document_title: Iceland at the FIFA World Cup

question_text: where did iceland come in the last world cup

text: Iceland at the FIFA World Cup

text: Record at the FIFA World Cup[edit]

text:
FIFA World Cup record

Year

Round

Position

Pld

W

D *

L

GF

GA

 1930
Did not enter

 1934

 1938

 1950

 1954
Entry not accepted by FIFA

 1958

Did not qualify

 1962
Did not enter

 1966

 1970

 1974

Did not qualify

 1978

 1982

 1986

 1990

 1994

 1998

  2002

 2006

 2010

 2014

 2018
Group stage
28th
3
0
1
2
2
5

 2022
To be determined

   2026

Total

TBD

1/21

3

0

1

2

2

5

text: Russia 2018[edit]

text: Following a 2–0 home win over Kosovo in the final round of the qualifiers, Iceland secured their spot in Russia 2018, finishing top of Group I by two points over Croatia, who had defeated Iceland in the World Cup play-offs four years earlier.[3] Despite finishing bottom of the group, Iceland drew against Argentina national football team 1-1 in the opening match of the group.[citation needed]

text: Group stage[edit]

text:
Pos

Team[ vte ]

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

Qualification

1

 Croatia

3

3

0

0

7

1

+6

9

Advance to knockout stage

2

 Argentina

3

1

1

1

3

5

−2

4

3

 Nigeria

3

1

0

2

3

4

−1

3

4

 Iceland

3

0

1

2

2

5

−3

1

text:
Argentina

1–1

 Iceland

Agüero  19'

Report

Finnbogason  23'

text:
Nigeria

2–0

 Iceland

Musa  49', 75'

Report

text:
Iceland

1–2

 Croatia

G. Sigurðsson  76' (pen.)

Report

Badelj  53'
Perišić  90'

text: Players with most appearances[edit]

text: These nine players have been fielded all three of Iceland's FIFA World Cup matches in 2018.

text:
No.

Name

Matches

1

Birkir Bjarnason
3

Alfreð Finnbogason
3

Aron Gunnarsson
3

Hannes Halldórsson
3

Hörður Magnússon
3

Birkir Sævarsson
3

Björn Sigurðarson
3

Gylfi Sigurðsson
3

Ragnar Sigurðsson
3

text: Goalscorers[edit]

text: In the match v Argentina on 16 June 2018, Alfreð Finnbogason scored the first goal for Iceland in FIFA World Cup history.

text:
No.

Name

Goals

1

Alfreð Finnbogason
1

Gylfi Sigurðsson
1


document_title: Cape Town

question_text: what is the name of the ocean in cape town

question_tokens: what is the name of the ocean in cape town

root

text: Cape Town

text: History[edit]

text: The earliest known remnants in the region were found at Peers Cave in Fish Hoek and date to between 15,000 and 12,000 years ago.[14] Little is known of the history of the region's first residents, since there is no written history from the area before it was first mentioned by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1486 who was the first European to reach the area and named it "Cape of Storms" (Cabo das Tormentas). It was later renamed by John II of Portugal as "Cape of Good Hope" (Cabo da Boa Esperança) because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of a sea route to India and the East. Vasco da Gama recorded a sighting of the Cape of Good Hope in 1497. In the late 16th century, Portuguese, French, Danish, Dutch and English but mainly Portuguese ships regularly stopped over in Table Bay en route to the Indies. They traded tobacco, copper and iron with the Khoikhoi in exchange for fresh meat.

tag: p

text: In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck and other employees of the Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Verenigde Oost-indische Compagnie, VOC) were sent to the Cape to establish a way-station for ships travelling to the Dutch East Indies, and the Fort de Goede Hoop (later replaced by the Castle of Good Hope). The settlement grew slowly during this period, as it was hard to find adequate labour. This labour shortage prompted the authorities to import slaves from Indonesia and Madagascar. Many of these became ancestors of the first Cape Coloured communities.[15][16] Under Van Riebeeck and his successors as VOC commanders and later governors at the Cape, an impressive range of useful plants were introduced to the Cape – in the process changing the natural environment forever. Some of these, including grapes, cereals, ground nuts, potatoes, apples and citrus, had an important and lasting influence on the societies and economies of the region.[17]

text: The Dutch Republic being transformed in Revolutionary France's vassal Batavian Republic, Great Britain moved to take control of its colonies. Britain captured Cape Town in 1795, but the Cape was returned to the Dutch by treaty in 1803. British forces occupied the Cape again in 1806 following the Battle of Blaauwberg. In the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, Cape Town was permanently ceded to Britain. It became the capital of the newly formed Cape Colony, whose territory expanded very substantially through the 1800s. With expansion came calls for greater independence from Britain, with the Cape attaining its own parliament (1854) and a locally accountable Prime Minister (1872). Suffrage was established according to the non-racial, but sexist Cape Qualified Franchise.[18][19]

text: The discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West in 1867, and the Witwatersrand Gold Rush in 1886, prompted a flood of immigrants to South Africa.[20] Conflicts between the Boer republics in the interior and the British colonial government resulted in the Second Boer War of 1899–1902, which Britain won. In 1910, Britain established the Union of South Africa, which unified the Cape Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics and the British colony of Natal. Cape Town became the legislative capital of the Union, and later of the Republic of South Africa.

text: In the 1948 national elections, the National Party won on a platform of apartheid (racial segregation) under the slogan of "swart gevaar". This led to the erosion and eventual abolition of the Cape's multiracial franchise, as well as to the Group Areas Act, which classified all areas according to race. Formerly multi-racial suburbs of Cape Town were either purged of unlawful residents or demolished. The most infamous example of this in Cape Town was District Six. After it was declared a whites-only region in 1965, all housing there was demolished and over 60,000 residents were forcibly removed.[21] Many of these residents were relocated to the Cape Flats and Lavender Hill. Under apartheid, the Cape was considered a "Coloured labour preference area", to the exclusion of "Bantus", i.e. Africans.

text: School students from Langa, Gugulethu and Nyanga in Cape Town reacted to the news of protests against Bantu Education in Soweto in June 1976 and organised gatherings and marches which were met with resistance from the police. A number of school buildings were burnt down.[22][23]

text: Cape Town was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. On Robben Island, a former penitentiary island 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the city, many famous political prisoners were held for years. In one of the most famous moments marking the end of apartheid, Nelson Mandela made his first public speech since his imprisonment, from the balcony of Cape Town City Hall hours after being released on 11 February 1990. His speech heralded the beginning of a new era for the country, and the first democratic election, was held four years later, on 27 April 1994. Nobel Square in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront features statues of South Africa's four Nobel Peace Prize winners: Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela. Since 1994, the city has struggled with problems such as drugs, a surge in violent drug-related crime and more recently gang violence. At the same time, the economy has surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the tourism and the real estate industries.[citation needed] With a Gini coefficient of 0.67, Cape Town has the highest rate of equality in South Africa.[24]

text: Geography[edit]

text: Cape Town is located at latitude 33.55° S (approx. the same as Sydney and Buenos Aires and equivalent to Casablanca and Los Angeles in the northern hemisphere) and longitude 18.25° E. Table Mountain, with its near vertical cliffs and flat-topped summit over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high, and with Devil's Peak and Lion's Head on either side, together form a dramatic mountainous backdrop enclosing the central area of Cape Town, the so-called City Bowl. A thin strip of cloud, known colloquially as the "tablecloth", sometimes forms on top of the mountain. To the immediate south, the Cape Peninsula is a scenic mountainous spine jutting 40 kilometres (25 mi) southwards into the Atlantic Ocean and terminating at Cape Point. There are over 70 peaks above 300 m (980 ft) within Cape Town's official city limits. Many of the city's suburbs lie on the large plain called the Cape Flats, which extends over 50 kilometres (30 mi) to the east and joins the peninsula to the mainland. The Cape Town region is characterised by an extensive coastline, rugged mountain ranges, coastal plains, inland valleys and semi-desert fringes.

text: Robben Island

text: UNESCO declared Robben Island in the Western Cape a World Heritage Site in 1999. Robben Island is located in Table Bay, some 6 km west of Bloubergstrand in Cape Town, and stands some 30m above sea level. Robben Island has been used as prison where people were isolated, banished and exiled to for nearly 400 years. It was also used as a leper colony, a post office, a grazing ground, a mental hospital, and an outpost.[25]

text: Currently visitors can only access the island via the Robben Island Museum boat service, which run three times daily until the beginning of the peak season (1 September). The ferries depart from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. The boat ride over to Robben's Island can be rough and cold, depending what time of day you go.

text: Climate[edit]

text: Cape Town has a warm Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb),[26][27][28] with mild, moderately wet winters and dry, warm summers. Winter, which lasts from the beginning of June to the end of August, may see large cold fronts entering for limited periods from the Atlantic Ocean with significant precipitation and strong north-westerly winds. Winter months in the city average a maximum of 18.0 °C (64 °F) and minimum of 8.5 °C (47 °F) [29] Total annual rainfall in the city averages 515 millimetres (20.3 in). Summer, which lasts from early December to March, is warm and dry with an average maximum of 26.0 °C (79 °F) and minimum of 16.0 °C (61 °F). The region can get uncomfortably hot when the Berg Wind, meaning "mountain wind", blows from the Karoo interior for a couple of weeks in February or early March. Late spring and early summer generally feature a strong wind from the south-east, known locally as the south-easter or the Cape Doctor, so called because it blows air pollution away. This wind is caused by a high-pressure system which sits in the South Atlantic to the west of Cape Town, known as the South Atlantic High. Cape Town receives 3,100 hours of sunshine per year.[30]

text: Water temperatures range greatly, between 10 °C (50 °F) on the Atlantic Seaboard, to over 22 °C (72 °F) in False Bay. Average annual Ocean temperatures are between 13 °C (55 °F) on the Atlantic Seaboard (similar to Californian waters, such as San Francisco or Big Sur), and 17 °C (63 °F) in False Bay (similar to Northern Mediterranean temperatures, such as Nice or Monte Carlo).

text: As of 2018 Cape Town is experiencing a water crisis, following a drought that began in 2015, which is said to be the worst that the region has experienced in one hundred years.[31][32] As of 5 March 2018[update] the city has projected that 'Day Zero' will be reached on 15 June 2018,[33] when most of the city's water will be shut off, and residents will have to queue to collect a water ration of 25 litres (5.5 imp gal; 6.6 US gal) per person, per day.

text:
[hide]Climate data for Cape Town (1961–1990)

Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year

Record high °C (°F)
39.3
(102.7)
38.3
(100.9)
43.0
(109.4)
38.6
(101.5)
33.5
(92.3)
29.8
(85.6)
29.0
(84.2)
32.0
(89.6)
33.1
(91.6)
37.2
(99)
39.9
(103.8)
41.4
(106.5)
43.0
(109.4)

Mean maximum °C (°F)
33.6
(92.5)
34.1
(93.4)
33.2
(91.8)
31.7
(89.1)
29.1
(84.4)
26.3
(79.3)
25.1
(77.2)
26.9
(80.4)
28.3
(82.9)
31.0
(87.8)
31.6
(88.9)
32.5
(90.5)
36.5
(97.7)

Average high °C (°F)
26.1
(79)
26.5
(79.7)
25.4
(77.7)
23.0
(73.4)
20.3
(68.5)
18.1
(64.6)
17.5
(63.5)
17.8
(64)
19.2
(66.6)
21.3
(70.3)
23.5
(74.3)
24.9
(76.8)
22.0
(71.6)

Daily mean °C (°F)
20.4
(68.7)
20.4
(68.7)
19.2
(66.6)
16.9
(62.4)
14.4
(57.9)
12.5
(54.5)
11.9
(53.4)
12.4
(54.3)
13.7
(56.7)
15.6
(60.1)
17.9
(64.2)
19.5
(67.1)
16.2
(61.2)

Average low °C (°F)
15.7
(60.3)
15.6
(60.1)
14.2
(57.6)
11.9
(53.4)
9.4
(48.9)
7.8
(46)
7.0
(44.6)
7.5
(45.5)
8.7
(47.7)
10.6
(51.1)
13.2
(55.8)
14.9
(58.8)
11.4
(52.5)

Mean minimum °C (°F)
10.3
(50.5)
9.9
(49.8)
7.6
(45.7)
5.7
(42.3)
2.8
(37)
1.3
(34.3)
1.0
(33.8)
1.3
(34.3)
2.3
(36.1)
4.4
(39.9)
7.0
(44.6)
9.5
(49.1)
0.3
(32.5)

Record low °C (°F)
7.4
(45.3)
6.4
(43.5)
4.6
(40.3)
2.4
(36.3)
0.9
(33.6)
−1.2
(29.8)
−4.3
(24.3)
−0.4
(31.3)
0.2
(32.4)
1.0
(33.8)
3.9
(39)
6.2
(43.2)
−4.3
(24.3)

Average precipitation mm (inches)
15
(0.59)
17
(0.67)
20
(0.79)
41
(1.61)
69
(2.72)
93
(3.66)
82
(3.23)
77
(3.03)
40
(1.57)
30
(1.18)
14
(0.55)
17
(0.67)
515
(20.28)

Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)
5.5
4.6
4.8
8.3
11.4
13.3
11.8
13.7
10.4
8.7
4.9
6.3
103.7

Average relative humidity (%)
71
72
74
78
81
81
81
80
77
74
71
71
76

Mean monthly sunshine hours
337.9
297.4
292.9
233.5
205.3
175.4
193.1
212.1
224.7
277.7
309.8
334.2
3,094

Source: World Meteorological Organization,[29] NOAA,[30] South African weather service,[34] eNCA[35]

tag: table

text: Flora and fauna[edit]

text: Located in a CI Biodiversity hotspot as well as the unique Cape Floristic Region, the city of Cape Town has one of the highest levels of biodiversity of any equivalent area in the world.[36] These protected areas are a World Heritage Site, and an estimated 2,200 species of plants are confined to Table Mountain – more than exist in the whole of the United Kingdom which has 1200 plant species and 67 endemic plant species.[37][38][39] Many of these species, including a great many types of proteas, are endemic to the mountain and can be found nowhere else.[40]

text: It is home to a total of 19 different vegetation types, of which several are completely endemic to the city and occur nowhere else in the world.[41] It is also the only habitat of hundreds of endemic species,[42] and hundreds of others which are severely restricted or threatened. This enormous species diversity is mainly because the city is uniquely located at the convergence point of several different soil types and micro-climates.

text: Table Mountain has an unusually rich biodiversity. Its vegetation consists predominantly of several different types of the unique and rich Cape Fynbos. The main vegetation type is endangered Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos, but critically endangered Peninsula Granite Fynbos, Peninsula Shale Renosterveld and Afromontane forest occur in smaller portions on the mountain.

text: Unfortunately, rapid population growth and urban sprawl has covered much of these ecosystems with development. Consequently, Cape Town now has over 300 threatened plant species and 13 which are now extinct. The Cape Peninsula, which lies entirely within the city of Cape Town, has the highest concentration of threatened species of any continental area of equivalent size in the world.[43] Tiny remnants of critically endangered or near extinct plants often survive on road sides, pavements and sports fields.[44] The remaining ecosystems are partially protected through a system of over 30 nature reserves – including the massive Table Mountain National Park.

text: Suburbs[edit]

text: Cape Town's urban geography is influenced by the contours of Table Mountain, its surrounding peaks, the Durbanville Hills, and the expansive lowland region known as the Cape Flats. These geographic features in part divide the city into several commonly known groupings of suburbs (equivalent to districts outside South Africa), many of which developed historically together and share common attributes of language and culture.

text: City Bowl[edit]

text: The City Bowl is a natural amphitheatre-shaped area bordered by Table Bay and defined by the mountains of Signal Hill, Lion's Head, Table Mountain and Devil's Peak.

text: The area includes the central business district of Cape Town, the harbour, the Company's Garden, and the residential suburbs of De Waterkant, Devil's Peak, District Six, Zonnebloem, Gardens, Bo-Kaap, Higgovale, Oranjezicht, Schotsche Kloof, Tamboerskloof, University Estate, Vredehoek, Walmer Estate and Woodstock.

text: Atlantic Seaboard[edit]

text: The Atlantic Seaboard lies west of Cape Town and Table Mountain, and is characterised by its beaches, cliffs, promenade and hillside communities. The area includes, from north to south, the neighbourhoods of Green Point, Mouille Point, Three Anchor Bay, Sea Point, Fresnaye, Bantry Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, and Hout Bay. The Atlantic Seaboard has some of the most expensive real estate in South Africa particularly on Nettleton and Clifton Roads in Clifton, Ocean View Drive and St Leon Avenue in Bantry Bay, Theresa Avenue in Bakoven and Fishermans Bend in Llandudno. Camps Bay is home to the highest concentration of multimillionaires in Cape Town and has the highest number of high-priced mansions in South Africa with more than 155 residential units exceeding R20 million (or $US1.8 million).[when?][45]

text: West Coast[edit]

text: The West Coast suburbs lie along the beach to the north of the Cape Town city centre, and include Bloubergstrand, Milnerton, Tableview, West Beach, Big Bay, Sunset Beach, Sunningdale and Parklands, as well as the exurbs of Atlantis and Melkbosstrand. The Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is located within this area and maximum housing density regulations are enforced in much of the area surrounding the nuclear plant.

text: Northern Suburbs[edit]

text: The Northern Suburbs are Afrikaans-speaking, and include Bellville, Kanonberg, Bothasig, Brooklyn, Burgundy Estate, Durbanville, Edgemead, Elsie's River, Factreton, Goodwood, Kensington, Maitland, Monte Vista, Panorama, Parow, Richwood, Table View, and Welgemoed.[46] The Northern Suburbs are home to Tygerberg Hospital, the largest hospital in the Western Cape and second largest in South Africa[47]

text: Southern Suburbs[edit]

text: The Southern Suburbs hug along the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, southeast of the city centre. This area has mixed languages but is predominantly English-speaking, and includes, from north to south, Rondebosch, Pinelands, Thornton, Newlands, Mowbray, Observatory, Bishopscourt, Claremont, Lansdowne, Wynberg, Plumstead, Hout Bay, Ottery, and Bergvliet. West of Wynberg lies Constantia which, in addition to being a wealthy neighbourhood, is a notable wine-growing region within the City of Cape Town. Constantia not only offers a luscious suburban living lifestyle, but also attracts tourists for its well-known wine farms and Cape Dutch architecture.

text: South Peninsula[edit]

text: The South Peninsula is generally regarded as the area south of Muizenberg on False Bay and Noordhoek on the Atlantic Ocean, all the way to Cape Point. Until recently quite rural, the population of the area is growing quickly as new coastal developments proliferate and larger plots are subdivided to provide more compact housing. It includes Capri Village, Clovelly, Fish Hoek, Glencairn, Kalk Bay, Kommetjie, Masiphumelele, Muizenberg, Noordhoek, Ocean View, Scarborough, Simon's Town, St James, Sunnydale and Sun Valley. South Africa's largest naval base is located at Simon's Town harbour, and close by is Boulders Beach, the site of a large colony of African penguins.[48]

text: Eastern Suburbs[edit]

text: The Eastern Suburbs lie southeast of the Afrikaans-speaking neighbourhoods in the Northern Suburbs, beyond the airport, and notably are the site of several new subsidized housing projects and are also Afrikaans-speaking. Communities include Fairdale, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Kuils River, Blue Downs, Belhar, Delft, Mfuleni and Protea Hoogte.

text: Cape Flats[edit]

text: The Cape Flats (Die Kaapse Vlakte in Afrikaans) is an expansive, low-lying, flat Afrikaans-speaking area situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. From the 1950s the area became home to people the apartheid government designated as non-White and has been described by some as 'Apartheid's dumping ground'. Race-based legislation such as the Group Areas Act and pass laws either forced non-white people out of more central urban areas designated for white people and into government-built townships in the Flats or made living in the area illegal, forcing many people designated as Black and Coloured into informal settlements elsewhere in the Flats.

text: Since then the Flats have been home to much of the population of Greater Cape Town. This area includes the neighbourhoods of Mitchell's Plain, Athlone, Elsie's River, Hanover Park, Bishop Lavis, Manenberg, Strandfontein, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Langa, and Khayelitsha.

text: Helderberg[edit]

text: The Helderberg consists of Somerset West, Strand, Gordons Bay and a few other towns. The district takes its name from the imposing Helderberg Mountain, which is Afrikaans for "clear mountain", and culminates at a height of 1,137 metres (3,730 feet) as The Dome.

text: Government[edit]

text: Cape Town's local government is the City of Cape Town, which is a metropolitan municipality. Cape Town is governed by a 221-member city council. The city is divided into 111 electoral wards; each ward directly elects one member of the council, whilst the other 110 councillors are elected by a system of party-list proportional representation. The Executive Mayor and Executive Deputy Mayor are chosen by the city council.

text: In the local government elections of 18 May 2011, the Democratic Alliance (DA) won an outright majority, taking 135 of the 221 council seats. The African National Congress, the national ruling party, received 73 seats.[49] As a result of this victory Patricia de Lille, the DA mayoral candidate, was inaugurated as Executive Mayor on 1 June.

text: Demographics[edit]

text:
<1 /km²
  1–3 /km²
  3–10 /km²
  10–30 /km²
  30–100 /km²

  100–300 /km²
  300–1000 /km²
  1000–3000 /km²
  >3000 /km²

text:
Historical population

Year
Pop.
±% p.a.

