Republic of South Africa Republiek van Suid-Afrika (Afrikaans) IRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika (Ndebele) IRiphabliki yaseMzantsi Afrika (Xhosa) IRiphabliki yaseNingizimu Afrika (Zulu) IRiphabhulikhi yeNingizimu Afrika (Swazi) Rephaboliki ya Afrika-Borwa (Northern Sotho) Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa (Southern Sotho) Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa (Tswana) Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga (Tsonga) Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe (Venda)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: !ke e: ǀxarra ǁke  (ǀXam) “Unity In Diversity” (literally “Diverse People Unite”)
Anthem: National anthem of South Africa
Capital		Pretoria (executive) Bloemfontein (judicial) Cape Town (legislative)
Largest city		Johannesburg (2006) [2]
Official languages		11 Afrikaans English Southern Ndebele Northern Sotho Sotho Swati Tsonga Tswana Venda Xhosa Zulu
Demonym		South African
Government		Parliamentary republic
-	President	Thabo Mbeki
-	Deputy President	Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
-	NCOP Chairman	M. J. Mahlangu
-	National Assembly Speaker	Baleka Mbete
-	Chief Justice	Pius Langa
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Union	31 May 1910
-	Statute of Westminster	11 December 1931
-	Republic	31 May 1961
Area
-	Total	1,221,037 km² (25th) 471,443 sq mi
-	Water (%)	Negligible
Population
-	2008 CIA estimate	43,700,000 (25th)
-	Density	39/km² (136th) 101/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$467,95 billion ▲ (25th)
-	Per capita	$10,600 ▼ (76th)
GDP (nominal)		2007 (IMF) estimate
-	Total	$282. Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in Xhosa (ˈkǁʰoːsa ( isiXhosa) is one of the Official languages of South Africa. Zulu (called isiZulu in Zulu is a Language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers the vast majority (over 95% of whom live in South Swati ( siSwati in the language itself isiSwazi in Zulu is a Bantu language of the Nguni group spoken in Swaziland and Northern Sotho ( Sesotho sa Leboa in the language itself is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is spoken by nearly five million—4208980 people History Should include probable history of the language what form of Bantu it is most closely derived from (the coolest forms! dates of movement of major groups Tswana ( Setswana) is a Bantu language written in the Latin Alphabet. The Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people also known as the Shangaan. Venda, also known as Tshivenḓa, or Luvenḓa, is a Bantu language List of South African flags The current flag of the Republic of South Africa was adopted on April 27, 1994, during the first free elections The Coat of arms of South Africa first in use in 1910 was replaced with a new design on Freedom Day 2000-04-27. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group ǀXam, or ǀXam Kakǃʼe, is an extinct Khoisan language of South Africa, part of the ǃKwi language group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Since 1997 The South African national anthem has been a hybrid song combining new English lyrics with extracts of the hymn " Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika " and the former Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. Bloemfontein (ˈbluːmfɒnteɪn Afrikaans and Dutch for "spring of Bloem (bloom" Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the South Africa has an uncommon demographic profile marked by a heterogeneous population base social issues brought on by the legacy of Apartheid, divisions within ethnic groups Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory South Africa has 11 Official languages South Africa also recognises eight non-official languages as " National languages quot Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Xhosa language.Sort/separate infos about Ndebele language and Ndebele people until it can be Northern Sotho ( Sesotho sa Leboa in the language itself is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is spoken by nearly five million—4208980 people History Should include probable history of the language what form of Bantu it is most closely derived from (the coolest forms! dates of movement of major groups Swati ( siSwati in the language itself isiSwazi in Zulu is a Bantu language of the Nguni group spoken in Swaziland and The Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people also known as the Shangaan. Tswana ( Setswana) is a Bantu language written in the Latin Alphabet. Venda, also known as Tshivenḓa, or Luvenḓa, is a Bantu language Xhosa (ˈkǁʰoːsa ( isiXhosa) is one of the Official languages of South Africa. Zulu (called isiZulu in Zulu is a Language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers the vast majority (over 95% of whom live in South A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The President of South Africa, in full the President of the Republic of South Africa is the Head of state and Head of government under South Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born 18 June 1942 is a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1999 to 24 September 2008 The Deputy President of South Africa is the acting President of South Africa when the President is outside the country's borders unable to fulfill the duties of the office Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (pʰumziːle mlamboŋǀʱuːkʼa born 3 November 1955 is a South African politician who was Deputy President of South Africa from 2005 The National Council of Provinces ( NCOP) is the Upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the (post- Apartheid) constitution Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu is a South African politician He is a member of the African National Congress, the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces The Speaker of the South African National Assembly presides over the National Assembly, the Lower house of the Parliament of South Africa Baleka Mbete (born 24 September 1949, also Baleka Mbete-Kgositsile is the Deputy President of South Africa. The Chief Justice of South Africa is the chief judge in South Africa, who exercises final authority over the functioning and management of all the courts Pius Nkonzo Langa (born 25 March 1939 is the current Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On October 5, 1960, South Africa 's white minority government held a Referendum on whether or not the then Union should sever its links Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different surface Areas here is a list of areas between 1 million km² and 10 million km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 6 billion (30th)
-	Per capita	$5,724 (70th)
Gini (2000)		57. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 8 (high)
HDI (2007)		0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 674 ▲ (medium) (121st)
Currency		South African rand (ZAR)
Time zone		SAST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD		.za
Calling code		+27

