Introduction
Whenever I came across the word Johannesburg, many thoughts came into my mind about a city on the furthest south of Africa that is as beautiful and rich in heritage as history paints it. So much has been said, in the movies and even in history books about apartheid South Africa, the war between blacks and whites. Above all, whenever the name Nelson Mandela comes up in any for a, I normally get the picture of South Africa, and above all, its cities. I read in my history classes some time back about segregation in South Africa, how some parts of the cities, especially Johannesburg was divided in terms of the color skin of its occupants. And before I got this assignment, there was not much that I knew about this city apart from associating it with apartheid, Nelson Mandela and the political upheavals that dominated that country, especially long after many countries of the world that had been colonized had achieved their independence. I did not know much of its geography aside from the political landscape that has been painted through history.
Methodology
After developing interest in it, I started doing my research about it in order to know more about it, at least geographically. There was no other better place to find my information and data other than the internet and geographical books. The world map was also a good idea or so I thought. In order to get the world map, I located google maps on the internet and voila, there was a pictorial photograph of the city. I did zoom in on various locations of the city and I got a clear view of the different parts of the city. I also used Encyclopedia Britanica that gave the physical and human geography of the city. That is where I came to learn about its proximity of the city to Witwatersrand, a string of rocky ridges of the drainage of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.
I also conducted a research using books that I found online and our library. My major concern here was to ensure that I used a wide variety of resources, ranging from hardcopy literature that was written a long time ago, as well as most current materials. A variety of resources are good because they help a researcher have a different view or perspective about their topic of research, and this is what inspired me to do exactly that. The information I got comes from a variety of places and resource persons. There are those who write about the city because they are there and have firsthand experience and touch about it, and there are those who just research about it and document their findings without necessarily visiting the city or even living there.
Analysis
After conducting my research about the city of Johannesburg, I came to realize that there is more to the city than meets the eye. To begin with, the city has a diverse topography, ranging from mountain ranges to its north and west known as the Guateng province, the east is flat and the city is located on 1765 meters above sea level. Its latitude is 26.20°6 and longitude is 8.0833°. There are several towns that surround it among them Hillbrow and Yeoville to the west, Orange Grove to the north, Kenilworth, Turffontein and Rosettenville to the south and to the east are Kensington, Malvern and Alberton. The climate of the city is dry and sunny most of the time, but at times it does rain during summer. During winter, it is cool and very pleasant, and this explains why many people like the winter weather. The city does not experience snowfalls; it does frost all the time. The winds from the south sometimes bring very cold wind but this is rare. The weather is quite moderate because of its high altitude.
In restaurants, food that is served has both the African and foreign touch. Their cuisine is rich but the staple found on almost all menus is cornmeal cooked to a firm consistency. It can be eaten with pretty everything ranging from meet stew to cooked vegetables. Other true South African delicacy you won’t miss on the streets is biltong (air- dried meat) and droewoers (air- dried sausages). The barbecue is also great and seafood is a staple. Johannesburg lacks fresh water because of its proximity to the oceans and no fresh water sources save for a few artificial lakes and streams. The city is the economic powerhouse of South Africa and therefore, it has a huge population of people. Following the merger of five municipal areas in the year 2000, the city municipality was created and covers an area of 1 644km². The average population density is 1 962 persons per km² because the entire population of the city is estimated to be about 3. 2 million people.
Almost all world class companies that want to make investments in Africa use Johannesburg as entry. As compared to other African capital cities, it has attracted people from far and wide. Before even spreading into other countries in the region, they set up their companies in the city. It is for this reason that it is thought that all financial deals have to be made in the city. This fact makes it a major economic hub, and all this is thanks to tourism that has been spearheaded by globalization. In as much as this is the case, it is also believed that it is one of the major cities in the world that have the highest crime rates.
Conclusion
Before conducting this research, there is pretty not so much that I knew about Johannesburg, apart from the icon Nelson Mandela and apartheid. But after doing an in- depth research about it, I now know there is o much that the city has to offer. For instance, I now know the size of the city, its population and the weather. My impressions of the city have changed because now I know more that I knew before. Initially I just knew the city from the alleged criminal activities that are there. But now I know it is a city that is facing the same challenges as any other major city in the world. Just like there are criminal activities in London, New York and Seattle, so it is in Johannesburg even though it is the nature and rate at which they happen that differs. Even so, Johannesburg sounds like a good place and a destination for any geographer who may want to explore what the city has to offer. I would wish to visit this city some day in the future.
