PONDOLAND

region on the African coast of the Indian Ocean, located in Eastern Cape province, South Africa. It lies between the Mtamvuna and Mtata rivers, bordering KwaZulu-Natal province in the north. Settled by the Mpondo (Pondo) peoples at the end of the 16th century AD, it is divided by the Mzimvubu River into East Pondoland and West Pondoland. The region was annexed to the Cape Colony by Sir Henry George Elliot in 1894. Pondoland occupies a narrow strip about 30 miles (50 km) wide, from the coast across the thornveld (thorn trees, bushes, and grasses) to the interior plateaus in the west. Coastal vegetation is mainly subtropical evergreens. Interior Pondoland is rich cattle country and has fertile farmlands; corn (maize), tobacco, sugarcane, tea, coffee beans, cotton, and tropical fruits are grown. In the deep forests and other remote areas, the narcotic dagga (Indian hemp) is cultivated. The region has good roads, and the rivers also provide inland transport.