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Background:
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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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Location:
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Southern
Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
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Geographic coordinates:
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29 00 S,
24 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
1,219,912 sq km
land: 1,219,912 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion
Island and Prince Edward Island) |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
less than twice the size of Texas |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
4,862 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909
km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km,
Zimbabwe 225 km |
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Coastline:
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2,798 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the
continental margin |
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Climate:
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mostly
semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool
nights |
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Terrain:
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vast
interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow
coastal plain |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m |
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Natural resources:
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gold,
chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel,
phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum,
copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 12.08%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.13% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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13,500 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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prolonged
droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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lack of
important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive
water conservation and control measures; growth in water
usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from
agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution
resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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South
Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost
completely surrounds Swaziland |
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Population:
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44,344,136
note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be
expected (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 30.3% (male 6,760,137/female 6,682,013)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 13,860,727/female
14,750,496)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 893,360/female
1,397,403) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
23.98 years
male: 23.12 years
female: 24.86 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.31%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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18.48
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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21.32
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.22
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
61.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 65.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 57.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 43.27 years
male: 43.47 years
female: 43.06 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.24
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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21.5%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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5.3
million (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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370,000
(2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
South African(s)
adjective: South African |
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Ethnic groups:
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black
African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5%
(2001 census) |
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Religions:
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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) |
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Languages:
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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) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 87%
female: 85.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
conventional short form: South Africa
former: Union of South Africa
abbreviation: RSA |
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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Pretoria;
note - Cape Town is the legislative center and
Bloemfontein the judicial center |
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Administrative divisions:
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9
provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng,
KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern
Cape, Western Cape |
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Independence:
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31 May
1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in
1961 following an October 1960 referendum |
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National holiday:
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Freedom
Day, 27 April (1994) |
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Constitution:
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10
December 1996; this new constitution was certified by
the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed
by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and
entered into effect on 3 February 1997; it is being
implemented in phases |
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Legal system:
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based on
Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June
1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA
(since 23 June 2005); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since
16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile
MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National
Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24
April 2004 (next to be held April 2009)
election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president;
percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by
acclamation)
note: ANC-IFP is the governing coalition |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400
seats; members are elected by popular vote under a
system of proportional representation to serve five-year
terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats,
10 members elected by each of the nine provincial
legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to
protect regional interests, including the safeguarding
of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic
minorities); note - following the implementation of the
new constitution on 3 February 1997 the former Senate
was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of
Provinces with essentially no change in membership and
party affiliations, although the new institution's
responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new
constitution
elections: National Assembly and National Council
of Provinces - last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held
NA 2009)
election results: National Assembly - percent of
vote by party - ANC 69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%,
NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%; seats by party - ANC
279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other 21;
National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party
- NA%; seats by party - NA |
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Judicial branch:
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Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High
Courts; Magistrate Courts |
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Political parties and leaders:
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African
Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE,
president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo
MBEKI, president]; Democratic Alliance or DA (formed
from the merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the
Freedom Alliance or FA) [Anthony LEON]; Inkatha Freedom
Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president];
Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA,
president]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu
HOLOMISA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Congress
of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima
VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party
or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South
African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi
HLONGWANE, national president]; note - COSATU and SACP
are in a formal alliance with the ANC |
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International organization participation:
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ACP,
AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
NAM, NSG, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA
chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and
New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Jendayi E. FRAZER
embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048
FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244
consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban,
Johannesburg |
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Flag description:
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two equal
width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated
by a central green band which splits into a horizontal
Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist
side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from
which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the
red and blue bands are separated from the green band and
its arms by narrow white stripes |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$491.4
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.5%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $11,100 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 31.2%
services: 65.2% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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16.63
million economically active (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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26.2%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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50% (2000
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 45.9% (1994) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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59.3
(1993-94) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.5%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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16.7% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $47.43 billion
expenditures: $52.54 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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45.9% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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corn,
wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry,
mutton, wool, dairy products |
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Industries:
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mining
(world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium),
automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile,
iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs,
commercial ship repair |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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5.5%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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202.6
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 93.5%
hydro: 1.1%
nuclear: 5.5%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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189.4
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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6.95
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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7.873
billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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196,200
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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460,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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7.84
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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1.8
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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1.8
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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14.16
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$-2.48
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$41.97
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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gold,
diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery
and equipment (1998 est.) |
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Exports - partners:
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US 10.2%,
UK 9.2%, Japan 9%, Germany 7.1%, Netherlands 4% (2004)
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Imports:
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$39.42
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific
instruments, foodstuffs (2000 est.) |
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Imports - partners:
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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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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$11.68
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$27.01
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$487.5
million (2000) |
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Currency (code):
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rand
(ZAR) |
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Currency code:
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ZAR |
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Exchange rates:
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rand per
US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407
(2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April -
31 March |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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4.844
million (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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16.86
million (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: the system is the best developed
and most modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire
lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links,
fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication
stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are
Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: country code - 27; 2 submarine
cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 14, FM
347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998) |
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Radios:
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17
million (2001) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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556 (plus
144 network repeaters) (1997) |
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Televisions:
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6 million
(2000) |
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Internet country code:
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.za |
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Internet hosts:
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288,633
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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150
(2001) |
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Internet users:
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3.1
million (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
20,872 km
narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km
electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge
note: includes a 1,210 km commuter rail system
(2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
275,971 km
paved: 57,568 km (including 2,032 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 218,403 km (2002) |
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Pipelines:
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condensate 100 km; gas 1,052 km; oil 847 km; refined
products 1,354 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Cape
Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay,
Saldanha Bay |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 31,505 GRT/37,091 DWT
by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
registered in other countries: 7 (2005) |
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Airports:
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728 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
144
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 51
914 to 1,523 m: 67
under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
584
1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 300
under 914 m: 250 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
|
South
African National Defense Force (SANDF): Army, Navy, Air
Force, Joint Operations, Joint Support, Military
Intelligence, Military Health Service (2004) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service; women have a long
history of military service in non-combat roles - dating
back to World War I (2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 10,354,769 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 4,927,757 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males:
512,407 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$3.172
billion (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.5%
(2004) |
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Military - note:
|
with the
end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule,
former military, black homelands forces, and
ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South
African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the
integration process was considered complete |
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Disputes - international:
|
South
Africa has placed military along the border to stem the
thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape
political persecution; managed dispute with Namibia over
the location of the boundary in the Orange River |
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Illicit drugs:
|
transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, and
cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's
largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually
imported illegally from India through various east
African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana;
attractive venue for money launderers given the
increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics
activity in the region |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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