1658
360
—

1731
3,157
+3.02%

1836
20,000
+1.77%

1875
45,000
+2.10%

1891
67,000
+2.52%

1901
171,000
+9.82%

1950
618,000
+2.66%

1955
705,000
+2.67%

1960
803,000
+2.64%

1965
945,000
+3.31%

Year
Pop.
±% p.a.

1970
1,114,000
+3.35%

1975
1,339,000
+3.75%

1980
1,609,000
+3.74%

1985
1,933,000
+3.74%

1990
2,296,000
+3.50%

1996
2,565,018
+1.86%

2001
2,892,243
+2.43%

2007
3,497,097
+3.22%

2011
3,740,025
+1.69%

2014
3,750,000
+0.09%

Note: Census figures (1996–2011) cover figures after 1994 reflect the greater Cape Town metropolitan municipality reflecting post-1994 reforms. Sources: 1658-1904,[50] 1950-1990,[51]
1996,[52] 2001, and 2011 Census;[53]
2007,[54] 2014 Census estimates.[citation needed]

text: According to the South African National Census of 2011, the population of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality – an area that includes suburbs and exurbs not always considered as part of Cape Town – is 3,740,026 people. This represents an annual growth rate of 2.6% compared to the results of the previous census in 2001 which found a population of 2,892,243 people.[55] :54 The sex ratio is 96, meaning that there are slightly more women than men.[55]:55 42.4% of the population described themselves as "Coloured", 15.7% as "White", 38.6% as "Black African", 1.4% as "Indian or Asian"[55]:56–59and 1.9 as "Other".

text: In 1944, 47% of the city's population was White, 46% was Coloured, less than 6% was Black African and 1% was Asian.[56] Of those residents who were asked about their first language, 35.7% spoke Afrikaans, 29.8% spoke Xhosa and 28.4% spoke English. 24.8% of the population is under the age of 15, while 5.5% is 65 or older.[55]:64

text: Of those residents aged 20 or older, 1.8% have no schooling, 8.1% have some schooling but did not finish primary school, 4.6% finished primary school but have no secondary schooling, 38.9% have some secondary schooling but did not finish Grade 12, 29.9% finished Grade 12 but have no higher education, and 16.7% have higher education. Overall, 46.6% have at least a Grade 12 education.[55]:74 Of those aged between 5 and 25, 67.8% are attending an educational institution.[55]:78 Amongst those aged between 15 and 65 the unemployment rate is 23.7%.[55]:79 The average annual household income is R161,762.[55]:88

text: There are 1,068,573 households in the municipality, giving an average household size of 3.3 people.[55]:80 Of those households, 78.4% are in formal structures (houses or flats), while 20.5% are in informal structures (shacks).[55]:81 94.0% of households use electricity for lighting.[55]:84 87.3% of households have piped water to the dwelling, while 12.0% have piped water through a communal tap.[55]:85 94.9% of households have regular refuse collection service.[55]:86 91.4% of households have a flush toilet or chemical toilet, while 4.5% still use a bucket toilet.[55]:87 82.1% of households have a refrigerator, 87.3% have a television and 70.1% have a radio. Only 34.0% have a landline telephone, but 91.3% have a cellphone. 37.9% have a computer, and 49.3% have access to the Internet (either through a computer or a cellphone).[55]:83

text: Economy[edit]

text: Cape Town is the economic hub of the Western Cape Province, South Africa's second main economic centre and Africa's third main economic hub city. It serves as the regional manufacturing centre in the Western Cape. In 2011 the city's GDP was US$56.8 billion with a GDP per capita of US$15,721.[5] In the five years preceding 2014 Cape Town GDP grew at an average of 3.7% a year. As a proportion of GDP the agriculture and manufacturing sectors have declined whilst finance, business services, transport and logistics have grown reflecting the growth in specialised services sectors of the local economy. Fishing, clothing and textiles, wood product manufacturing, electronics, furniture, hospitality, finance and business services are industries in which Cape Town's economy has the largest comparative advantage.[9]

text: Between 2001 and 2010 the city's Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, improved by dropping from 0.59 in 2007 to 0.57 in 2010 only to increase to 0.67 by 2011/12.[9]

text: Cape Town has recently enjoyed a booming real estate and construction market, because of the 2010 World Cup as well as many people buying summer homes in the city or relocating there permanently. Cape Town hosted nine World Cup matches: Six first-round matches, one second-round match, one quarter final and one semifinal. The central business district is under an extensive urban renewal programme, with numerous new buildings and renovations taking place under the guidance of the Cape Town Partnership.[57]

text: Cape Town has four major commercial nodes, with Cape Town Central Business District containing the majority of job opportunities and office space. Century City, the Bellville/TygerValley strip and Claremont commercial nodes are well established and contain many offices and corporate headquarters as well. Most companies headquartered in the city are insurance companies, retail groups, publishers, design houses, fashion designers, shipping companies, petrochemical companies, architects and advertising agencies.[58] The most notable companies headquartered in the city are food and fashion retailer Woolworths,[59] supermarket chain Pick n Pay Stores and Shoprite,[60] New Clicks Holdings Limited, fashion retailer Foschini Group,[61] isp MWEB, Mediclinic International, etv, multi-national mass media giant Naspers, and financial services giant Sanlam.[62] Other notable companies include Belron (vehicle glass repair and replacement group operating worldwide), CapeRay (develops, manufactures and supplies medical imaging equipment for the diagnosis of breast cancer), Ceres Fruit Juices (produces fruit juice and other fruit based products), Coronation Fund Managers (third-party fund management company), ICS (was one of the largest meat processing and distribution companies in the world), Vida e Caffè (chain of coffee retailers), Capitec Bank (commercial bank in the Republic of South Africa). The city is a manufacturing base for several multi-national companies including, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Levi Strauss & Co., Adidas, Bokomo Foods, and Nampak.

text: Much of the produce is handled through the Port of Cape Town or Cape Town International Airport. Most major shipbuilding companies have offices and manufacturing locations in Cape Town.[63] The Province is also a centre of energy development for the country, with the existing Koeberg nuclear power station providing energy for the Western Cape's needs.

text: The Western Cape is an important tourist region in South Africa; the tourism industry accounts for 9.8% of the GDP of the province and employs 9.6% of the province's workforce. In 2010, over 1.5 million international tourists visited the area.[64]

text: With the highest number of successful Information Technology companies in Africa, Cape Town is an important centre for the industry on the continent. Growing at an annual rate of 8.5% and an estimated worth of R77 billion in 2010 nationwide the IT industry in Cape Town is becoming increasingly important to the city's economy.[65]

text: The city was recently named as the most entrepreneurial city in South Africa, with the percentage of Capetonians pursuing business opportunities almost three times higher than the national average. Those aged between 18 and 64 were 190% more likely to pursue new business, whilst in Johannesburg, the same demographic group was only 60% more likely than the national average to pursue a new business.[66]

text: Tourism[edit]

text: Cape Town is not only a popular international tourist destination in South Africa, but Africa as a whole. This is due to its mild climate, natural setting, and well-developed infrastructure. The city has several well-known natural features that attract tourists, most notably Table Mountain,[67] which forms a large part of the Table Mountain National Park and is the back end of the City Bowl. Reaching the top of the mountain can be achieved either by hiking up, or by taking the Table Mountain Cableway. Cape Point is recognised as the dramatic headland at the end of the Cape Peninsula.[68] Many tourists also drive along Chapman's Peak Drive, a narrow road that links Noordhoek with Hout Bay, for the views of the Atlantic Ocean and nearby mountains. It is possible to either drive or hike up Signal Hill for closer views of the City Bowl and Table Mountain.[69]

text: Many tourists also visit Cape Town's beaches, which are popular with local residents.[70] Due to the city's unique geography, it is possible to visit several different beaches in the same day, each with a different setting and atmosphere. Though the Cape's water ranges from cold to mild, the difference between the two sides of the city is dramatic. While the Atlantic Seaboard averages annual water temperatures barely above that of coastal California around 13 °C (55 °F), the False Bay coast is much warmer, averaging between 16 and 17 °C (61 and 63 °F) annually. This is similar to water temperatures in much of the Northern Mediterranean (for example Nice). In summer, False Bay water averages slightly over 20 °C (68 °F), with 22 °C (72 °F) a common high. Beaches located on the Atlantic Coast tend to have very cold water due to the Benguela current which originates from the Southern Ocean, whilst the water at False Bay beaches may be warmer by up to 10 °C (18 °F) at the same moment due to the influence of the warm Agulhas current, and the surface warming effects of the South Easter wind.[70] It is a common misconception that False Bay is part of the Indian Ocean, with Cape Point being both the meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and the southernmost tip of Africa. The oceans in fact meet at the actual southernmost tip, Cape Agulhas, which lies approximately 150 kilometres (93 miles) to the south east. The misconception is fuelled by the relative warmth of the False Bay water to the Atlantic Seaboard water, and the many confusing instances of "Two Oceans" in names synonymous with Cape Town, such as the Two Oceans Marathon, the Two Oceans Aquarium, and places such as Two Oceans wine farm.

text: Both coasts are equally popular, although the beaches in affluent Clifton and elsewhere on the Atlantic Coast are better developed with restaurants and cafés, with a strip of restaurants and bars accessible to the beach at Camps Bay. The Atlantic seaboard, known as Cape Town's Rivera, is regarded as one of the most scenic routes in South Africa. The majestic slopes of the Twelve Apostles to the unspoilt boulders and white sand beaches of Llandudno, which the route ending in Hout Bay - a diverse bustling suburb with a harbour and a seal island. This fishing village is flanked by the luscious Constantia valley and the picturesque Chapmans Peak drive. Boulders Beach near Simon's Town is known for its colony of African penguins.[71] Surfing is popular and the city hosts the Red Bull Big Wave Africa surfing competition every year.

