Population: 737,600
Province: Eastern Cape
Average Temperature in June: High: 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celcius). Low: 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3 Celcius).
Average Precipitation in June: 2.40 inches (61.0 mm)
Brief History: From being called a "Landing Place With Fresh Water" to "Cape Colony" to "Port Elizabeth," this area of South Africa has seen more than its fair share of name changes over the years. While the colony that was ultimately established there was a British colony, this area of South Africa was actually first discovered by Portuguese explorers Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco de Gama. It is they who are responsible for marking the map as a "Landing Place With Fresh Water."
The city of Port Elizabeth was hit hard by the era of apartheid in South Africa. The university in the old part of the town was re-located to the outskirts, dealing that beautiful area of the city a crushing blow that it still has not fully recovered from. The British also added loads of infrastructure to the city, which while economically beneficial, separated the old town from the station and the harbor, and that in turn helped in ruining the history there.
Today, Port Elizabeth has been in area hit really hard by epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and various sorts of crime. The good news is the important industries there are booming, bringing in some money to the city, which can in turn be used to help get rid of crime and to find treatment for those struggling with HIV. Port Elizabeth is also known for its water sports. You can see how it is a coastal city on the above map and the amount of water in the area has allowed for water sports to really prosper.
United States Sister Cities: None.
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
This stadium is another stadium falling under the category of brand new football stadium. The capacity for is set at 48,459 and it's big unique feature is that it overlooks a lake. The original plan was to use the new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for the 2009 Confederations Cup, but a year before said kickoff, it was feared that the stadium would not be ready yet, so it was dropped from that plan. It has no permanent tenants as of yet, but that does not mean it will not be used heavily during the 2010 World Cup, because you will be seeing this stadium a lot during the World Cup.
Games being played at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
June 12: Group B: South Korea vs. Greece
June 15: Group G: Cote d'Ivoire vs. Portugal
June 18: Group D: Germany vs. Serbia
June 21: Group H: Chile vs. Switzerland
June 23: Group C: Slovenia vs. England
June 26: Round of 16: Group A Winner vs. Group B Runner-up
July 2: Quarterfinal Match
July 10: 3rd Place Consolation Match
Lastly, here are some photos of Port Elizabeth.
(Thanks to Wikipedia in addition to several web sites dedicated to Johannesburg and South Africa. Stay tuned as I look at the other cities hosting the 2010 World Cup.)
Port Elizabeth is also known as the friendly city as the locals are very accommodating and will go out of their way to help.
ReplyDeleteIf I may - you can see more images of the stadium and activities that have taken place in this MyPE Gallery.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was the first new stadium in the country to be completed and hosted it's first game on 16 June 2009 which was a rugby match between the British Lions and Southern Kings.