Pretoria, South Africa-- The Jacaranda City with 50000 Jacarandas in full bloom. by Winch

(Best viewed in fullscreen. Click the little rectangle below the slider on the left of the picture.) The perfect conditions for shooting the gigapan, late afternoon, soft light from behind, crisp clear view after 2 days of rain. Pretoria is a city in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. Pretoria is popularly known as The Jacaranda City due to the +/- 50 000 Jacaranda trees planted in its streets, parks and gardens.Pretoria is situated approximately 55 km (34 mi) north-northeast of Johannesburg in the north-east of South Africa, in a transitional belt between the plateau of the Highveld to the south and the lower-lying Bushveld to the north. It lies at an altitude of about 1,350 m (4,500 ft) above sea level, in a warm, sheltered, fertile valley, surrounded by the hills of the Magaliesberg range.