text: The city has several notable cultural attractions. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, built on top of part of the docks of the Port of Cape Town, is the city's most visited tourist attraction. It is also one of the city's most popular shopping venues, with several hundred shops and the Two Oceans Aquarium.[72][73] The V&A also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which ferries depart for Robben Island.[74] It is possible to take a ferry from the V&A to Hout Bay, Simon's Town and the Cape fur seal colonies on Seal and Duiker Islands. Several companies offer tours of the Cape Flats, a mostly Coloured township, and Khayelitsha, a mostly black township.[75]

text: Cape Town is noted for its architectural heritage, with the highest density of Cape Dutch style buildings in the world. Cape Dutch style, which combines the architectural traditions of the Netherlands, Germany, France and Indonesia, is most visible in Constantia, the old government buildings in the Central Business District, and along Long Street.[76][77] The annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, also known by its Afrikaans name of Kaapse Klopse, is a large minstrel festival held annually on 2 January or "Tweede Nuwe Jaar" (Afrikaans: Second New Year). Competing teams of minstrels parade in brightly coloured costumes, performing Cape Jazz, either carrying colourful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The Artscape Theatre Centre is the largest performing arts venue in Cape Town.[78]

text: The city also encloses the 36 hectare Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden that contains protected natural forest and fynbos along with a variety of animals and birds. There are over 7,000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species of the Cape Floristic Region. In 2004 this Region, including Kirstenbosch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[79]

text: Cape Town's transport system links it to the rest of South Africa; it serves as the gateway to other destinations within the province. The Cape Winelands and in particular the towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek are popular day trips from the city for sightseeing and wine tasting.[80][81] Whale watching is popular amongst tourists: southern right whales and humpback whales are seen off the coast during the breeding season (August to November) and Bryde's whales and killer whale can be seen any time of the year.[82] The nearby town of Hermanus is known for its Whale Festival, but whales can also be seen in False Bay.[82] Heaviside's dolphins are endemic to the area and can be seen from the coast north of Cape Town; dusky dolphins live along the same coast and can occasionally be seen from the ferry to Robben Island.[82]

text: The only complete windmill in South Africa is Mostert's Mill, Mowbray. It was built in 1796 and restored in 1935 and again in 1995.

text: The most popular areas for visitors to stay include Camps Bay, Sea Point, the V&A Waterfront, the City Bowl, Hout Bay, Constantia, Rondebosch, Newlands, Somerset West, Hermanus and Stellenbosch.[83]

text: In November 2013, Cape Town was voted the best global city in The Daily Telegraph's annual Travel Awards.[84]

text: Tourism marketing[edit]

text: The City of Cape Town works closely with Cape Town Tourism to promote the city both locally and internationally. The primary focus of Cape Town Tourism is to represent Cape Town as a tourist destination.[85][86] Cape Town Tourism receives a portion of its funding from the City of Cape Town while the remainder is made up of membership fees and own-generated funds.[87]

text:
Cape of Good Hope

Clifton's 4th Beach

Panoramic view across the Victoria Basin at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, with Table Mountain in the background

The distinctive Cape Malay Bo-Kaap is one of the most visited areas in Cape Town.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Mostert's Mill

Groote Kerk, Cape Town

tag: ul

text: Communications and media[edit]

text: Several newspapers, magazines and printing facilities have their offices in the city. Independent News and Media publishes the major English language papers in the city, the Cape Argus and the Cape Times. Naspers, the largest media conglomerate in South Africa, publishes Die Burger, the major Afrikaans language paper.[88]

text: Cape Town has many local community newspapers. Some of the largest community newspapers in English are the Athlone News from Athlone, the Atlantic Sun, the Constantiaberg Bulletin from Constantiaberg, the City Vision from Bellville, the False Bay Echo from False Bay, the Helderberg Sun from Helderberg, the Plainsman from Michells Plain, the Sentinel News from Hout Bay, the Southern Mail from the Southern Peninsula, the Southern Suburbs Tatler from the Southern Suburbs, Table Talk from Table View and Tygertalk from Tygervalley/Durbanville. Afrikaans language community newspapers include the Landbou-Burger and the Tygerburger. Vukani, based in the Cape Flats, is published in Xhosa.[89]

text: Cape Town is a centre for major broadcast media with several radio stations that only broadcast within the city. 94.5 Kfm (94.5 MHz FM) and Good Hope FM (94–97 MHz FM) mostly play pop music. Heart FM (104.9 MHz FM), the former P4 Radio, plays jazz and R&B, while Fine Music Radio (101.3 FM) plays classical music and jazz. Bush Radio is a community radio station (89.5 MHz FM). The Voice of the Cape (95.8 MHz FM) and Cape Talk (567 kHz MW) are the major talk radio stations in the city.[90] Bokradio (98.9 MHz FM) is an Afrikaans music station.[91] The University of Cape Town also runs its own radio station, UCT Radio (104.5 MHz FM).

text: The SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) has a small presence in the city, with satellite studios located at Sea Point. e.tv has a greater presence, with a large complex located at Longkloof Studios in Gardens. M-Net is not well represented with infrastructure within the city. Cape Town TV is a local TV station, supported by numerous organisation and focusing mostly on documentaries. Numerous productions companies and their support industries are located in the city, mostly supporting the production of overseas commercials, model shoots, TV-series and movies.[92] The local media infrastructure remains primarily in Johannesburg.

text: Sports[edit]

text:
Venue
Sport
Capacity
Club(s)

Cape Town Stadium
Association football/Rugby
69,070
Ajax CT, Cape Town City FC

Newlands Cricket Ground
Cricket
25,000
Cape Cobras, Western Province Cricket

Newlands Rugby Stadium
Rugby
47,000
Stormers, Western Province

Athlone Stadium
Association football
24,000
Santos Football Club

Philippi Stadium
Association football
5,000

Bellville Velodrome
Cycling track
3,000
Western Province Cycling

Hartleyvale Hockey Centre
Field Hockey
2,000
Western Province Hockey

Turfhall Stadium
Softball
3,000
Western Province Softball

Good Hope Centre
Various indoor sports
6,000
Various

Royal Cape Yacht Club
Sailing
N/A
Royal Cape Yacht Club

Grand West Arena
Various
6,000
N/A

Green Point Athletics Stadium
Athletics, Association football
5,000
N/A

Newlands Swimming Pool
Swimming/water polo/diving
2,000
WP Aquatics

Autshumato/Berg River Dam
Rowing/Canoe-Kayak
N/A
N/A]

Khayelitsha canal
Rowing/Canoe

Khayelitsha Rugby & Soccer stadium
Association football/Rugby
6,000

text: Cape Town's most popular sports by participation are cricket, association football, swimming, and rugby union.[93] In rugby union, Cape Town is the home of the Western Province side, who play at Newlands Stadium and compete in the Currie Cup. In addition, Western Province players (along with some from Wellington's Boland Cavaliers) comprise the Stormers in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Cape Town also regularly hosts the national team, the Springboks, and hosted matches during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, including the opening ceremony and game, as well as the semi-final between New Zealand and England that saw Jonah Lomu run in four tries.

text: Association football, which is better known as soccer in South Africa, is also popular. Two clubs from Cape Town play in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), South Africa's premier league. These teams are Ajax Cape Town, which formed as a result of the 1999 amalgamation of the Seven Stars and the Cape Town Spurs and resurrected Cape Town City F.C.. Cape Town was also the location of several of the matches of the FIFA 2010 World Cup including a semi-final,[94] held in South Africa. The Mother City built a new 70,000 seat stadium (Cape Town Stadium) in the Green Point area.

text: In cricket, the Cape Cobras represent Cape Town at the Newlands Cricket Ground. The team is the result of an amalgamation of the Western Province Cricket and Boland Cricket teams. They take part in the Supersport and Standard Bank Cup Series. The Newlands Cricket Ground regularly hosts international matches.

text: Cape Town has had Olympic aspirations. For example, in 1996, Cape Town was one of the five candidate cities shortlisted by the IOC to launch official candidatures to host the 2004 Summer Olympics. Although the games ultimately went to Athens, Cape Town came in third place. There has been some speculation that Cape Town was seeking the South African Olympic Committee's nomination to be South Africa's bid city for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.[95] That however was quashed when the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2020 games to Tokyo.

text: Sports events[edit]

text: The city of Cape Town has vast experience in hosting major national and international sports events.

text: The Cape Town Cycle Tour is the world's largest individually timed cycle race – and the first event outside Europe to be included in the International Cycling Union's Golden Bike Series. It sees over 35,000 cyclists tackling a 109 km (68 mi) route around Cape Town. The Absa Cape Epic is the largest full-service mountain bike stage race in the world.

text: Some notable events hosted by Cape Town have included the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, and World Championships in various sports such as athletics, fencing, weightlifting, hockey, cycling, canoeing, gymnastics and others.

text: Cape Town was also a host city to the 2010 FIFA World Cup from 11 June to 11 July 2010, further enhancing its profile as a major events city. It was also one of the host cities of the 2009 Indian Premier League cricket tournament.

text: Education[edit]

text: Public primary and secondary schools in Cape Town are run by the Western Cape Education Department. This provincial department is divided into seven districts; four of these are "Metropole" districts – Metropole Central, North, South, and East – which cover various areas of the city.[96] There are also many private schools, both religious and secular, in Cape Town.

text: Tertiary education[edit]

text: Cape Town has a well-developed higher system of public universities. Cape Town is served by three public universities: the University of Cape Town (UCT), the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Stellenbosch University, while not in the city itself, is 50 kilometres from the City Bowl and has additional campuses, such as the Tygerberg Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Bellville Business Park closer to the City.

text: Both the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University are leading universities in South Africa. This is due in large part to substantial financial contributions made to these institutions by both the public and private sector. UCT is an English-speaking institution. It has over 21,000 students and has an MBA programme that is ranked 51st by the Financial Times in 2006.[97] It is also the top-ranked university in Africa, being the only African university to make the world's Top 200 university list at number 146.[98] Since the African National Congress has come into governmental power, some restructuring of Western Cape universities has taken place and as such, traditionally non-white universities have seen increased financing, which has benefitted the University of the Western Cape.[99][100]

text: The public Cape Peninsula University of Technology was formed on 1 January 2005, when two separate institutions – Cape Technikon and Peninsula Technikon – were merged. The new university offers education primarily in English, although one may take courses in any of South Africa's official languages. The institution generally awards the National Diploma.

text: Cape Town has also become a popular study abroad destination for many international college students. Many study abroad providers offer semester, summer, short-term, and internship programs in partnership with Cape Town universities as a chance for international students to gain intercultural understanding.

text: Transport[edit]

text: Air[edit]

text: Cape Town International Airport serves both domestic and international flights. It is the second-largest airport in South Africa and serves as a major gateway for travellers to the Cape region. Cape Town has direct flights to most cities in South Africa as well as a number of international destinations.[101]

text: Cape Town International Airport recently opened a brand new central terminal building that was developed to handle an expected increase in air traffic as tourism numbers increased in the lead-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[102] Other renovations include several large new parking garages, a revamped domestic departure terminal, a new Bus Rapid Transit system station and a new double-decker road system. The airport's cargo facilities are also being expanded and several large empty lots are being developed into office space and hotels.

