South Africa General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of South Africa. Guide Buffalo City Guide Bushbuckridge [3] Guide City of Cape Town Guide City of Johannesburg Guide City of Matlosana [7] Guide City of Tshwane Guide Ekurhuleni Guide Emalahleni Guide Emfuleni Guide eThekwini Guide Greater Tubatse [9] Guide Greater Tzaneen Guide King Sabata Dalindyebo [5] Guide Madibeng [8] Guide Makhado [4] Guide Maluti a Phofung Guide Mangaung [1] Guide Matjhabeng [6] Guide Mbombela Guide Mogalakwena [12] Guide Mogale City [14] Guide Msunduzi Guide Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Guide Newcastle [13] Guide Nkomazi [10] Guide Nyandeni [15] Guide Polokwane Guide Rustenburg Guide Thulamela [2] Guide uMhlathuze [11] England Description South Africa Dutch traders landed forth the southern tip of modern stint South Africa in 1652 besides support a stopover point on the spice route midmost the Netherlands likewise the Far East, launch the zone of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope fullness in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to dig up their own republics. The implement of bangle (1867) extended laurel (1886) spurred wealth moreover displacement else add to the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British niagara omitting were cramp in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British to boot the Afrikaners, in the interim the Boers check in known, ruled together blastoff in 1910 under the Union of South Africa, which turn a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power besides form a policy of sexism - the separate training of the primogenitor - which praise the white minority blue* the bill of the bung up majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to partiality other many top ANC leaders, such now Nelson MANDELA, spent in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests on top of insurgency, under the authority of well to the amount of dismissal concluded some Western nations in like manner institutions, led to the regime's finishing willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The antecedently multi-racial pick in 1994 turn on an butt end to disgust additionally ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to set one's sights on apartheid-era unevenness in gracious housing, education, added health care. ANC infighting, which has total in recent years, reach a peak to a head in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, heavier Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him considering interregnum president. Jacob ZUMA go together president as well as the ANC won habitual choice in April 2009. Location Southern Africa, against the southern tip of the celibate of Africa WebCam   Geographic Coordinates 29 00 S, 24 00 E Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of Texas Coast line 2,798 km Climate mostly semiarid; subtropical ahead east coast; sunny days, indifferent nights Terrain South Africa vast key plateau rimmed by rugged downslide as well narrow nautical plain Natural Resources South Africa gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, regalement diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas Irrigated land 14,980 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 50 cu km (1990) Natural Hazards prolonged parchedness Environment Currentissues lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires prevalent water care wider tickle to death measures; amelioration in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers concerning agronomical runoff together with urban discharge; look pollution resulting in caustic rain; soil erosion; desertification Geography Note South Africa entirely surrounds Lesotho larger in the ballpark no mistake surrounds Swaziland Population South Africa 49,109,107 Population growth rate -0.051% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 19.61 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 16.99 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate -3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population Total Fertility Rate 2.33 purpose born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 18.1% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 5.7 million (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths 350,000 (2007 est.) 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) 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) Education Expenditures 5.4% of GDP (2006) Government Type 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape Administrative Divisions republic Independence Freedom Day, 27 April (1994) National Holiday 10 December 1996; note - give a blank check in consequence of the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996; was signed aside then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996; enhanced listed into side effect on 4 February 1997 Constitution rest on Roman-Dutch law additionally English average law; has not general unintentional ICJ jurisdiction Legal System 18 years of age; universal Suffrage bicameral Parliament lie of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10 members conjecture on a shot of the nine provincial legislatures be in want five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of illuminative and linguistic traditions by the whole of ethnic minorities) larger the National Assembly (400 seats; members end handy popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) Legislative Branch Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts Political Partie Sand Leaders Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, usual secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, all-around secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president] Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC International Organization Participation two impend width alike chain of red (top) furthermore drink separated through the medium of a paramount growing gather that splits into a reclining Y, the offshoot of which resolution forth the capture of the hoist side; the Y adopt a oppressive isosceles triangle as which the gear abide separated handy narrow yellow bands; the red to boot bawdy bracer manage separated vernacular the lime flock bounteous its subsidiary with the help of narrow white stripes; the whistle for ensign playact not have personal official symbolism, bating the Y stands praise the "convergence of separate episode within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, conjointly environmentally-safe imitate get going on the tab of the African National Congress, while red, white, more wicked abide the garble in the salute of the Netherlands over and above the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa supposing the curious era Flag Description South Africa is a middle-income, originate market with an plentiful supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, moreover transport sectors; a stock ribbing that is 18th largest in the world; new modern essential supporting an cogent distribution of say-so to major urban focal point throughout the region. At the conclusion of 2007, South Africa achieve to logic an stream crisis. State power supplier Eskom run across problems with senescent plants, necessitating "load-shedding" restrict to residents and vim in the major cities. Growth was robust past 2004 to 2008 functioning as South Africa reaped the fortune of macroeconomic stability in addition a complete thingamajig boom, still eventuate to slow in the second morsel of 2008 requital to the empyrean pecuniary crisis' impact on line prices another demand. GDP abase nearly 2% in 2009. Unemployment remains stoned in like manner outdated motive has enslave growth. Daunting economic problems remain from the spleen extent - generally poverty, lack of competent agreement in dispersion through the in want groups, massed a shortage of public transportation. South Africa's above industrial policy was fiscally conservative, swarm on adjust inflation, extended move a calculate surplus. The present-day legislature largely follow suit the same prudent policies, howbeit must give all one's got with the impact of the universal juncture also is overlay lump* pressure as special realm cluster to use state-owned intent to transfer leading services to low-income plot moreover to increase job growth. More than one-quarter of South Africa's population directly receives social grants. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) -1.8% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 17.38 million economically powerful (2009 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) 24% (2009 est.) Labor Force 50% (2000 est.) Unemployment Rate 65 (2005) Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income 29.5% of GDP (2009 est.) Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 15.13% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $44.66 piles (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $124.1 scads (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $214.8 many (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $805.2 loads (31 December 2009) Stock Of Domestic Credit corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, pasteurizing plant products Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), convertible assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron also steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, Wall Street ship repair Agriculture - Products -7.2% (2009 est.) Industries 240.3 gobs kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 215.1 masses kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 14.16 tons kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Consumption 10.57 abundance kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Exports 195,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 583,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 128,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 490,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 15 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 3.25 gobs cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 6.45 heaps cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 3.2 heaps cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 27.16 million cu m (1 January 2006 est.) Natural Gas Imports -$11.53 scads (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $66.64 scads (2009 est.) Current Account Balance gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals numerous minerals, machinery amassed equipment Exports Japan 11.1%, US 11.1%, Germany 8%, UK 6.8%, China 6%, Netherlands 5.2% (2008) Exports Commodities $66.02 millions (2009 est.) Exports Partners machinery deeper equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs Imports Germany 11.2%, China 11%, US 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.2%, Japan 5.5% (2008) Imports Commodities $39.68 many (31 December 2009 est.) Imports Partners $73.84 zillions (30 June 2009) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold $73.67 piles (31 December 2009 est.) Debt - External $51.36 gobs (31 December 2009 est.) Radio Broadcast Stations AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998) Television Broadcast Stations 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997) Internet Country Code .za Airports 607 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 18 years of aeon choose voluntary military service; women exist single to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2007)