The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The rand ( sign: R; code: ZAR) is the Currency of South Africa. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established SAST redirects here For the comedy programme see Short Attention Span Theater. A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The Bushmen, San, Sho, Basarwa, ǃKung or Khwe are indigenous people of southern Africa that spans most areas of South Africa There are eleven official names of South Africa, one in each of its eleven official languages. South Africa's coast stretches 2 798 kilometres and borders both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. ^[1] To the north of South Africa lies Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland, while the Kingdom of Lesotho is an independent enclave surrounded by South African territory. Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa The Kingdom of Swaziland is a country located in Southern Africa centred at approximately 26o49'S 31o38'E Lesotho (lɪˈsuːtuː) officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a Landlocked country and Enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South

Modern human beings had inhabited South Africa for more than 100 000 years. ^[2] However, with the discovery of the Cape Sea Route, the Dutch East India Company founded a refreshment station at what would become Cape Town in 1652. The written history of Cape Colony South Africa (later known as Cape Province) began when Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese navigator discovered The Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the Cape Town became a British colony in 1806. European settlement expanded during the 1820s as the Boers (original Dutch settlers) and the British 1820 Settlers claimed land in the north and east of the country. Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans The 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South Conflicts arose between the original inhabitants of the land, the Xhosa and Zulu, and the new European settlers. However, the discovery of diamonds and later gold triggered the conflict known as the Anglo-Boer War as the Boers and the British fought for the control of South Africa's mineral wealth. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: Although the Boers were defeated, limited independence was given to South Africa in 1910 as a British dominion. Anti-British policies focused on ultimate independence which was achieved in 1961 when South Africa was declared a republic. The leading National Party legislated segregation known as apartheid despite opposition both in and outside of the country. National Party or Nationalist Party may refer to Active parties Former parties In 1990, former president F.W. de Klerk began to dismantle this legislation and in 1994 the first democratic election was held in South Africa. Frederik Willem de Klerk (born 18 March 1936 was the last State President of apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994 This election brought Nelson Mandela and the current ruling party, the African National Congress to power. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (xolíɬaɬa mandéːla born 18 July 1918 is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in fully representative The African National Congress (ANC has been South Africa 's governing party supported by its Tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions

South Africa is known for its diversity and eleven official languages are recognised in its constitution. ^[1] English is the most commonly spoken language in official and commercial public life, however it is only the fifth most spoken home language. ^[1] South Africa is ethnically diverse, with the largest Caucasian, Indian, and racially mixed communities in Africa. White South Africans is a term which refers to people from South Africa who are of Afrikaner, British or other Continental European descent The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known In the South African Namibian Zambian Botswanan and Zimbabwean context the term Coloured (also known as Bruinmense Although 79. 5% of South Africa's population is Black, this category is neither culturally nor linguistically homogenous as nine of the official languages are African. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse ^[1] In 2006, South Africa's population was estimated at 47. 4 million people. ^[1]

