Robben Island or Penguin Island is an island in Table Bay, some seven kilometres off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for “seal island”. Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a few metres above sea level, as a result of an ancient erosion event. The island is composed of Precambrian metamorphic rocks belonging to the Malmesbury Group. It is of particular note as it was here that former South African President and Nobel Laureate Nelson Mandela and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, alongside many other political prisoners, spent decades imprisoned during the apartheid era. Cape Town city vacations.
Cape Town GPS travel help: 33° 48′ 24.24″ S, 18° 21′ 58.4″ E
Robben Island, Cape Town video:
Robben Island, Cape Town map and hotels:
View Larger Map
Robben Island, Cape Town
