| Republic of South Africa
Location southern Africa
Bordered By Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique,
Swaziland, Lesotho
Area 470,693 sq mi (1,219,090 sq km)
Greatest Distance N-S 875 mi (1,408 km)
Greatest Distance E-W 1,010 mi (1,625
km)
Coastline 1,739 mi (2,798 km)
Highest Point Njesuthi; 11,181 ft (3,408
m)
Lowest Point sea level
Natural Resources gold, chromium,
antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates,
tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds,
platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Nationality South African
Population (July 2014 est) 53,675,563
Largest Cities Cape Town, Durban,
Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth
Ethnic Groups black African, mixed,
white, Indian
Religions Protestant, Catholic, Muslim
Languages IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Afrikaans,
English, Sepedi, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati,
Tshivenda, isiNdebele (all official)
Capitals Pretoria (administrative),
Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Form of Government republic
Present Constitution Adopted February 4,
1997
Chief of State and Head of Government President
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (since February 15, 2018)
Cabinet appointed by the President
Legislature bicameral Parliament
Judiciary Supreme Court of Appeals,
Constitutional Court
Local Administration 9 provinces
Currency rand (ZAR)
Per Capita Income $13,000
Industries mining (world's largest
producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile
assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and
steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship
repair
Agricultural Products corn, wheat,
sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton,
wool, dairy products
Export Commodities gold, diamonds,
platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and
equipment
Import Commodities machinery and
equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific
instruments, foodstuffs
Independence Achieved May 31, 1910
(Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies
-- Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State)
National Holiday Freedom Day; April 27 (1994,
majority rule implemented)
Flag the flag colors do not have any official
symbolism, but the green "Y" stands for the
"convergence of diverse elements within South
African society, taking the road ahead in unity";
black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the
African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are
the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the United
Kingdom, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the
colonial era
See Also
Namibia
Botswana
Zimbabwe
Mozambique
Swaziland
Lesotho
Questions
or comments about this page?
|