Contents 1 History 1.1 European settlement 1.2 British colony 1.3 Independence 1.4 Democracy 2 Government and politics 2.1 Military 3 Law 4 Provinces, districts and municipalities 5 Geography 5.1 Flora and fauna 6 Economy 6.1 Electricity crisis 6.2 Agriculture 6.3 Tourism 7 Demographics 8 Society and culture 8.1 Religion 8.2 Languages 8.3 Sports 9 Current issues in South Africa 9.1 HIV/AIDS 9.2 Crime 10 International rankings 11 See also 12 References 12.1 Notes 12.2 Literature 12.3 Websites 13 External links

History

Main article: History of South Africa

South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological sites in Africa. Ancient history The Bushmen See also Ancient History of South Africa Some three million years ago Ape -human-like Hominids Extensive fossil remains at the Sterkfontein, Kromdraai and Makapansgat caves suggest that various australopithecines existed in South Africa from about three million years ago. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. Sterkfontein ( Afrikaans for Strong Spring) is a set of Limestone Caves of special interest to paleo - Anthropologists Kromdraai is a protected conservancy in western Gauteng, South Africa not far from Krugersdorp. The Genus Australopithecus ( Latin australis "of the south" Greek πίθηκος pithekos "ape" These were succeeded by various species of Homo, including Homo habilis, Homo erectus and modern man, Homo sapiens. Homo habilis (ˈhoʊmoʊ ˈhæbəlɪs ("handy man" "skillful person" is a Species of the genus Homo, which lived Homo erectus ( Latin: "upright man" is an extinct species of the genus Homo, believed to have been the first hominin Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus Settlements of Bantu-speaking peoples, who were iron-using agriculturists and herdsmen, were already present south of the Limpopo River by the fourth or fifth century (see Bantu expansion) displacing and absorbing the original KhoiSan speakers. The Bantu languages (technically Narrow Bantu languages) constitute a grouping belonging to the Niger-Congo family Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 The Limpopo River rises in central southern Africa, and flows generally eastwards to the Indian Ocean. Bantu may refer to Bantu expansion, a series of migrations of Bantu speakers Bantu languages Bantu people They slowly moved south and the earliest ironworks in modern-day KwaZulu-Natal Province are believed to date from around 1050. KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. The southernmost group was the Xhosa people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier KhoiSan people, reaching the Fish River, in today's Eastern Cape Province. See also Xhosa language The Xhosa (ǁʰɔsɑ( people are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two The Great Fish River (called great to distinguish from the Namibian Fish River) is a river running through the South African province of the The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho. These Iron Age populations displaced earlier people, who often had hunter-gatherer societies, as they migrated. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild Foraging and Hunting

European settlement

In 1487, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to reach the southernmost tip of Africa. Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck ( 21 April, 1619 &ndash 18 January, 1677) was a Dutch colonial administrator Devil's Peak ( Afrikaans Duiwelspiek) is part of the mountainous backdrop to Cape Town. Bartolomeu Dias (baɾtuluˈmeu ˈdiɐʃ Anglicized Bartholomew Diaz) (c The King of Portugal, John II, named it the Cabo da Boa Esperança or Cape of Good Hope as it led to the riches of India. João II ( Portuguese, ʒuˈɐ̃ũ English: John II) ( March 3 1455 &ndash October 25 1495) the Perfect The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک In 1652 a refreshment station was established at the Cape of Good Hope by Jan van Riebeeck on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck ( 21 April, 1619 &ndash 18 January, 1677) was a Dutch colonial administrator The Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian Slaves were brought from Indonesia, Madagascar, and India as a labour source for the Dutch immigrants in Cape Town. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the As they expanded east, the Dutch settlers eventually met the south-westerly expanding Xhosa people in the region of the Fish River. See also Xhosa language The Xhosa (ǁʰɔsɑ( people are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two The Great Fish River (called great to distinguish from the Namibian Fish River) is a river running through the South African province of the A series of wars, called Cape Frontier Wars, ensued, mainly caused by conflicting land and livestock interests. The Xhosa Wars, also known as the Kaffir Wars or Cape Frontier Wars, were a series of nine wars between the amaXhosa people and European settlers

