South Africa: provinces and cities map + quiz

Interactive map for learning the provinces and major cities of South Africa. Use the map to learn the names and locations of the cities and provinces and then play the South Africa geography quiz.

About the South Africa provinces

South Africa has been divided into nine provinces since the fall of the apartheid regime. Historically, South Africa was divided into four provinces: Orange Free State, Natal, Transvaal and the Cape of Good Hope

Eastern Cape is the second largest province in South Africa and was formed from former Xhosa homelands (Bantustans) and the eastern part of what was the Cape Province. Over three-quarters of the population of the province is of Xhosa ethnicity. The biggest cities in Eastern Cape are Port Elizabeth and East London

The Free State province was called the Orange Free State prior to 1994, and the province was once was an independent country ruled by settlers of Dutch origin (Boer). Almost all land in the province exceeds 1,000 meters above sea level. Free State has rich soils, and is a highly productive agricultural region.

Gauteng is the smallest province by land area, yet it the province with the highest population. Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city and Pretoria, the country's administrative capital, are both located in Gauteng. Most of Gauteng is on the Highveld, a high-altitude grassland region.

KwaZulu-Natal was formed from the merger of the former province of Natal and the Zulu homeland (Bantustan) of KwaZulu. KwaZulu-Natal is the second most populous of South Africa's provinces, and has the second highest population density. The largest city in KwaZulu-Natal is Durban.

Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa and takes its name from the Limpopo River, which runs along South Africa's border with Botswana and Zimbabwe. Limpopo consists of the northern part of what once was the Transvaal Province. Part of the famous Kruger National Park lies within the province of Limpopo.

Mpumalanga is in the east of South Africa, and is the country's second smallest province by land area. Mpumalanga is divided by the Drakes erg escarpment into a low-lying subtropical region to the east, and a high-altitude grassland region (Highveld) to the west.

North West province borders Botswana to the north. As in Botswana, most people are of Tswana ethnicity and speak the Tswana language. The province is largely flat with grasslands and scrub. Mining is a major part of the province's economy.

Northern Cape is the largest of South Africa's provinces and the province with the lowest population density. The Northern Cape comprises most of the northern and central parts of the former Cape Province prior to 1994. The north of the state extends into the Kalahari desert.

Western Cape was formed out of the former Cape Province. The province's capital is Cape Town, which is home to around two-thirds of the province's population. The province's geography, climate and fauna are very diverse.

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