text: The Cape Town International Airport was among the winners of the World Travel Awards for being Africa's leading airport.[103]

text: Sea[edit]

text: Cape Town has a long tradition as a port city. The Port of Cape Town, the city's main port, is in Table Bay directly to the north of the central business district. The port is a hub for ships in the southern Atlantic: it is located along one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world. It is also a busy container port, second in South Africa only to Durban. In 2004, it handled 3,161 ships and 9.2 million tonnes of cargo.[104]

text: Simon's Town Harbour on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula is the main operational base of the South African Navy.

text: Rail[edit]

text: The Shosholoza Meyl is the passenger rail operations of Spoornet and operates two long-distance passenger rail services from Cape Town: a daily service to and from Johannesburg via Kimberley and a weekly service to and from Durban via Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg. These trains terminate at Cape Town railway station and make a brief stop at Bellville. Cape Town is also one terminus of the luxury tourist-oriented Blue Train as well as the five-star Rovos Rail.

text: Metrorail operates a commuter rail service in Cape Town and the surrounding area. The Metrorail network consists of 96 stations throughout the suburbs and outskirts of Cape Town.

text: Road[edit]

text: Cape Town is the origin of three national roads. The N1 and N2 begin in the foreshore area near the city centre.

text: The N1 runs ENE as a highway through Edgemead, Parow, Bellville, and Brackenfell. It connects Cape Town to Paarl and the major cities in the interior - Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Zimbabwe. An older at-grade road, the R101, runs parallel to the N1 from Bellville.

text: The N2 runs ESE as a highway through Rondebosch, Guguletu, Khayelitsha, Macassar to Somerset West. It becomes a multiple-carriageway at-grade road from the intersection with the R44 onwards. The N2 continues east along the coast, linking Cape Town to the coastal cities of Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban. An older at-grade road, the R101, runs parallel to the N1 initially, before veering south at Bellville, to join the N2 at Somerset West via the suburbs of Kuils River and Eerste River.

text: The N7 originates from the N1 at Wingfield Interchange near Edgemead. It runs north, initially as a highway, but becoming an at-grade road from the intersection with the M5 (Potsdam Rd) onwards. It links Cape Town with the Northern Cape Province and Namibia.

text: There are also a number of two- and three-digit regional routes linking Cape Town with surrounding areas. The R27 originates from the N1 near the Foreshore and runs north parallel to the N7, but nearer to the coast. It passes through the suburbs of Milnerton, Table View and Bloubergstrand and links the City to the West Coast, ending at the town of Velddrif. The R44 enters the east of the metro from the north, from Stellenbosch. It connects Stellenbosch to Somerset West, then crosses the N2 to Strand and Gordon's Bay. It exits the metro heading south hugging the coast, leading to the towns of Betty's Bay and Kleinmond.

text: Of the three-digit routes, the R300, which is informally known as the Cape Flats Freeway, is a highway linking the N1 at Brackenfell to the N2 near Mitchells Plain and the Cape Town International Airport. The R302 runs from the R102 in Bellville, heading north across the N1 through Durbanville leaving the metro to Malmesbury. The R304 enters the northern limits of the metro from Stellenbosch, running NNW before veering west to cross the N7 at Philadelphia to end at Atlantis at a junction with the\sR307. This R307 starts north of Koeberg from the R27 and, after meeting the R304, continues north to Darling. The R310 originates from Muizenberg and runs along the coast, to the south of Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha, before veering north-east, crossing the N2 west of Macassar, and exiting the metro heading to Stellenbosch.

text: Cape Town, like most South African cities, uses Metropolitan or "M" routes for important intra-city routes, a layer below National (N) roads and Regional (R) routes. Each city's M roads are independently numbered. Most are at-grade roads. However, the M3 splits from the N2 and runs to the south along the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, connecting the City Bowl with Muizenberg. Except for a section between Rondebosch and Newlands that has at-grade intersections, this route is a highway. The M5 splits from the N1 further east than the M3, and links the Cape Flats to the CBD. It is a highway as far as the interchange with the M68 at Ottery, before continuing as an at-grade road.

text: Cape Town suffers from the worst traffic congestion in South Africa.[105][106]

text: Buses[edit]

text: Golden Arrow Bus Services operates scheduled bus services throughout the Cape Town metropolitan area. Several companies run long-distance bus services from Cape Town to the other cities in South Africa.

text: Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT)[edit]

text: Cape Town has a public transport system in about 10% of the city, running north to south along the west coastline of the city, comprising Phase 1 of the IRT system. This is known as the MyCiTi service.[107]

text: MyCiTi Phase 1 includes services linking the Airport to the Cape Town inner city, as well as the following areas: Blouberg / Table View, Dunoon, Atlantis and Melkbosstrand, Milnerton, Paarden Eiland, Century City, Salt River and Walmer Estate, and all suburbs of the City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard all the way to Llandudno and Hout Bay.

text: The MyCiTi N2 Express service consists of two routes each linking the Cape Town inner city and Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats.

text: The service use high floor articulated and standard size buses in dedicated busways, low floor articulated and standard size buses on the N2 Express service, and smaller 9-metre (30-foot) Optare buses in suburban and inner city areas. It offers universal access through level boarding and numerous other measures, and requires cashless fare payment using the EMV compliant smart card system, called myconnect. Headway of services (i.e. the time between buses on the same route) range from 3 mins to 20 mins in peak times to 60 minutes during quiet off-peak periods.

text: Taxis[edit]

text: Cape Town has two kinds of taxis: metered taxis and minibus taxis. Unlike many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called to a specific location.

text: Cape Town metered taxi cabs mostly operate in the city bowl, suburbs and Cape Town International Airport areas. Large companies that operate fleets of cabs can be reached by phone and are cheaper than the single operators that apply for hire from taxi ranks and Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. There are about one thousand meter taxis in Cape Town. Their rates vary from R8 per kilometre to about R15 per kilometre. The larger taxi companies in Cape Town are Excite Taxis, Cabnet and Intercab and single operators are reachable by cellular phone. The seven seated Toyota Avanza are the most popular with larger Taxi companies. Meter cabs are mostly used by tourists and are safer to use than minibus taxis.

text: Minibus taxis are the standard form of transport for the majority of the population who cannot afford private vehicles.[108] Although essential, these taxis are often poorly maintained and are frequently not road-worthy. These taxis make frequent unscheduled stops to pick up passengers, which can cause accidents.[109][110] With the high demand for transport by the working class of South Africa, minibus taxis are often filled over their legal passenger allowance. Minibuses are generally owned and operated in fleets.[111]

text:
Table Mountain from the harbour

Metrorail train leaving Kalk Bay station

N2 highway, entering the City Bowl

Taxi rank above Cape Town railway station

text: Twin towns – sister cities[edit]

text: Cape Town has nine twin towns and sister cities:

text:
Country
City
Established

 Belgium
Antwerp[112][unreliable source]
1996

 Germany
Aachen[113]
2000

 Israel
Haifa[114]
1975

 China
Hangzhou[115]
2005

 Mozambique
Maputo[citation needed]
1994

 France
Nice[116]
1974

 Russia
Saint Petersburg[117]
2001

 Portugal
Funchal[citation needed]
1995

 Angola
Luanda[citation needed]
1997


document_title: John Wick

question_text: who plays the bad guy in john wick

question_tokens: who plays the bad guy in john wick

text: John Wick

text: Plot[edit]

text: After John Wick loses his wife Helen to a terminal illness, he receives a beagle puppy named Daisy, per Helen's instructions, to help him cope with her death. He connects with the puppy and they spend their day driving around in his vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1. At a gas station, he encounters a trio of Russian gangsters whose leader, Iosef Tarasov, insists on buying his car, but John refuses to sell it. The mobsters follow John to his home that night, knock him unconscious, steal his car, and kill Daisy.

text: Iosef takes the Mustang to a chop shop run by Aurelio to have the VIN changed. Aurelio recognizes the car and, upon learning that Iosef stole it from John, punches him before throwing him out of his shop. John visits Aurelio, who tells him Iosef is the son of Viggo Tarasov, the head of the Russian crime syndicate in New York City. Viggo, informed by Aurelio of Iosef's actions, beats and berates Iosef, explaining to him that John Wick was his best assassin, nicknamed "Baba Yaga." When John wanted to retire and marry Helen, Viggo gave him an "impossible task", implied to involve multiple assassinations. John succeeded, establishing the Tarasov syndicate.

text: Viggo tries to talk John out of seeking retribution, but John silently refuses. Viggo then sends a twelve-man hit squad to John's house, but John kills them all and has the bodies professionally removed. An unsurprised Viggo places a $2 million bounty on John's head and personally offers the contract to Marcus, John's mentor. John seeks refuge at the Continental Hotel, which caters exclusively to the criminal underworld and permits no "business" on its premises. Viggo doubles the bounty for those willing to break the rules to kill John at the Continental.

text: John learns from Winston, the Continental's owner, that Viggo has Iosef protected at his nightclub, the Red Circle. John enters the Red Circle and kills his way to Iosef, but Viggo's henchman Kirill waylays John, allowing Iosef to escape. John retreats to the Continental to tend his injuries. Ms. Perkins, an assassin and former acquaintance, sneaks into John's room to kill him, but Marcus alerts John, allowing him to subdue Perkins. He forces Perkins to reveal the location of Viggo's front, knocks her unconscious and leaves her with fellow assassin Harry to await punishment. However, Perkins frees herself and kills Harry.

text: John travels to the Little Russia church which serves as Viggo's front and destroys Viggo's cache of money and blackmail material. When Viggo and his team arrive, John ambushes them, but he is subdued and captured. Viggo taunts John for thinking he could leave his old life behind. Before John can be killed, Marcus intervenes again, allowing John to free himself, kill Kirill, and accost Viggo. Under John's gunpoint, Viggo reveals Iosef's location to him. John then travels to Iosef's "safe house" and kills him.

text: Perkins sees that John and Marcus have been in contact and tells Viggo, who has Marcus tortured before executing him in his home. Viggo calls John to report this, planning to have Perkins ambush him. Perkins, however, is called to a meeting with Winston, who has her executed for breaking the Continental's rules.

text: Winston calls John to inform him that Viggo is planning to escape by helicopter, and John races to the harbor, killing Viggo's remaining henchmen before engaging Viggo in a fistfight on the dock. Viggo pulls a knife and John allows himself to be stabbed, surprising Viggo. John then disarms and fatally wounds Viggo. Wounded himself, John stops at a waterfront animal clinic to treat his wound and takes with him a pit bull puppy which was scheduled to be euthanized. John and the dog walk home on the boardwalk where he had his last date with Helen.

