scubish.com: Scuba diving London - South Africa

East London (Afrikaans: Oos-Londen, Xhosa: eMonti) is a city on the southeast coast of South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province at 32.97°S and 27.87°E.. The city is situated on the Indian Ocean coast, between the Buffalo River, and the Nahoon River, and is the country's only river port. East London today has a population of 250,000, with over 700,000 in the metropolitan area.

History

A British fort, Fort Glamorgan, was built at the site of the city in 1847, and annexed to the Cape Colony that same year. Three villages grew around the fort, and were eventually combined to form the town of East London, which was elevated to city status in 1914.

During the early to mid-1800 Frontier wars, East London served as a supply port to service the military headquarters at nearby King William’s Town. With later development of the port came the settlement of permanent residents, including German settlers, most of whom were bachelors. In 1857 the British Government took pity on them and a cargo of 157 Irish girls arrived to help lift morale.

The existing port, in the mouth of the Buffalo River, adjoining the Indian Ocean, has been operating since 1870. The advent of the railway on the east bank in 1876 added momentum to ongoing development of the area into today’s thriving city of East London.

The unusual double-decker bridge over the Buffalo River was completed in 1935 and to this day, is the only bridge of its type in South Africa. Modern day attractions include the East London Museum housing the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish, thought to be extinct, discovered live there by fishermen in 1938, and numerous memorial statues. The city is well-known as a surfing mecca, and its beaches are among the best in the country.

In 1959, the Prince George Circuit race circuit opened; it hosted three Formula One South African Grand Prix races in the 1960s. In 2000, East London became part of the municipality of Buffalo City, also consisting of King William's Town and Bhisho.

In 1961, areas on either side of East London were declared Bantu homelands. Ciskei to the west and Transkei to the East. East London finding herself almost surrounded, except to the north, became very unsettled during the Apartheid era. With the volatility of the 1970s and 1980s, the government decided to dissolve the harbour for fear of the vital river port falling into the hands of the Xhosa People. Cranes were removed and sold to Argentina for a ridiculous price at that stage. This move nearly crippled the city's harbour which has never truly been able to recover. Fortunately with enormous investment in recent years by a few corporations like Daimler Chrysler, the harbour has had some development like the new car terminal.

Economy

East London is the second largest industrial centre in the province. The motor industry is the dominant employer. A major DaimlerChrysler plant is located near the harbour, manufacturing Mercedes-Benz vehicles for the local market, as well as exporting to the United Kingdom,...