| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
29° 00' South Latitude
24° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
1,219,912 sq km |
| Climate |
Mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights |
| Natural Resources |
Gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of South Africa |
| Capital City |
Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and Bloemfontein the judicial center |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape |
| Independence Day |
31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
44,344,136 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
South African |
| Ethnic Groups |
Black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census) |
| Religion |
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, other Christian 36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%,
unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census) |
| Languages |
IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census) |
| Population Growth Rate |
-0.31% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Rand (ZAR) |
| Industries |
Mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair |
| Labor Force |
16.63 million economically active (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products |
| Export Commodities |
Gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment (1998 est.) |
| Export Partners |
US 10.2%, UK 9.2%, Japan 9%, Germany 7.1%, Netherlands 4% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs (2000 est.) |
| Import Partners |
Germany 14.2%, US 8.5%, China 7.5%, Japan 6.9%, UK 6.9%, France 6%, Saudi Arabia 5.6%, Iran 5% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
20,872 km |
| Highways |
275,971 km |
| Pipelines |
Condensate 100 km; gas 1,052 km; oil 847 km; refined products 1,354 km (2004) |
| Airports |
728 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+27 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.za |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of
diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments,
but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races.
The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule. |
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