South Africa

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Africa News Room

End world hunger cultivate peace , when we work to end hunger we are giving our love to people who need it , with each video watch you generate funds...

South African World Cup whistleblower shot dead

A South African official who blew the whistle on alleged corruption in the building of a stadium for the 2010 World Cup has been shot dead by unknown...

Four die in South Africa train collision

Four people were killed in South Africa's Stellenbosch when their car collided with a train along Vlaeberg road in Western Cape province, the South...

Zuma 'seeks to take third wife'

South Africa's ruling African National Congress says there is "nothing sinister" in its leader Jacob Zuma wishing to take a third wife. Local media...

South African markets rise on metals, global shares

South African stocks rose during the year's first trading session on Friday, boosted by strong industrial metals, while firmer global markets also...

Republic of South Africa

Geography

Capital: Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative)
Major Towns: Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth
Location (geographical coordinates/latitude and longitude): 25°43'S, 28°17'E
Time Zone: SAST (UTC+2)
Size (Land and Sea): 1,221,037 km²; Water %: Negligible
Borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho
Elevation extremes: Highest point: Njesuthi in the Drakensberg at 3 408 m

Politics

Head of State: President: Thabo Mbeki
Form of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Independancy (from UK): Union 31 May 1910 ; Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931 ; Republic 31 May 1961
Currency: South African Rand

Industry

Industries: Tourism, mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair.
Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Agriculture: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

Population and People

Population: 43,997,828 (2007 est.); 47,432,000 (2005); 44,819,278 (2001)
Population density per sq mi: 93
Growth rate: -0.5%
Birth rate: 17.9 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.16 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 59.4/1000
Religion: Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%
Languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu
Ethnic groups / Tribes: Black African: 79.5%, Whites: 9.2%, Coloureds: 8.9%, and Indians or Asians: 2.5%
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 6,447,623/female 6,370,909); 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 14,040,210/female 14,761,179); 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 917,227/female 1,460,680) (2007 est.)
Life expectancy: 42.5
Literacy: 85%

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