PIETERMARITZBURG, the capital of Natal, South Africa, 29° 46' S., 3o° 13' E.; altitude 2,218 feet. Though only m. inland, it is 73 m. by rail from the port of Durban. The main town is laid out on a low ridge between the Umsundusi River and the Dorp Spruit. Suburbs have grown up on two other ridges across the river to the south-east of the town, and also on the slopes of a marked escarpment, which rises over 1,500 ft. above the town on the north-west side. The low ground be tween the ridges is occupied either by. Indian dwellings and culti vation, or by open spaces, laid out as public parks and sports grounds, with which the city is very well provided. On the west of the town are the botanical gardens. There are memorials of the Zulu, South African and World Wars. The town was founded in 1839 by Dutch immigrants and connected by railway with Durban in 1880.
Among the public buildings are the town hall, containing a re markably fine organ and a good collection of pictures, the Pro vincial Council building, the Colonial offices, the Court house, the post office and the museum, which has an exceedingly good collection of the South African fauna. The Voortrekkers' museum
is housed in what used to be a Dutch church. The Natal Society library is also admirable. The city is the seat of an Anglican bishop. It is noted for its agricultural show, held every June. There is a large number of high schools for day pupils and boarders, both in the city and outside. In addition there is a train ing college and a university college, a constituent of the University of South Africa. Means of locomotion are provided by a tram way system, jinrikshas, and motor cars. In 1921 the population included 9,992 natives, 6.944 Asiatics, 1,089 coloured people and 17,998 Europeans. The latter had increased by 1931 to