Great Britain seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1795 ostensibly to stop it falling into the hands of the French, but also seeking to use Cape Town in particular as a stop on the route to Australia and India. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the It was later returned to the Dutch in 1803, but soon afterwards the Dutch East India Company declared bankruptcy, and the British annexed the Cape Colony in 1806. The Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian The British continued the frontier wars against the Xhosa, pushing the eastern frontier eastward through a line of forts established along the Fish River and consolidating it by encouraging British settlement. The 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South Due to pressure of abolitionist societies in Britain, the British parliament first stopped its global slave trade in 1807, then abolished slavery in all its colonies in 1833. Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history

Historical nation-states of present-day South Africa (including Boer republics and TBVC states)

Mapungubwe (1050-1270) Swellendam (1795) Graaff Reinet (1795-1796) Waterboer's Land (1813-1871) Adam Kok's Land (1825-1861) Winburg (1836-1844) Potchefstroom (1837-1844) Potchefstroom, North West (1844-1848) Republic of Utrecht (1854-1858) Lydenburg Republic (1856-1860) Nieuw Republiek (1884-1888) Griqualand East (1861-1879) Griqualand West (1870) Klein Vrystaat (1886-1891) Stellaland (1882-1885) Goshen (South Africa) (1882-1883) Zululand (1816-1897) Natalia Republic (1839–1843) Orange Free State (1854-1902) South African Republic (1857-1902) Union of South Africa (1910–1961) Bophuthatswana (1977-1994) Ciskei (1981-1994) Transkei (1976-1994) Venda (1979-1994) Republic of South Africa (1961-present)

British colony

The discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1884 in the interior encouraged economic growth and immigration, intensifying the subjugation of the indigenous peoples. For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy The Boer Republics (sometimes also referred to as Boer states were independent self-governed Republics created by the Dutch -speaking (proto Afrikaans) inhabitants South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated Mapungubwe was a city in what is now northern South Africa. Flourishing from 1050 AD to 1270 AD at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo Swellendam is a small town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Griquatown is a sheep farming town (primarily Dorpers, a South African breed which can now also be found in places such as Australia) Philippolis is a small town in the Free State province of South Africa. Winburg is a small mixed farming town in the Free State province of South Africa. Potchefstroom is an Academic city hosting the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (previously known as Potchefstroom University Potchefstroom is an Academic city hosting the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (previously known as Potchefstroom University Utrecht Lydenburg is a Town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The town is slated to be renamed Mashishing, according to an announcement made on June 30 2006 Vryheid is a Coal mining and Cattle ranching town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Griqualand East (also called East Griqualand) is a territory (20000 sq Griqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province, which was inhabited by the Klein Vrystaat ( Afrikaans: Little Free State) was a short-lived Boer republic in what is now South Africa. Stellaland was a short-lived Boer Republic from 1882 until 1885, located in an area of Bechuanaland, west of the then South Goshen (named after the biblical Land of Goshen) was a short-lived Boer republic from 24 October 1882 until 7 August 1883 Zululand, the Zulu -dominated area of northern KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa, extends along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic established in 1839 by local Afrikaans -speaking Voortrekkers shortly after the famous Battle The Republic of the Orange Free State (Oranje-Vrystaat Dutch: Oranje-Vrijstaat) was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa This article is about the former country in Africa For the present-day country see South Africa; for the region where both are located see Southern Africa } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. Bophuthatswana (meaning gathering of the Tswana people) was a Bantustan ("homeland" in the northwest of South Africa. Ciskei was a Bantustan in the south east of South Africa. It consisted of two separate blocks of land covering 2970 square miles (7700 km³ almost entirely The Transkei —which means "the area beyond the Kei River"—is a region situated in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Venda was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, now part of Limpopo province In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 The Boers successfully resisted British encroachments during the First Boer War (1880–1881) using guerrilla warfare tactics, much better suited to local conditions. Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans See also Second Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The First Boer War ( Dutch: Eerste Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc However, the British returned in greater numbers without their red jackets in the Second Boer War (1899–1902). See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: The Boers' attempt to ally themselves with German South-West Africa provided the British with yet another excuse to take control of the Boer Republics. German South West Africa ( German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika, DSWA) was a Colony of Germany from 1884 until 1915 when it was taken