text: Cast[edit]

text: Keanu Reeves as John Wick

text: Michael Nyqvist as Viggo

text: Alfie Allen as Iosef

text: Adrianne Palicki as Ms. Perkins

text: Bridget Moynahan as Helen Wick

text: Dean Winters as Avi

text: Ian McShane as Winston

text: John Leguizamo as Aurelio

text: Willem Dafoe as Marcus

text: The cast also includes David Patrick Kelly as a "cleaner" named Charlie, Randall Duk Kim as a doctor with a select clientele, Lance Reddick as Charon, a concierge at The Continental Hotel who always seems to know what the client needs, Munro M. Bonnell as a Russian Orthodox priest who protects the vault where Viggo stores his valuables,[47] Omer Barnea as Gregori and Toby Leonard Moore as Victor, Iosef's friends and bodyguards,[47] Daniel Bernhardt as Kirill, Viggo's henchman;[48] Bridget Regan as Addy,[47] Keith Jardine as Kuzma,[48] Tait Fletcher as Nicholai,[48] Thomas Sadoski as Jimmy,[48] Clarke Peters as Harry,[47] Kevin Nash as a bouncer named Francis at the Red Circle nightclub,[49][50] Gameela Wright as a delivery woman,[48][51] Vladislav Koulikov as Pavel,[48][51] Pat Squire as an elderly woman,[48][51] Vladimir Troitsky as a team leader,[48][51] and Scott Tixier (uncredited) as a violinist.[52][53]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text:
"Making a movie is actually fairly easy. Making a good one is much harder. It was a huge learning experience and I'm very proud of it. We stretched our schedule to the absolute limits. We fought for what we believed in, and chose to make a story-driven, character-driven action movie. That's why I chose to do it. This was an opportunity to do something that wasn't just about cars, explosions, fire and fights. Yes, John fights; yes, he shoots guns; and he drives a car very fast, but the focus was always trying to do something cinematically different."

— Chad Stahelski, on the experience of directing John Wick[16]

tag: div

text: The premise for John Wick was conceived by screenwriter Derek Kolstad who began work on a treatment about a retired contract killer coming out to seek vengeance, entitled Scorn.[54] After one month of work, he had completed the first draft of the screenplay and once he had addressed several issues he pitched the script to various clients, garnering at least three offers.[55] When he first started thinking about writing the script, Kolstad was influenced by film-noir classics and the themes of revenge and the antihero and the occurrences of what may play out if "The worst man in existence found salvation […] When the source of his salvation is ripped from him […] Do the gates of Hades open?"[16][56] For Kolstad, both Alistair MacLean and Stephen King were influences in the creating of the story of John Wick in terms of characterisation and world-building, stating, "[…] MacLean could build a world, and King could surprise you by what the main character truly was capable of."[27]

text: On December 3, 2012, it was announced that Thunder Road Pictures had bought the script with discretionary funds, with Kolstad agreeing due to Thunder Road's plan to make the film straight away.[6][55][57] When Basil Iwanyk, head of Thunder Road Pictures, had first read Kolstad's original screenplay, he was immediately drawn to the main character of Wick, stating, "The tone of the script was subversive and really fun."[18] He also admired the emotional weight and action theme of the piece. After Thunder Road had optioned the script, Kolstad spent additional months refurbishing the script with them. In the original script, the character of John Wick was written with "a man in his mid-sixties" to play the role, given the title character’s fabled reputation as a revered and respected assassin.[18] However, Iwanyk was of the belief that this was irrelevant and bent the original vision ever so slightly, stating, "Instead, we decided to look for someone who is not literally older, but who has a seasoned history in the film world."[58]

text: On May 7, 2013, it was announced that Keanu Reeves began negotiations to star in the piece in April, and was later confirmed as the film's male lead, after Iwanyk and Peter Lawson of Thunder Road showed him the script,[16] to which he thought to be full of potential and further stated, "I love the role, but you want the whole story, the whole ensemble to come to life."[59] Reeves and Kolstad had worked closely together on further developing the screenplay and the story,[55][60] with the screenwriter stating, "We spent as much time developing the other characters as we did his. [Keanu] recognizes that the strength of the storyline lies in even the smallest details."[61] The title of the film was later changed from Scorn to John Wick, as according to Kolstad, "Keanu liked the name so much, that Reeves kept telling everyone that he was making a film called 'John Wick'", and the producers agreed, changing the title.[26]

text: During story discussions for John Wick, Reeves contacted Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, who he originally met on the set of The Matrix,[62] to see if they were interested in choreographing or directing the action of the piece.[14][63] Reeves admired Stahelski and Leitch's work performing, choreographing and coordinating, stating that, "When I got the script... I immediately thought of Chad and Dave for the action design, but I was secretly hoping they'd want to direct it."[63] he then added, "I knew that they would love the genre and I knew that they would love John Wick. And I thought the worlds that get created – the real world and then this underworld – would be attractive to them, and it was."[14][63] After reading Kolstad's script, Stahelski and Leitch, told Reeves they wanted to tell the story of John Wick, as they both had a desire to get involved with a project as directors. Impressed with Reeves' enthusiasm and the quality of the script, Stahelski and Leitch, told him that they wished to direct the film and later presented him with their version of the story which was based on "[…] the idea of [Wick] as an urban legend, a thriller assassin movie with a realistic vibe and an otherworldly setting."[16] Impressed with their concept, Reeves supported the pair, and Stahelski and Leitch pitched the idea to the studio, who hired them to direct, contrary to their initial request of directing the film's second unit.[14] On 7 May 2013, it was announced that Stahelski and Leitch were to direct the film together as a team,[64][65] though it was later ruled by the Directors Guild of America that only Stahelski would be given the director credit.[5] Leitch was credited as a producer.[66]

text: Stahelski acknowledged the challenges in balancing the action with that of both the pace and tone,[45] stating "we're good at doing that for a particular scene when doing action, but here, we had to take a through-line for the entire film." He acknowledged also that action itself should be a collaborative entity with the story, as opposed to being a thing of its own: "If you're clever with the story and clever with the action, they can fuse together."[67] "We don’t see any real separation that the story stops, and then we just wow you with action. If it all fits and weaves together and helps you love the character, that's what we want to do. … Demand more out of your action, as an audience."[44][67]

text: It was remarked by Kolstad, once Reeves, Stahelski and Leitch were officially on board, that during the period of January 2013 to September 2013,[68] he was still working on the final drafts of the screenplay and the modifying of it, to which he described in the general sense a rather "relentless process" further stating, "[…] it needs to be in order to get everyone’s vision in check."[68][69]

text: On September 12, 2013, Willem Dafoe was confirmed to have been cast in the role of Marcus "[…] a close friend of Wick. He was the one who encouraged Wick to leave the life after his wife dies."[70][71] On 19 September 2013, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki and Dean Winters were later confirmed to be a part of the film's supporting cast.[72][73] On 14 October 2013, Bridget Moynahan had joined the cast of Stahelski and Leitch's film in the role of John Wick's wife who, "the beagle puppy, Daisy, was a posthumous gift to John from."[74][75][76] On 15 October 2013, Jason Isaacs had joined the cast, portraying David.[77][78][79] On 27 November 2013, Daniel Bernhardt was confirmed to have joined the cast of Stahelski and Leitch's John Wick, playing Kirill, "a formal Russian military commander who is Viggo's henchman."[80] Stahelski and Leitch are hoping for more opportunities behind the camera,[81] with Stahelski himself stating, "Our focus has always been to be filmmakers first and department heads second" and "Now we're following our passion and our dream".[82][83]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Principal photography was confirmed to have begun in New York City, with an expected late 2014 release, with an original shooting schedule meant to have occurred from 25 September to 5 December.[84][85] On 14 October 2013, shooting began in Mill Neck, New York,[86] with the filming process scheduled to continue in and around New York City and greater New York area.[75][87]

text: On August 26, 2013, Lionsgate announced that they were looking for "a high-end glass house with a water view" that was located in Nassau County, additionally with a scene or two being shot in Long Island.[88] On October 6, 2013, filming occurred next door to the Flatiron School, on 11 Broadway.[89] Filming moved to Brooklyn on October 24, with filming occurring on 6th Avenue between Union and Carroll Street, President Street between 6th and 7th Avenues and Carroll Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.[90] Additionally filming later occurred at the St. Francis Xavier Church on 6th Avenue.[91][92] On October 28, 2013, a scene was shot CITGO gas station, 501 N. Highland Ave in Upper Nyack, whilst also shooting footage at Route 9W and Christian Herald Road.[93][94]

text: On November 1, 2013, filming took place in lower Manhattan at 1 Wall Street Court, was used for the exterior of The Continental hotel. On November 12, 2013, some scenes were shot on 25 Broadway,[95] and in downtown Manhattan on Beaver Street by Broad Street.[96] Filming also took place at W 43rd Street and 8th Avenue, on November 13, in Manhattan,[97] and club scenes for John Wick have been filmed on W 27 Street, with November 15 being the last night schedule at the location.[98] On November 21, 2013, it was announced that a bath house scene was scheduled to be filmed on November 24, December 4 and December 5.[99] Other shooting locations included Tribeca, on November 20, which a chase scene was filmed on Church Street.[100] It was also reported, on November 27, that filming had been set up on E 83rd and 3rd Street on the Upper East Side.[101][102]

text: On December 2, 2013, a three-week Upper East Side shoot was scheduled until December 22, with Keanu Reeves and Willem Dafoe filming several scenes.[103] Filming continued to shoot in Tribeca from December 3 to December 5, with the notification placed on Church and Franklin.[104] After the Tribeca shoot, the crew moved to Long Island on December 6 to film a funeral scene, and the shoot will be exterior.[105] Additional filming was reported on December 13 for Chambers Street, Worth Street and Lafayette Street.[106] On December 19, Reeves was filming in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.[107]

text: Principal photography was confirmed to have ended on December 20, 2013,[108] with post-production beginning on January 10, 2014.[109]

text: According to directors commentary, their first cut of the movie was 2 hours and 20 minutes long. They didn't reveal much about approximately 39 minutes of footage that was cut out of the movie but they did mention that the ending fight between John and Viggo was longer but was cut down after they both acknowledged that Viggo shouldn’t really pose a big physical threat to Wick. Also, David Leitch said how "There’s a ton of great shots on the cutting room floor that’s just Keanu walking in cool environments."[110]

text: Cinematography[edit]

text:
"Having the ALEXA XT with in-camera ARRIRAW is like going to back to an ARRICAM or an ARRIFLEX 435, which is amazing."

