South Africa
Official Country Name
Republic of South Africa
South Africa Overview
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.
South Africa Economy
South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to lower South Africa's high unemployment rate, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. South African economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to increase job growth and household income.
South Africa Location
South Africa is located in Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Region
South Africa is located in Africa
South Africa Population
South Africa has population of 44,187,637 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS
South Africa Climate
South Africa has mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
South Africa Terrain
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
South Africa Natural Resources
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Ethnic Groups in South Africa
South Africa has the following ethnic groups - black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)
South Africa Religions
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
South Africa 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)
South Africa Capital
South Africa capital is Pretoria (administrative capital)
South Africa Currency
South Africa currency is rand
Map of South Africa