The Boers resisted fiercely, but the British eventually overwhelmed the Boer forces, using their superior numbers, improved tactics and external supply chains. Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans Also during this war, the British used controversial concentration camps and scorched earth tactics, forcing whole families into crowded tents and burning their houses. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method (possibly more often referred to as a tactic but this is not entirely correct as there is a difference between Crops were burnt and all livestock slaughtered to demoralise the resisting Boers. Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans The Treaty of Vereeniging specified full British sovereignty over the South African republics, and the British government agreed to assume the £3,000,000 war debt owed by the Afrikaner governments. The Treaty of Vereeniging (commonly referred to as Peace of Vereeniging) was the Peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the South Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency One of the main conditions of the treaty ending the war was that "Blacks" would not be allowed to vote, except in the Cape Colony.

Independence

After four years of negotiating, the Union of South Africa was created from the Cape and Natal colonies, as well as the republics of Orange Free State and Transvaal, on May 31, 1910, exactly eight years after the end of the Second Boer War. } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 with the founding of Cape Town. The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. The Republic of the Orange Free State (Oranje-Vrystaat Dutch: Oranje-Vrijstaat) was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The newly-created Union of South Africa was a dominion. A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities under sovereign authority within the British Empire and The Natives' Land Act of 1913 severely restricted the ownership of land by 'blacks', at that stage to a mere 7% of the country, although this amount was eventually increased marginally. The Natives' Land of 1913 was an Act by the South African legislature aimed at regulating the acquisition of land by "natives" ^[3] The union was effectively granted independence from the United Kingdom with the passage of the Statute of Westminster, which morphed the British king's position within South Africa into that of the distinct King of South Africa. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The King or Queen of South Africa was titular Head of state of the Union of South Africa during the state's existence as a Dominion of the In 1934, the South African Party and National Party merged to form the United Party, seeking reconciliation between Afrikaners and English-speaking "Whites", but split in 1939 over the Union's entry into World War II as an ally of the United Kingdom, a move which the National Party strongly opposed. The South African Party was a political party that existed in the Union of South Africa from 1911 to 1934 The National Party ( Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) (with its members sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats) was the governing party of The United Party was South Africa's ruling political party between 1934 and 1948. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

In 1948, the National Party was elected to power, and began implementing a series of harsh segregationist laws that would become known collectively as apartheid. The National Party ( Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) (with its members sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats) was the governing party of Not surprisingly, this segregation also applied to the wealth acquired during rapid industrialisation of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. While the White minority enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa, often comparable to "First World" western nations, the Black majority remained disadvantaged by almost every standard, including income, education, housing, and life expectancy. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population The term " first world " refers to countries that are capitalist, which are technologically advanced and whose However, the average income and life expectancy of a black, Indian or "Coloured" South African compared favourably to many other African states, such as Ghana and Tanzania as education and health were provided, though selectively. The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya On 31 May 1961, following a whites-only referendum, the country became a republic and left the Commonwealth. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The office of Governor-General was abolished and replaced with the position of State President. The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries.

Apartheid became increasingly controversial, leading to widespread sanctions and divestment abroad and growing unrest and oppression within South Africa. International sanctions are actions taken by Countries against others for political reasons either Unilaterally or Multilaterally. In Finance and Economics, divestment or divestiture is the reduction of some kind of Asset for either financial goals or ethical objectives (See also the article on the History of South Africa in the apartheid era. ) A long period of harsh suppression by the government, and at times violent resistance, strikes, marches, protests, and sabotage by bombing and other means, by various anti-apartheid movements, most notably the African National Congress (ANC), followed. Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy oppressor or employer through subversion obstruction disruption and/or destruction The African National Congress (ANC has been South Africa 's governing party supported by its Tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions In the late 1970s, South Africa began a program of nuclear weapons, and in the following decade it produced six deliverable nuclear weapons. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The rationale for the nuclear arsenal is disputed, but it is believed that Vorster and P.W. Botha wanted to be able to catalyse American intervention in the event of a war between South Africa and the Cuban-supported MPLA government of Angola. Balthazar Johannes Vorster (13 December 1915 - 10 September 1983 better known as John Vorster ("FOUR-stir" served as the Prime Minister of South Africa Pieter Willem Botha (12 January 1916 – 31 October 2006 commonly known as "P The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho is an Angolan political party Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central

