Durban, South Africa

Durban has a long tradition as a port city. The Port of Durban is one of the few natural harbors between Port Elizabeth and Maputo, and is located at the beginning of a particular weather phenomenon which can cause extremely violent seas. This made Durban a busy port of call for ship repairs when the port first opened in the 1840s. Now the busiest port in South Africa, it is also the busiest container port in the Southern Hemisphere. The Port of Durban benefited from the industrial and mining trade from Johannesburg which is not located on any navigable body of water. The Port of Maputo was unavailable until the early 1990s due to civil war and the Port of Durban picked up and ran away with the trade business. There is now an intense rivalry between Durban and Maputo for shipping business. Salisbury Island, joined to the mainland and part of the Port of Durban, was a full naval base until it was downgraded in 2002 and now contains a naval station and other military facilities. The city of Durban itself is the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal and is famous as a major tourism center due to the city's warm climate and beautiful beaches. There is no written history of the area before Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama came to the KwaZulu-Natal coast while searching for a route from Europe to India. He landed on the coast on Christmas in 1497, and thus named the area "Natal", or Christmas in Portuguese. The proliferation of tourism in the area has attracted artists and craftsmen from all over South Africa. Painting, pottery, woodworking, wire sculptures are all popular items that can be found in the areas many handicraft markets. Durban is also famous for its Zulu rickshaw drivers who navigate the city. These colorful characters are famous for their giant hats and colorful costumes. Although they have been a mode of transportation since the early 1900s, they mostly cater to tourists.