Largest of South Africa's Bantustans, or
homelands, extending northeast from the Great
Kei River, on the coast of Cape Province, to
the border of Natal; area 43,808 sq km/16,910
sq mi; population (1985) 3,000,000, including
small white and Asian minorities. It became
self-governing 1963, and achieved full
`independence' 1976. Its capital is Umtata,
and it has a port at Mnganzana. It is one of
the two homelands of the Xhosa people (the
other is Ciskei), and products include
livestock, coffee, tea, sugar, maize, and
sorghum. Its government consists of a
president (paramount chief Tutor Nyangelizwe
Vulinolela Ndamase from 1986-) and
single-chamber national assembly.