Democracy

In 1990 the National Party government took the first step towards negotiating itself out of power when it lifted the ban on the African National Congress and other left-wing political organisations, and released Nelson Mandela from prison after twenty-seven years' incarceration on a sabotage sentence. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (xolíɬaɬa mandéːla born 18 July 1918 is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in fully representative Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy oppressor or employer through subversion obstruction disruption and/or destruction Apartheid legislation was gradually removed from the statute books, and South Africa also destroyed its nuclear arsenal and acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT or NNPT) is a Treaty to limit the spread The first multi-racial elections were held in 1994, which the ANC won by an overwhelming majority. The South African general election of 1994 was the first free election held in South Africa after the end of Apartheid, therefore also the first held on It has been in power ever since.

Despite the end of apartheid, millions of South Africans, mostly black, continued to live in poverty. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and This is partly attributed to the legacy of the apartheid system and, increasingly, as what many see as the failure of the current government to tackle social issues, coupled with the monetary and fiscal discipline of the current government to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth. Since the ANC government took power, South Africa's United Nations Human Development Index has fallen dramatically, while it was steadily rising until the mid-1990s. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP ^[4] Much of this could be attributed to the AIDS pandemic and the government's failure to take steps to address it. A pandemic (from Greek παν pan all + δήμος demos people is an Epidemic of Infectious disease that spreads through ^[5] However, the ANC's social housing policy has produced some improvement in living conditions in many areas by redirecting fiscal spending and improving the efficiency of the tax collection system.

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of South Africa

South Africa is the only country in the world with three capital cities: Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital; Pretoria is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. Bloemfontein (ˈbluːmfɒnteɪn Afrikaans and Dutch for "spring of Bloem (bloom" South Africa has a bicameral parliament: the ninety members of the National Council of Provinces (the upper house); and the four hundred members of the National Assembly (the lower house). In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those The National Council of Provinces ( NCOP) is the Upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the (post- Apartheid) constitution An upper house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Lower house. The National Assembly is the Lower house of the Parliament of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. A lower house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Upper house. Members of the lower house are elected on a population basis by proportional representation: half of the members are elected from national lists and half are elected from provincial lists. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes Ten members are elected to represent each province in the National Council of Provinces, regardless of the population of the province. Elections for both chambers are held every five years. The government is formed in the lower house, and the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly is the President. The President of South Africa, in full the President of the Republic of South Africa is the Head of state and Head of government under South

Current South African politics are dominated by the African National Congress (ANC), which received 69. The African National Congress (ANC has been South Africa 's governing party supported by its Tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions 7% of the vote during the last 2004 general election and 66. Legislative elections were held in South Africa on Wednesday 14 april 2004. 3% of the vote in the 2006 municipal election. The 2006 South African municipal elections were held on March 1, 2006, to elect members to the local governing councils in the municipalities of South Africa The current (2004-2009 term) President of South Africa is Thabo Mbeki, who succeeded former President Nelson Mandela. The President of South Africa, in full the President of the Republic of South Africa is the Head of state and Head of government under South Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born 18 June 1942 is a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1999 to 24 September 2008 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (xolíɬaɬa mandéːla born 18 July 1918 is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in fully representative The main challenger to the ANC's rule is the Democratic Alliance party, which received 12. The Democratic Alliance (DA is a liberal South African political party and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress. 4% of the vote in the 2004 election and 14. 8% in the 2006 election. The leader of this party is Helen Zille (elected 6 May 2007). Helen Zille ( 9 March, 1951 - is the Mayor of Cape Town in South Africa 's Western Cape province and leader of the Democratic Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The previous leader of the party was Tony Leon. Anthony James Leon (born December 15, 1956) is a South African politician and the former leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's The formerly dominant New National Party, which introduced apartheid through its predecessor, the National Party, chose to merge with the ANC on 9 April 2005. The New National Party (NNP was a South African conservative political party formed in 1997 when the National Party pulled out of the Government of National Unity The National Party ( Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) (with its members sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats) was the governing party of Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Other major political parties represented in Parliament are the Inkatha Freedom Party, which mainly represents Zulu voters, and the Independent Democrats, who took 6. The Inkatha Freedom Party ( IFP) is a Political party in South Africa. The Zulu ( IsiZulu: amaZulu) are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal The Independent Democrats are a South African political party formed by former Pan Africanist Congress member Patricia de Lille in 2003 97% and 1. 7% of the vote respectively, in the 2004 election.

