South Africa is divided into nine provinces which vary significantly in vegetation and altitude. For example at sea level, there are coastal forests on the eastern coast and semi-arid conditions on the west coast. Further inland, there are mountainous regions, semi-deserts and plateaus.
The provinces are the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape, North West and the Western Cape. The Northern Cape is by far the largest province, but also has the smallest population, as a large part of the province is semi-desert, as with the Kgalagadi National Park. The smallest province is Gauteng, but has the densest population.
Each Province has its own provincial legislature. The Premier is the head of the province and also chooses members of the executive council (MEC's). The MECs and the Premier function as a provincial cabinet.
Province
Capital
FIFA World Cup Venue
Eastern Cape
Bisho
Port Elizabeth
Free State
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Gauteng
Johannesburg
Johnnesburg and Pretoria
KwaZulu-Natal
Pietermaritzburg
Durban
Limpopo
Polokwane
Polokwane
Mpumalanga
Nelspruit
Nelspruit
Northern Cape
Kimberley
North West
Mafikeng
Rustenburg
Western Cape
Cape Town
Cape Town
South Africa**has three capitals: Cape Town (legislature), Pretoria (administrative) and Bloemfontein (judicial).