[ad_1]
The fact that a number of freighters were diverted past Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to avoid traffic congestion on the Suez Canal is causing many people to pay attention to the sea route that was once the most vibrant in the world. .
Few people may know that the sea route through the Cape of Good Hope was once the busiest sea area in the world before the Suez Canal was established. Because it was the only sea route connecting Asia to Europe at the time, it was considered a pirate’s paradise and a great inspiration for movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
Legend and confusion
In 1692, the Dutch ship captain Van Der Decken sank and disappeared at the Cape of Good Hope without a trace. From then on, whenever a storm broke, the rumors were about a ghost ship. Legend has it that the ship was cursed by a curse adrift in the middle of the sea and could not dock.
The captain of a ghost ship in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean”
It was these rumors that became the inspiration for the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” when they took Cape Good Hope as the setting. The shipwreck curse is said to be the origin of the Dutch ship that flew in the film. The captain, half human and half monster, on this ship every 10 years, can land 1 day.
That’s the legend, but according to history, the Cape of Good Hope located in the south of the Cape Town peninsula is considered the dividing mark of the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. There are many who think that this is the southernmost point in Africa but it is a big mistake. The southernmost tip, Agulhas, is about 150 km away.
Good Vong Cape is located at the coordinates: 34 ° 21′23 ″ south latitude, 18 ° 29 ″ 15 ″ east longitude. It should not be confused with Point Point because these two headlands are only 1 km apart, but they are different geographical locations.
Storm cape
In 1486, the famous Portuguese navigator Batorluomei Bird Diast, in obedience to King Ruo Ao II, dominated a convoy that left Lisbon along the west coast of Africa with the intention of being able to discover one. New highway that connects with the “golden country” India.
Upon reaching the southern part of Africa, the ship had to experience a very strong storm, almost all the members thought that on this trip they would have to bury themselves in the belly of the fish. Suddenly, a wave pushed the ship towards an unknown promontory, thus avoiding the storm.
After surviving, Captain Diast and his crew happily named the cape the Cape Storm Tap to commemorate the journey. Of course, after escaping death, Captain Diast and his crew only dare to follow the ancient path back, but they do not have the courage to continue.
The ship arrived in Portugal and told the king about the stormy journey. However, the king thought that if he traversed the Cape of Hurricane to trade with the rich eastern lands instead of traversing the desert-filled, Islam-dominated Middle East, there would be a lot of riches. Therefore, he traded this arrow for the Cape of Good Hope.
Eurasian connection
In 1497, another Portuguese explorer, Da Gama, led a train that successfully bypassed the Cape of Hope, entered the Indian Ocean, and reached Calicut on the southern shore of the Indian Ocean.
After that, they brought many precious things like gold, the scent of silk from India to Portugal.
A series of discoveries such as the passage of the Cape of Good Hope, the discovery of the Americas from Colombo in 1492 and Magellan’s voyage around the world by sea in 1519 are historically known as “Geographical Discovery”.
It was these discoveries that broadened the horizons of Europeans and greatly affected politics, economics, and culture. The circular earth theory was demonstrated, trade was promoted, and two Eurasian cultures interfered more strongly.
Before the Suez Canal was built in 1869, the Cape of Hope was the only sea route between Europe and Asia.
However, even when the Suez Canal was built, a large number of ships passed through the Cape of Good Hope. The main reason is that the Suez Canal is quite small, so only medium-sized ships can pass, and most large ships have to avoid South Africa.
Da Gama’s maritime history crossed the Cape of Good Hope
Especially after the 1967 Middle East war, the Suez Canal stood still for 9 years. The importance of the route through the Cape of Hope is even more pronounced.
After the recirculation of the Suez Canal, the Cape of Good Hope remains one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Every year, around 40,000 ships pass through the Cape of Hope, half of which are oil importers from Western Europe and a quarter are American ships.
The roundabout route through southern Africa, while important, was a rather dangerous sea. Due to the poverty of the African border, piracy is quite fierce.
In addition, the sea here is full of storms, strong winds and reefs, which creates numerous difficulties for the passage of ships and boats. Therefore, small cargo ships trapped in the Suez Canal have to think very carefully before spending another two weeks extending the detour around the Cape of Good Hope.
“Ocean Inn”
Besides being the artery connecting Asia-Europe, Hao Vong Cape is also a popular tourist destination. Cape Town located in the north of the Cape of Good Hope is a famous tourist destination, as well as a famous port in South Africa.
Map of Cape Hao Vong and the port city of Cape Town
In 1652, the Dutch East India Company built the first colonial base here, laying the foundations for the city. After a while, the Anglo-Dutch colonialists continued to expand their bases deep into the South African continent. As a result, these cities retain most of the 17th century structures, from observatories, theaters, flower gardens to museums.
The port city of Cape Town leans on Yi Tebuer Mountain, creating a sunny and windy tourist scene for tourists. Nearby is Tebuer Bay, home to a busy harbor, which is a place to replenish essentials or renew boats that pass through the Cape of Good Hope.
In its heyday, Cape Town was once called “The Ocean Inn” because it was the main refueling location for the world’s most vibrant sea lane at the time.
