City (pop., 1996: metro. area, 2,117,650) and chief seaport, South Africa.
Located on Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean, it was the site of a European trading settlement from 1824 and was named Port Natal by the traders. Land was ceded to them by the Zulu king Shaka , and the Old Fort (now a museum) was built. Durban was founded in 1835 on the site of Port Natal. In the 1840s the Boers clashed with the British over control of Durban. One of the world's major commercial ports, it is the headquarters of South Africa's sugar industry and a centre of diverse manufacturing. Tourism is also important, based on the city's proximity to game and nature reserves and to beaches.