or Cape of Good Hope formerly (1826–1910) Cape Colony
Former province, South Africa.
Occupying the southern extremity of the African continent, it comprised the southern and western portions of South Africa; its capital was Cape Town . The black state of Ciskei and parts of two others, Transkei and Bophuthatswana , lay within its boundaries. Its name refers to the Cape of Bantu , San , and Khoekhoe peoples. Bartolomeu Dias , en route to India in 1488, became the first European to visit the area. A colony was founded by the Dutch at {{link=Table Bay">Table Bay in 1652; it was ceded to the British in 1814. It joined the Union of South Africa in 1910 and the Republic of South Africa in 1961. The province ceased to exist in 1994, when it was split roughly into Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and Western Cape provinces.