Gauteng

Province of the Republic of South Africa from 1994, known as Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging before 1995, and historically part of the Transvaal; area 18,760 sq km/7,243 sq mi; population (2000 est) 7,780,600. It lies on the Highveld plateau at an average elevation of 1,740 m/5,710 ft, and the Vaal River and Magaliesberg Mountains pass through the province. The main cities are Johannesburg (capital), Pretoria (administrative capital of the republic), Vereeniging, Krugersdorp, Benoni, and Germiston. The province is the most urbanized and industrialized in the Republic, the most important industries being gold mining, coal, iron and steel, uranium, and chemicals; tobacco, maize, sorghum and groundnuts are cultivated. The gold industry is of major importance and the provinceseverals output accounts for some 25% of the Republicseverals gross national product.

Though the smallest province in the Republic of South Africa, Gauteng is the most densely-populated, and has the largest total population of all the South African provinces.

The languages spoken are Afrikaans (20%), Zulu (18%), and English (15%).