However since 2004 the country has suffered many thousands of popular protests, some violent, making it, according to one academic, the "most protest-rich country in the world". ^[6] Many of these protests have been organised from the growing shanty towns that surround South African cities. Shanty towns (also called Squatter camps or Favelas are settlements (sometimes illegal or unauthorized of impoverished people who live in improvised

Military

Main article: South African National Defence Force

South Africa's armed forces, known as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), was created in 1994. The South African National Defence Force ( SANDF) is the name of the Armed forces of South Africa. For the military meaning see Armed forces. For the Soviet sports society see Armed Forces (sports society Armed Forces The South African National Defence Force ( SANDF) is the name of the Armed forces of South Africa. Previously known as the South African Defence Force (SADF), the new force is an all volunteer army and consists of the forces of the old SADF, as well as the forces of the African nationalist groups, namely Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), and the former Bantustan defence forces. The South African Defence Force (SADF were the South African Armed forces from 1957 until 1994 For other uses of Umkhonto see Umkhonto (disambiguation Umkhonto we Sizwe (or MK The Azanian People's Liberation Army ( APLA) was the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC in South Africa. A bantustan or more commonly black african homeland or simply homeland, was territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South-West The SANDF is subdivided into four branches, the South African Army, the South African Air Force, the South African Navy, and the South African Military Health Services. The South African Army is the Army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910 The South African Air Force (SAAF is the Air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Navy (SAN is the Navy of South Africa. History Formation The South African Navy can trace its official origins The South African Military Health Service is the branch of the South African National Defence Force responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all

In recent years, the SANDF has become a major peacekeeping force in Africa, and has been involved in operations in Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi, amongst others. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace Lesotho (lɪˈsuːtuː) officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a Landlocked country and Enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to Burundi (buˈɾundi officially the Republic of Burundi, is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda It has also participated as a part of multi-national UN peacekeeping forces. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security

South Africa undertook a nuclear weapons program in the 1970s and may have conducted a nuclear test over the Atlantic in 1979. The Vela Incident (sometimes referred to as the South Atlantic Flash) was an as-yet unidentified double flash of Light detected by a United States It is the only African country to have successfully developed nuclear weapons. During the 1970s and 1980s South Africa pursued research into nuclear, biological, and Chemical weapons Six nuclear weapons were assembled. It has become the first country (followed by the Ukraine) with nuclear capability to voluntarily renounce and dismantle its program and in the process signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1991. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT or NNPT) is a Treaty to limit the spread

Law

Main article: Law of South Africa

The primary sources of South Africa law were Roman-Dutch mercantile law and personal law with English Common law, as imports of Dutch settlements and British colonialism. The Law of South Africa has a 'hybrid' or 'mixed' legal system, made of the interweaving of a number of distinct legal traditions a civil law system inherited from its Dutch The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The first European based law in South Africa was brought by the Dutch East India Company and is called Roman-Dutch law. The Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian Roman Dutch law is a Legal system based on Roman law as applied in the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th century It was imported before the codification of European law into the Napoleonic Code and is comparable in many ways to Scots law. In Law, codification is the process of collecting and restating the law of a Jurisdiction in certain areas usually by subject forming a Legal code. The Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des Français) is the French Civil code, established under Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. This was followed in the 19th century by English law, both common and statutory. English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive Statutory law or statute law is written Law (as opposed to oral or Customary law) set down by a Legislature or other governing Starting in 1910 with unification, South Africa had its own parliament which passed laws specific for South Africa, building on those previously passed for the individual member colonies. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those

Provinces, districts and municipalities

Main articles: Provinces of South Africa, Districts of South Africa, and Municipalities of South Africa

