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Port Elizabeth is situated in the Eastern Province, at 33 deg 58 deg south by 25deg & 36deg east, located on Algoa Bay and is one of the major seaport in South Africa.
Port Elizabeth is just south of the expanding Addo Elephant National Park.
Port Elizabeth, often shortened to "PE", and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", was founded in 1820 by Sir Rufane Donkin, the Acting Governor of the Cape Colony, and populated with 4,000 Brittish Settlers arriving by sea. The new seaport town was named after Donkin's late wife, Elizabeth. (It was not named after Queen Elizabeth I, as is sometimes mistakenly believed.
Port Elizabeth is the home of South Africa's motor vehicle industry. Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage host General Motors, Volkeswagon, Ford, Continenal Tyres and many more automotive companies. Most other industries in the NMMM are geared towards the motor vehicle industry, providing parts such as wiring harnesses, catalytic converters and tyres to the vehicle manufacturers.
Port Elizabeth has a wealth of fine sporting facilities, catering for association football (soccer), rugby, cricket, hockey and many other sports. It’s coastal location also makes it a base for many watersports.
Port Elizabeth is the location of the St George's Park cricket ground, which holds test cricket matches. Its official name is now Sahara Oval St George's.
Interesting facts for the tourist and visitor to Port Elizabeth.
Humewood Beach, on Port Elizabeth's southern beachfront, has gone the extra mile regarding the Blue Flag beach requiarements. The beach is monitored by CCTV 24hours a day, throughout the year. Lifeguards patrol the beach.
Port Elizabeth beach authorities apply advanced surf rescue equipment which includes an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) and a state of the art Rescue Jet Ski. To maintain its pristine beaches, the Metro uses a Beach Cleaning Machine or “Surf Rake”, which is now a regular sight on the beachfront.
The Donkin Reserve in Port Elizabeth was created in honour of Sir Rufane Donkin's wife, Elizabeth, after whom the Port Elizabeth is named. It is a park on a hill overlooking the central district of the city and the waterfront and contains a lighthouse and a small stone pyramid. The latter bears a touching inscription which reads "To the memory of one of the most perfect of human beings who has given her name to the Town below". The Lighthouse was built in 1861 and is now used as the Port Elizabeth’s tourist information office.Fort Frederick was built from stone in 1799 by British troops to protect against a possible landing of French Troops. The fort is named after Frederick, the Duke of York. It was originally armed with two eight pound guns and has a guardhouse and powder magazine.The Horse Memorial was erected to honour the many horses and mules which died during the Second Boer War between 1899 and 1902.Many of these wonderful attractions can be seen whilst taking a 5 km stroll along the Donkin Heritage Trail which makes its way through the city centre.
Port Elizabeth also boasts many more modern attractions, as well as markets selling items from tourist souvenirs to food and local craftwork.Port
Port Elizabeth is due to undergo a facelift, with the current harbour, surrounding waterfront and historic city centre being upgraded before the 2010 Football World Cup in a way expected to make them a rival for the popular Cape Town waterfront.
Port Elizabeth is one of the venues for World Cup games, and many more visitors are expected to come to Port Elizabeth
There are calls for Port Elizabeth’s Airport to be upgraded to an international airport, to ease the journey time and effort of tourists wishing to visit the city.
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