Pretoria is one of the three capitals of South Africa and the administrative capital. It is situated approximately 50 km north of Johannesburg in South Africa’s northeast, at an altitude of about 1350 meters in a fertile valley surrounded by Magaliesberg mountain peaks. The climate is subtropical-humid, with hot and long summers, short and cold winters.
The annual average temperature is 18.7 ° C, high enough for the altitude where it is located. In the post-apartheid period, after the establishment of new municipal structures in South Africa (in 2000), it was adopted the Tshwane rename for the metropolitan area includ
ing Pretoria and surrounding towns. Being the administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa, Pretoria is the seat of the government, key ministries and government agencies. The Pretoria city also hosts several foreign diplomatic missions.
It is an important commercial and industrial center. The main industries are: metallurgy, nonferrous metallurgy (copper foundries), mechanical engineering (automotive, rolling stock, heavy equipment).
Pretoria is a prestigious academic center: the University of Pretoria, the Tshwane Institute of Technology, University of South Africa (based on distance learning). The city is served by two airports: Wonderboom and OR Tambo International, the airport with the biggest passengers transit from Africa, wearing the name of the former African National Congress leader, Oliver Tambo.
The most important stadium is Loftus Versfeld, which also hosted matches of the FIFA World Cup 2010.
The main attractions are: the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Austin Roberts ornithological reserve, and between museums and monuments are the Kruger House, Melrose House, Voortrekker Monument , Freedom Park or the Transvaal Provincial Museum.
