A former province of southern South Africa on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. This area was originally inhabited by Bantu, San, and Khoikhoi people. It was settled by the Dutch in 1652, ceded to Great Britain in 1815, and was known as Cape Colony until 1910 when, as Cape Province, it became part of the newly formed Union of South Africa. In 1994 it was split into three provinces.