Strand, Western Cape

Strand is a seaside resort situated on the eastern edge of False Bay and at the foot of the Hottentots Holland Mountains. Its geographical position is between Macassar and Gordon's Bay, and is about 50 km southeast of Cape Town. Strand is in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and has a population of approximately 50,000. Strand's main attraction is the beach; 5 km of white sandy beach off False Bay.Strand is often referred to as The Strand, which is the old name of the town.HistoryStrand was established as a holiday and fishing resort in 1714. In 1970, during the notorious Apartheid era, all black, coloured and Asian people were forcefully removed when the town was classified as a white-only resort. Included in the communities forced to leave at this time were the descendants of Cape Malay slaves, who had escaped from Cape Town over 100 years earlier. They lost their homes, but their mosque still stands today.Strand falls under the City of Cape Town municipality. It is in close proximity to the inland town of Somerset West. Recent expansion and development of both towns has resulted in the two now being adjacent to each other, with shopping malls and residential complexes creating the connections. The unofficial divide between the two towns is the national road which bisects them, the N2. Strand forms part of the Helderberg Basin, along with Somerset West and Gordon's Bay.