It covers an area of 2 198 kmē hosting different types of development in terms of character, scale and intensity. Not all areas are urbanised to the same extent and Tshwane also has significant regional open spaces and environmentally sensitive areas.
These areas are located mainly at the periphery of the city. The Magaliesberg traverses the City, separating it into two i.e. the north and the south.
The City is characterised by a rapidly growing population. The projected annual growth of the population between 1996 and 2001 was 4,1%. According to the Stats SA 2007 Community Survey, the population has since 2001 grown by 15.4%3, whilst Tshwane's Household Survey 2008 indicates a growth of 3.4% between 2007 and 2008.
The situation is exacerbated by immigration, resulting in an increase of informal settlements and an estimated 26.8% of all households residing in informal housing.
The City's population of over two million has, on average, the highest educational level in the country, and Tshwane is a national centre of research and learning with four universities and the headquarters of both the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).
The growth of the City has been focused largely around the central core whilst growing radically along the major movement lines along which nodal points are subsequently being created.
As these nodes have developed into viable economic areas, the transportation network has also continued to grow.
The continuous processes of outward urban expansion furthermore provide constant pressures on the municipality's capacity to provide service and infrastructure to open up new areas for development while maintaining required service levels in existing developed areas.
The dynamic growth of the City and the development of the economic nodes are currently focused on the southern and eastern sides of the City.
The areas in the far north, far east and far west of the City are characterised by settlements housing the majority of poor communities who are still dependant on the inner city for their economic needs.
These outlying areas highlight the distortions of the spatial economy of the city as these persons have to travel long distances to the economic opportunities presented by the city.
Tshwane plays an important role in the economy of the Gauteng Province, featuring a strong manufacturing sector, particularly the automotive industry, metal production etc.
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