South Africa

South Africa Background

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.

South Africa Information

• Population: 42,718,530 note: South Africa took a census October 1996 that showed a population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8% underenumeration based on a postenumeration survey); estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effec
• Nationality: noun: South African(s) adjective: South African
• Location:: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
• Religions:: 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%
• Ethnic Groups:: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
• Land Boundaries:: 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
• Area: total: 1,219,912 sq km land: 1,219,912 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island) water: 0 sq km
• Coast Line: 2,798 km
• Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
• Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 12.08% permanent crops: 0.79% other: 87.13% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: 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 ero
• Natural Resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
• Highways: total: 362,099 km paved: 73,506 km (including 2,032 km of expressways) unpaved: 288,593 km (2000)
• Railways: total: 22,298 km narrow gauge: 21,984 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 314 km 0.610-m gauge note: includes a 2,228 km commuter rail system (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha
• Airports: 728 (2003 est.)