— Cinematographer Jonathan Sela, on the usage of ALEXA XT on John Wick[111]

text: The film was shot digitally with Arri Alexa XT in a distributed aspect ratio of 2.39:1.[112] Cinematographer Jonathan Sela himself chose to work with Arri Alexa XT cameras due to discussions regarding the look of the film John Wick, thus he pushed for a mix of ARRICAM and ALEXA which allowed, in turn, the blend of film and digital.[111] "Everybody loved the idea but when you run the numbers of having two packages and also the cost of film, it gets too expensive, so we decided to work entirely with the ALEXA. It's the camera I've used on commercials so I knew I was comfortable with the ALEXA and I knew I liked it."[111] Sela spoke of the idea that Stahelski, Leitch and himself wished to achieve a visual contrast between John Wick's normal life and the other of which he's drawn back into the underworld of assassins. "We wanted the first look to be soft and clean, and the second to be grittier, darker and sharper. For cost reasons we were shooting with just the one camera format, so I used different lenses and contrasting camerawork to create these two distinct looks." He describes the first section of the film as being far more static by stating that, "the camera never stops moving".[113] For John Wick he had decided on using both anamorphic and spherical lenses, to which he combined a set of Hawk V-Lite Vintage '74 anamorphics with that of Cooke S4 sphericals. The initial plan was to use the anamorphic and spherical lenses in the first and second parts, respectively, to create the visual contrast, however, he decided against such a course of action, as he stated, "[…] once we were shooting we felt that the camerawork was enough to separate those two worlds and we ended up using the anamorphics mainly for day work and the sphericals for night work."[111] Sela praised Hawk's Vintage '74 as "beautiful", however, highlighting that they flare considerably which would have become overbearing during night-time shooting. Equally, Sela added, "In daylight they gave us a hazy look and reduced the contrast, which helped make the day scenes seem much more cinematic to me."[111]

text: According to Sela, on-board ARRIRAW recording with the ALEXA XT cameras made a considerable difference with camerawork, stating, "Having the ALEXA XT with in-camera ARRIRAW is like going to back to an ARRICAM or an ARRIFLEX 435, which is amazing." There was a considerable amount of handheld camera work on the second section of John Wick and usage of the ALEXA M allowed filming "to squeeze through the window or into restricted spaces" to occur, especially for the car scenes.[111] Sela was recording ARRIRAW and used the whole sensor area of ALEXA's 4:3 for the anamorphic scenes, which allowed for the maximisation of the image quality for a 4K cinema release. Of such a decision the following was stated, "Shooting in ARRIRAW and having that extra sensor area helps most when you need to manipulate the image; you'll notice it when you have to adjust the color or contrast in a scene because you simply have more information to work with."[111]

text: Design[edit]

text: Costume design[edit]

text: Costume designer Luca Mosca explained that Wick had to possess a piece of attire that had to be worn throughout almost the entire production of the film, to which he then added, "Then we had to tailor it perfectly and make it sleek and timeless enough to fit into this perfect world." Due to the nature of the world Stahelski and Leitch created, Luca had to create a statement for every character based on their costume.[17] Reeves remarked praise for the costume designer, to which he highlighted Luca's ability to give the pieces of clothing meaning, if only subtle; "All the different shades of black that Luca used gave it a lot of overtones. It's funeral and it's priestly. It's also very chic, but it doesn't call attention to itself. When I put on the suit, it definitely affects me."[42] Initially the idea was to place the villains of the piece in combat gear, but later they decided against that due to the principle that they have to be placed in suits, with Leitch quoting Luca, "It is about men in suits."[114]

text: Production design[edit]

text: John Wick features not two worlds, but instead "two of everything", states production designer Dan Leigh on the contrast of the worlds, speaking in jest.[17] Leigh too added, "I approached the story as more of a fable, which ties into the graphic-novel idea. The visual manifestation of that is something that transcends reality. The light is a little bit different. There’s texture in the air. There are unexpected objects everywhere."[115]

text: Sound design[edit]

text: James Bolt and Martyn Zub were the re-recording mixers. Mark Stoeckinger was the supervising sound editor.[116]

text: Production sound mixer Danny Michael had used Sound Devices' 788T-SSD Digital Recorder[117] and CL-WiFi[117] as sound devices, additionally with a Lectrosonics VRT-Venue System, Lectrosonics radio mics, Schoeps CMC-6U and CMIT-5U microphones, a Cooper Sound 208 mixer, Blackmagic dual seven-inch monitors and a Denecke Dcode GR-1 as the main time clock for John Wick.[117] Due to John Wick being an action-oriented piece, it required a lot of sound effects, as well as "file-based workflow".[118]

text: For Michael, the 788T-SSD's ability to swap out removable storage was an advantage, due to himself simply supplying his CompactFlash to the post-production company Light Iron, in order for them to process the raw unedited footage on the set.[118] Michael stated, "I was basically handing over my sound every time a camera roll changed, to a person who was literally five feet away from me" adding that,[119] "They then took my material and synced it with what was coming off the cameras, on the spot. We would rotate CF cards throughout the course of the day."[119]

text: Visual effects[edit]

text: Jake Braver was the overall Visual Effects Supervisor and visual effects company Spin VFX worked on most of the visual effects on John Wick.[120]

text: Music[edit]

text: The musical score to John Wick was composed by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard, with on-screen violin music performed by Scott Tixier.[121] The film also features a few pieces of additional music such as Marilyn Manson's "Killing Strangers" and T-Bo and Bengie B's "Get Money". The original soundtrack album, John Wick: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, was released digitally on October 21 and received a physical format release on October 27 by Varese Sarabande Records.[122] In addition to Bates and Richard's score, the album features music by artists such as Ciscandra Nostalghia, The Candy Shop Boys, and M86 & Susie Q. Le Castle Vania also provided additional music for the score.[121][123]

text: Influences[edit]

text: Director Chad Stahelski said influences on John Wick included The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Point Blank (1967), Le Cercle Rouge (1970), and The Killer (1989).[124]

text: Stahelski said about The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, "Look at Clint Eastwood in [the film] – there is so much back-story unsaid there. We're big fans of leaving it to your imagination. We just give you some gold coins, and then it's, "Where do the gold coins come from?" We'll get to that. Have your imagination do some work there."[24] He also said Point Blank (1967) influenced John Wick: "One of the biggest inspirations for the film was Point Blank. We watched it on a loop in our office and there are a couple homages to that [in John Wick]."[125] Park Chan-wook's The Vengeance Trilogy (2002–2005) and Lee Jeong-beom's The Man from Nowhere (2010) influenced the film due to "[their] minimalist composition and graphic nature."[126]

text: For screenwriter Derek Kolstad, both Alistair MacLean and Stephen King were huge influences in the creation of the story of John Wick in terms of characterisation and world-building, stating, with himself stating, "MacLean could build a world, and King could surprise you by what the main character truly was capable of."[127] Outside of films, Stahelski and Leitch drew inspiration from the visual stylings of the '60s and '70s as well as cinematic influences, including Sergio Leone, Akira Kurosawa, Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin, William Friedkin and Sam Peckinpah.[24] With Stahelski himself stating, "All the way back to Kurosawa up to Sergio Leone. We like the spaghetti western sensibility there, some of the composition." Albeit inspiration and emulation from the noir film genre, Stahelski too added that, "Noir maybe was sort of less impactful for us than the other sort of westerns and Kurosawa and things like that. I think we wanted to make this hard-boiled character."[124][125][128]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: The official website for John Wick debuted on August 15, 2014 introducing a marketing campaign and interactive layout to promote the film. The website streamed an audio file as well as containing interactive games such as "The Red Club Club" and "Revenge Ride".[129] Lionsgate also provided information on the cast and crew as well as a gallery and video section.[130] The first images debuted on August 21, 2014 featuring Reeves' as Wick.[131] With the release Liongate confirmed the film being set for a "sudden release" on October 24, 2014.[132] On September 10, 2014, the teaser poster was released as well as the confirmation date of the expected teaser trailer.[133] The teaser trailer for John Wick debuted September 12, 2014.[134] The theatrical release poster and the final theatrical trailer were both released on September 30, 2014, by both Stahelski and Leitch on an 'Ask me anything' Reddit session.[135]

text: Lionsgate had provided Collider.com and Moviepilot, on October 2, 2014, with a prize pack to give away to various readers, which included Assassin's Creed Unity, a Fandango gift card for $25, a Lionsgate DVD 3-pack with Dredd, Gamer, and Rambo, and a John Wick poster and T-shirt.[136][137] On October 6, 2014, the official website for John Wick had been updated to include three trailers, photographs with John's story as well as individual cast photos and mini-biographies.[138] The IMAX TV spot trailer for John Wick debuted October 6, 2014, featuring new footage of the film.[139] Carl F. Bucherer was the official partner of the John Wick premiere in New York City on October 13, 2014. Keanu Reeves sported a Manero AutoDate with a light dial, Willem Dafoe wore a Manero AutoDate in classic black, and Daniel Bernhardt with a Patravi ChronoGrade.[140] An IMAX Featurette was released on October 22, 2014 featuring clips relating to the film, accompanied by statements by Reeves, Stahelski, and Leitch.[141]

text: On October 16, 2014, John Wick was featured on the week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly.[142]

text: As part of a cross-promotion deal with Overkill Software, Lionsgate and Thunder Road Pictures, on October 21, 2014, John Wick was added as a playable character in the online game Payday 2, and other elements from the film, including Wick's signature weapons, and skill tree that allowed for dual-wielding of certain firearms.[143] Additionally, Fandango offered people who purchase tickets online at select theaters a free download of Payday 2 through Steam.[144] Variety described Liongate's deal as a "pretty imaginative marketing move".[145] Danielle DePalma, Lionsgate's EVP of Digital Marketing, stated, "We're big fans of Payday 2 and the team at Starbreeze, and we're thrilled to kick off our partnership with such a cool movie"[146] and Bo Andersson Klint, Starbreeze CEO, stated, "We've finally got a real hitman on our team. Being able to play as John Wick in Payday 2 ahead of the movie's release is a great reward for our loyal Payday 2 community."[146]

text: Release[edit]

text: John Wick premiered at the Regal Union Square Theatre, Stadium 14 on October 13, 2014 in New York City,[147] after screening at the Austin Fantastic Fest on September 19,[148][149] where it opened the official sidebar section, Special Gala Screening, to an astounding reception,[150] and the ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles on October 22, 2014.[151] John Wick had its television premiere on USA (Channel) on March 12, 2017.

