|
Area: 58 242 square kilometres
Population: +/- 400 000
The Cacadu District covers the rural western areas of the Eastern Cape Province. Cacadu is an isiXhosa term meaning "semi-arid and mountainous".
It is the largest of the six districts with an area of 58 242 square kilometres but has the second smallest population size of just under 400 000 people. The population is 36% Coloured, 41% African and 13% White. Afrikaans is a majority language in many interior towns.
Its economy is largely dependent on the agricultural sector. Since the sector has seen recent declines, many of the local farmers have converted to game farming, which has become one of the District’s major industries.
The area is well known for its scenic beauty and the vast Tsitsikamma and Baviaans Parks lie in the extreme west of the District, close to the Western Cape. The Baviaans Mega Reserve is the only World Heritage Site in the Eastern Cape.
The historic town of Graaff-Reinet is an important centre in the north of the District. Despite the arid interior, the Sundays- and Fish River support extensive irrigated farming and are fed by water from the Orange River under the Fish River Transfer Scheme.
Grahamstown, in the east, is also known as the ‘city of saints’, because of its various churches. It is also home to Rhodes University and the National Arts Festival.
For more information visit: http://www.cacadu.co.za/ |