Facts, Background and History
| Geographical Size | 1,219,912 sq km |
| Population Size | 48,782,756 |
| Composition of Population | Black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census) |
| Official Languages | 11 South African 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) |
| Other Languages | |
| Main 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) |
| Climate | Mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights |
| Form of Government | Republic |
| Last Democratic Elections | 06 May 2009 |
| Global Peace Index | No// 116: 2.412 |
| Main Economic Activities | Agriculture, Mining and Trade |
| Main Trading Partners | US, Japan, Germany, UK , China, Netherlands, Spain, Saudi Arabia |
| Capital | Pretoria |
| Other Cities | Cape Town, Johannesburg, East Rand, Durban, Port Elizabeth and West Rand |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZA) |
| Total GDP | $467.8 billion (2007 est.) |
| Per Capita Income | $9,700 (2007 est.) |
| Human Development Index | No//121-(0.674) |
| Ibrahim Index | No// 5 – (69.44) |
| FIFA Rating | |
| Main Creative Industries | Dance, Film, Theatre, Fashion, Crafts, Visual Arts, Publishing, Museums, Arts Centres and Art galleries |
Background and History
Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the East, founding the city of Cape Town. 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); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together under the Union of South Africa. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in black majority rule.
