The South African province of KwaZulu Natal was formed in 1994. Before 1994 this area was made up of the province of Natal and of various areas that made up the homeland of KwaZulu. Located in the southeast of South Africa, KwaZulu Natal borders three other provinces as well as Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho, along with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean.
Because of the diverse and complex topography of KwaZulu Natal, the province has a varied climate. In general the coastal areas are tropical with a progressively colder climate towards the inland regions. KwaZulu Natal has three different geographic areas; the lowland region along the Indian Ocean coast, the central region is the Natal Midlands and two mountainous areas, the Drakensberg Mountains in the west and the Lebombo Mountains in the north. The Tugela River flows west to east across the center of KwaZulu Natal and is the region's largest river.
The coastline of KwaZulu Natal is dotted with small holiday towns. Superb beaches of world-class quality are to be found along virtually every part of the KwaZulu Natal coastline. KwaZulu Natal's provincial government sits in the legislative buildings in Pietermaritzburg.
The KwaZulu Natal town of Durban is a rapidly growing urban area and is one of the busiest ports in Africa. Durban also has a good rail network linking into Southern Africa. The main industry in KwaZulu Natal is Sugar refining. Other important industries in KwaZulu Natal include textile, clothing, chemicals, rubber, fertilizer, paper, vehicle assembly and food-processing plants, tanneries, and oil refineries. There are large aluminium-smelting plants at Richards Bay, on the north coast of Kwazulu Natal and the province produces considerable amounts of coal and timber. Wildlife and tourism is also increasingly important to the economy of KwaZulu Natal.