text: Pre-release screenings[edit]

text: Prior to John Wick's public release, an advance screening of the film was shown on October 9, 2014 at Regal Oakwood in Hollywood, Florida.[152] A screening was shown in advance at the UA Court Street in Brooklyn, New York on October 14.[153] Glendale Designs sponsored a private screening on October 16, 2014 at Harkins Arrowhead in Peoria, Arizona.[154] BackstageOL and Lionsgate hosted an advance screening on October 21, 2014 at Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium in Houston, Texas and at the Santikos Embassy 14 in San Antonio, Texas. Additionally, Lionsgate had announced 40 additional advanced screening's at selected theatres in the United States from October 21 to October 22., as part of a national campaign to promote John Wick.[155] Entertainment One Films held advance screenings in Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and Vancouver between October 20 and October 23.[156]

text: Theatrical run[edit]

text: John Wick began a wide theatrical release in the United States on October 24, 2014,[157] expanding in successive weeks to France, Australia and Netherlands,[158][159] ahead of a bow in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2015 after expanding throughout Europe.[160][161]

text: On May 22, 2013, Liongate had sold more than $250 million in territorial rights to nine titles at the Cannes Film Festival, including John Wick.[162] Studio Canal will distribute the piece throughout Germany,[163] Metropolitan Filmexport acquired the French distribution rights to John Wick from Lionsgate,[164] Acme Film acquired the distribution rights throughout the Baltic region,[165] Monolith Films acquired the film rights in Poland, Imagem had acquired the Latin American distribution rights,[163] Orange Sky Golden Harvest obtained the film rights in Taiwan and Hong Kong,[161] and Media Pro acquired the rights in the regions of Czech, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria.[161] Entertainment One Films picked up the Canadian distribution rights.[166] On 10 June 2014, Belga Films had acquired the rights to distribute the film within the Benelux region.[167] On 2 July 2014, MK2 Pictures were confirmed to have acquired the Italian distribution rights to John Wick.[163][168] On 8 May 2014, the Huayi Brothers picked up the Chinese distribution rights to John Wick, being one of only four films in the United States that were picked up, with a planned 2015 limited theatrical release.[169] On 11 August 2014, Lions Gate Entertainment acquired from Thunder Road Pictures the distribution rights to John Wick in the United States, with a planned 2014 limited theatrical release,[170][171][172] and in October, Summit Entertainment, a Lionsgate company, distributed the film in the United States[173] On 31 October 2014, it was announced that Warner Bros. Pictures would be distributing the film within the United Kingdom.[174][175] It was later announced that the release date in the United Kingdom was moved back from the first weekend of 2015 to 10 April 2015.[176]

text: On October 2, 2014, Summit Entertainment announced that John Wick would be released in IMAX.[177] Phil Groves, Senior Vice President of IMAX Corp and Executive Vice President of Global Distribution, IMAX Entertainment, stated, "John Wick is a fun action romp, complete with a tremendously entertaining performance by Keanu Reeves that is perfect for IMAX fans."[178] further adding, "There's no better place for audiences to experience the film's stylized storytelling than in IMAX theatres."[179]

text: Box office[edit]

text: John Wick earned $14.4 million from 2,589 locations on its opening weekend,[180] compared to the $7–8 million opening most analysts projected the film would make.[181] By the end of its theatrical run, John Wick grossed $45.7 million in North America and $43 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $88.8 million, against a production budget of $20 million.[182]

text: The film had a wide release in the United States and Canada in selected theatres on October 24.[183] The film earned $5.45 million on its opening day,[184] including $875,000 from Thursday night previews,[185] which was the second highest opening of that weekend, at an average of $5,465 per theater.[186] The film grossed $2.5 million from 347 IMAX locations that weekend, which represented 17.7 percent of the film's overall gross for its opening weekend.[187] The audience was 60% male and 77% were older than 25.[188][180]

text: Outside North America, the film took $1.4 million during its international opening weekend.[189] The film's highest-grossing debuts were in France, Australia, Thailand, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.[189] On its second week, it added $6.7 million from 33 territories.[190] The film went number one in France ($1.2 million) from 300 screens, number three in Australia ($961,000) from 177 screens, and number ten in the Middle East ($1 million) from a total of 80 screens.[190]

text: Reception[edit]

text: John Wick received generally positive reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 85% based on 193 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Stylish, thrilling, and giddily kinetic, John Wick serves as a satisfying return to action for Keanu Reeves – and what looks like it could be the first of a franchise."[191] Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[192] CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a "B" grade, on an A+ to F scale.[193][194]

text: Peter Travers of Rolling Stone praised the piece by stating, "John Wick is the kind of fired-up, ferocious B-movie fun some of us can't get enough of" and praising the "juicy performances" from Dafoe, Leguizamo, and McShane.[195] Richard Corliss of Time magazine wrote, "Action movies are about movement, and John Wick pursues that goal with remorseless verve."[196] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club gave the film an "B+" rating, stating, "An underworld fantasy that grafts crisp action on to Rian Johnson-esque world-building, producing one of the more fully realized shoot-'em-up flicks in recent memory." He continued by praising the script of Kolstad, citing that it "distinguishes itself by carefully defining the boundaries of its universe".[197] Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an "A-" rating and called Kolstad's screenplay, "a marvelously rich and stylish feat of pulpy world-building."[198]

text: Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter granted the film praise, "After a marked absence from the genre, Reeves resoundingly returns with an effortless, kinetic style that positions the film extremely well for any potential follow-ups."[199] Peter Debruge of Variety spoke highly of the film, "Back in action-hero mode, Keanu Reeves joins forces with his Matrix stunt double to deliver a slick and satisfying revenge thriller" and described "what a thrill well-choreographed action can be when we're actually able to make out what's happening".[200] Stephanie Zacharek of The Village Voice said that, "Reeves is wonderful here, a marvel of physicality and stern determination – he moves with the grace of an old-school swashbuckler."[201] Bilge Ebiri of Vulture commented, "It's a beautiful coffee-table action movie."[202]

text: Jeannette Catsoulis wrote, in her review for The New York Times, "Harboring few ambitions beyond knock-your-socks-off action sequences, this crafty revenge thriller delivers with so much style – and even some wit – that the lack of substance takes longer than it should to become problematic." Catsoulis praised Dafoe and Leguizamo as "bringing real subtlety to an all-too-brief scene" and Nyqvist as "marvellous", as well as Stahelski's direction and Sela's cinematography.[203] Forrest Wickman of Slate noted, "John Wick offers a slow burn, sizzling in a manner true to its hero’s surname."[204] Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian scored the film four out of five stars, writing, "A slick, propulsive and ridiculous crime picture that strides like an automatic machine gun."[205]

text: Peter Bradshaw, also reviewing for The Guardian, gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and stated "... Reeves's semi-deliberate zonked deadpan style only really works in juxtaposition with funny dialogue – and this is a pretty humourless and violent film, which grinds on and on with more and more gleaming black SUVs getting trashed."[206] Ealasaid Haas of San Jose Mercury News described John Wick as a "disappointingly standard revenge movie."[207] John Semley of The Globe and Mail called the title "the new name in crummy action cinema," giving it one-half out of 4 stars.[208]

text: Video game[edit]

text: On August 7, 2015, Lionsgate and Starbreeze Studios announced a partnership to develop a first-person shooter virtual reality game based on the film for the HTC Vive/Steam VR. Development will be headed by Grab Games, with Starbreeze set to publish. WEVR will develop an introductory experience for the game. The game was released on February 9, 2017, with the name John Wick Chronicles.[209] and have a standalone narrative based on the Continental Hotel.[210][211] Additionally, John Wick content – a free Character Pack and a chargeable Weapons Pack – was released for the Payday 2 games on October 20, 2016, as cross-promotion.[212][213]

text: Sequels[edit]

text: A sequel was released on February 10, 2017,[214] and at the 2016 CinemaCon, Reeves hinted that more sequels had been planned.[214] Following the release of John Wick: Chapter 2 it was reported that a third film is currently in development with a target release of May 17, 2019.[215][216]

text: TV series[edit]

text: In June 2017, it was reported that a prequel series titled The Continental is in active development. The series will focus on the hotel chain that acts as a neutral ground for assassins, as opposed the character John Wick.[217]


document_title: Astronomer

question_text: how many astronomers are there in the united states

text: Astronomer

text: Academic[edit]

text: Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using physical laws. Today, that distinction has mostly disappeared and the terms "astronomer" and "astrophysicist" are interchangeable. Professional astronomers are highly educated individuals who typically have a Ph.D. in physics or astronomy and are employed by research institutions or universities.[1] They spend the majority of their time working on research, although they quite often have other duties such as teaching, building instruments, or aiding in the operation of an observatory.

text: The number of professional astronomers in the United States is actually quite small. The American Astronomical Society, which is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America, has approximately 7,000 members. This number includes scientists from other fields such as physics, geology, and engineering, whose research interests are closely related to astronomy.[2] The International Astronomical Union comprises almost 10,145 members from 70 different countries who are involved in astronomical research at the Ph.D. level and beyond.[3]

text: Contrary to the classical image of an old astronomer peering through a telescope through the dark hours of the night, it is far more common to use a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to record a long, deep exposure, allowing a more sensitive image to be created because the light is added over time. Before CCDs, photographic plates were a common method of observation. Modern astronomers spend relatively little time at telescopes usually just a few weeks per year. Analysis of observed phenomena, along with making predictions as to the causes of what they observe, takes the majority of observational astronomers' time.

text: Astronomers who serve as faculty spend much of their time teaching undergraduate and graduate classes. Most universities also have outreach programs including public telescope time and sometimes planetariums as a public service to encourage interest in the field.

text: Those who become astronomers usually have a broad background in maths, sciences and computing in high school. Taking courses that teach how to research, write and present papers are also invaluable. In college/university most astronomers get a Ph.D. in astronomy or physics. Keeping in mind how few astronomers there are it is understood that graduate schools in this field are very competitive, so grades are very important. Students must take a Graduate Record Exam in the United States if they wish to be accepted into a US graduate school.

text: Amateur astronomers[edit]

text: While there is a relatively low number of professional astronomers, the field is popular among amateurs. Most cities have amateur astronomy clubs that meet on a regular basis and often host star parties. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is the largest general astronomical society in the world, comprising both professional and amateur astronomers as well as educators from 70 different nations.[4] Like any hobby, most people who think of themselves as amateur astronomers may devote a few hours a month to stargazing and reading the latest developments in research. However, amateurs span the range from so-called "armchair astronomers" to the very ambitious, who own science-grade telescopes and instruments with which they are able to make their own discoveries and assist professional astronomers in research.