's first voyage, Pope Alexander VI drew up the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 to demarcate the boundaries of the spheres of influence of the Spanish and Portuguese kings. Nine years were to elapse before the next Portuguese fleet under Vasco da Gama sailed around Africa in search of India. During that time, João II died (1495) and was succeeded by his cousin and brother-in-law, Manuel, who took a keen interest in exploration.

Dias accompanied Da Gama's fleet as far as the Cape Verde islands where he left it to command the fort at Mina. Dias gained experience in trading at Mina and brought back with him a cargo of gold and slaves, which were sold to provide finances for further expeditions. When Da Gama returned to Portugal in 1499 with news about the extent of Muslim gold trading on the east African coast, King Manuel became determined to send a strong armada to take advantage of these discoveries. The fleet, under the command of Admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral, included a squadron of four caravels under Dias, who had been selected to found a fortress-factory at the gold-exporting port of Sofala on the east coast. On 9 March 1500, the armada set out on the Atlantic and turned south-westward to take advantage of the south-east trade winds. Cabral may well have been secretly instructed to explore the western area allotted to Portugal under the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494. Sailing westward, the fleet came upon the bulge of South America. Dias thus became an active participant in the first discovery of Brazil.

In order to test the mood of the local inhabitants Dias was ordered to land a longboat at an anchorage they named Porto Seguro (the present Baia Cabralia). As the natives proved friendly and attractive, the Portuguese went ashore and danced and made merry with them, visited their village, and afterwards celebrated mass on the beach. Cabral and his fleet sailed from Brazil on 2 May 1500. On 24 May, while re-crossing the South Atlantic, a cyclone suddenly overwhelmed the fleet. Four ships were swallowed up, including the caravel of Bartolomeu Dias. Cabral secures the sea route to India for Portugal. Cabral eventually found himself off Sofala with only six battered ships, all stripped of sail. Realizing it was now impossible to establish a fortress at Sofala, he pressed on to Cochin and other ports where he traded for spices and formed alliances with the local rajas, finally securing the Portuguese sea route to India that Dias had done so much to establish. Note:

Question: What was the original name of the Cape of Good Hope?
Answer: Cape of Storms