|
References: CIA World Fact Book 1 August, 2008
|
Geography: |
|
Country name: |
long
form: Republic of South Africa
short form: South Africa
former: Union of South Africa
abbreviation: RSA, SA |
|
Capital: |
Pretoria (administrative capital)
geographic coordinates: 29 12 S, 28
10 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours
ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note:
Cape Town (legislative capital)
Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
|
|
Provinces and capitals: (9) |
Eastern Cape: Bisho
Free State: Bloemfontein
Gauteng: Johannesburg
KwaZulu-Natal:
Pietermaritzburg
Limpopo: Polokwane
Mpumalanga: Nelspruit
North-West: Mafikeng
Northern Cape: Kimberley
Western Cape: Cape Town |
|
Country code: |
ZA |
|
Area: |
land:
1,219,912 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note:
includes Prince Edward Islands
(Marion Island and Prince Edward
Island) |
|
Borders: |
Countries:
Botswana 1,840 km
Lesotho 909 km
Mozambique 491 km
Namibia 967 km
Swaziland 430 km
Zimbabwe 225 km
note:
South Africa completely
surrounds Lesotho and almost
completely surrounds Swaziland |
|
Coastline: |
2,798
km |
|
Economy: |
|
Currency (code): |
rand (ZAR) |
Exchange rates:
|
rand
per US dollar
7.05 (2007)
6.7649 (2006)
6.3593 (2005)
6.4597 (2004)
7.5648 (2003)
10.5407 (2002) |
|
GDP
- real growth rate: |
5.1%
(2007 est.) |
|
GDP
- per capita (PPP): |
$9,800 (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3.2%
industry: 31.3%
services: 65.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Oil
- production: |
200,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
|
Oil
- consumption: |
519,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
|
Oil
- exports: |
217,700 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil
- imports: |
319,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
|
Government: |
|
Head of state: |
President Thabo Mbeki |
|
Ruling party: |
African National Congress (ANC) |
|
National holiday: |
Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
|
|
Independence: |
31 May
1910 (from UK)
(South Africa became a republic in
1961) |
|
|
People: |
|
Population: |
43,786,115 (2008 est.) |
|
Age
structure: |
0-14
years: 28.6%
(male 6,295,422/female 6,219,283)
15-64 years: 65.9%
(male 14,114,838/female 14,737,791)
65 years and over: 5.5%
(male 927,932/female 1,490,849)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
-0.501%
(2008 est.) |
|
Population Density: |
36
per km˛ |
Life expectancy: |
total
population: 42.37 years
male: 43.3 years
female: 41.42 years |
|
Ethnic groups: |
black
79%
white 9.6%
coloured 8.9%
Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census) |
|
Religions: |
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:
(11 official) |
IsiZulu 23.8%
IsiXhosa 17.6%
Afrikaans 14.3%
Sepedi 9.4%
English 8.6%
Setswana 8.2%
Sesotho 7.9%
Xitsonga 4.4%
Swati 2.6%
Venda 1.7%
Ndebele 1.5% |
|
Literacy: |
total
population: 86.4%
(definition: age 15 and over can
read and write) |
|
General:
|
|
Airports: |
728
(2007)
|
|
Roadways: |
total:
362,099 km
paved: 73,506 km
(including 239 km of expressways)
unpaved: 288,593 km (2002) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.za
|
|
Internet users: |
5.1
million (2005) |
 Flag
description:
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. |
|
|
References:
CIA World Fact Book 1 August, 2008
|
