Here are ten facts about Table Mountain.
- Table Mountain is a flat mountain overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is one of twelve well-known flat topped mountains around the world.
- The sandstone mountain is about 3,563 feet high. The flat summit offers spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean and the city and measures about 2 miles across. Many people climb the mountain in order to watch sunrise or sunset from the summit.
- Much of the mountain is thought to be around 600 million years old. Although it is mainly sandstone, it also contains shale and granite and is, as a result, relatively resistant to erosion.
- Hiking, climbing and caving are all popular on Table Mountain. The cableway, which was opened in 1929, is an easy and popular way to reach the summit.
- At least one wedding takes place every week on the summit of Table Mountain.
- The chemical toilets at the summit of the mountain were originally designed for Boeing aircraft.
- Table Mountain has a diverse range of plant and animal life, many of which are only found there. There are almost 1,500 species of plant, including several hundred different species of daisy.
- The first European to climb Table Mountain was a Portuguese explorer, in 1503. He carved a huge cross into a nearby rock, which can still be seen today.
- The first woman known to have climbed Table Mountain was Anne Barnard in 1790. Today, about 800,000 people visit the mountain every year to enjoy the view, said to be one of the best in Africa.
- Table Mountain is the only feature of Earth to give its name to a constellation. The constellation of Mensa (meaning table) can be seen in mid July in the southern hemisphere.
- It is also the only mountain to be included in the list of 7 natural wonders, and one of the few mountains to be situated within a major city.