When apartheid ended in 1994, the South African government had to integrate the formerly independent and semi-independent Bantustans into the political structure of South Africa. The Northern Cape is a large sparsely populated province of South Africa, created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mafikeng. Gauteng (xaʊˈtɛŋ Sotho xɑ́útʼèŋ̀ is a province of South Africa. Limpopo (lɪmˈpoʊpoʊ is the northernmost province of South Africa. Mpumalanga, (umˈpuːməlɑŋɡə – name changed from Eastern Transvaal on 24 August 1995) is a province of South Africa KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho. History See also Orange Free State Geography The Free State is situated on flat boundless plains in the heart of South Africa The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. A bantustan or more commonly black african homeland or simply homeland, was territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South-West To this end, it abolished the four former provinces of South Africa (Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State, and Transvaal) and replaced them with nine fully integrated provinces. The Cape of Good Hope Province (commonly referred to simply as the Cape Province) was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of Natal was a Province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994 with capital in Pietermaritzburg. The Republic of the Orange Free State (Oranje-Vrystaat Dutch: Oranje-Vrijstaat) was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit The new provinces are usually much smaller than the former provinces, which theoretically gives local governments more resources to distribute over smaller areas.

The nine provinces are further subdivided into 52 districts: 6 metropolitan and 46 district municipalities. South Africa is divided into 52 districts (Metropolitan and District municipalities In South Africa, a metropolitan municipality or Category A municipality is a Municipality which executes all the functions of local government for a In South Africa, a district municipality or Category C municipality is a Municipality which executes some the functions of local government for a district The 46 district municipalities are further subdivided into 231 local municipalities. In South Africa, a Local municipality or Category B municipality is a type of municipality that serves as the third and most local tier of local government The district municipalities also contain 20 district management areas (mostly game parks) that are directly governed by the district municipalities. The six metropolitan municipalities perform the functions of both district and local municipalities. The new provinces are:

Province	Former homelands and provinces	Capital	Area (km²)	Area (sq mi)	Population (2001)
Eastern Cape	Cape Province, Transkei, Ciskei	Bhisho	169,580	65,475	6,436,761
Free State	Orange Free State, QwaQwa	Bloemfontein	129,480	49,992	2,706,776
Gauteng	Transvaal	Johannesburg	17,010	6,568	8,837,172
KwaZulu-Natal	Natal, KwaZulu	Pietermaritzburg	92,100	35,560	9,426,018
Limpopo	Transvaal, Venda, Lebowa, Gazankulu	Polokwane	123,900	47,838	5,273,637
Mpumalanga	Transvaal, KwaNdebele, KaNgwane, Bophuthatswana, Lebowa	Nelspruit	79,490	30,691	3,122,994
Northern Cape	Cape Province	Kimberley	361,830	139,703	822,726
North West	Transvaal, Cape Province, Bophuthatswana	Mafikeng	116,320	44,911	3,669,349
Western Cape	Cape Province	Cape Town	129,370	49,950	4,524,335
Total			1,219,080	470,688	44,819,768

Geography

Main article: Geography of South Africa

South Africa is located at the southernmost region of Africa, with a long coastline that stretches more than 2,500 kilometres (1,550 mi) and across two oceans (the Atlantic and the Indian). The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho. The Cape of Good Hope Province (commonly referred to simply as the Cape Province) was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of The Transkei —which means "the area beyond the Kei River"—is a region situated in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Ciskei was a Bantustan in the south east of South Africa. It consisted of two separate blocks of land covering 2970 square miles (7700 km³ almost entirely Bhisho, formerly known as Bisho, is the capital of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. History See also Orange Free State Geography The Free State is situated on flat boundless plains in the heart of South Africa The Republic of the Orange Free State (Oranje-Vrystaat Dutch: Oranje-Vrijstaat) was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa QwaQwa was a Bantustan, or homeland in the eastern part of South Africa. Bloemfontein (ˈbluːmfɒnteɪn Afrikaans and Dutch for "spring of Bloem (bloom" Gauteng (xaʊˈtɛŋ Sotho xɑ́útʼèŋ̀ is a province of South Africa. For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa. KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. KwaZulu was a Bantustan in South Africa, intended by the Apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Zulu people Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Limpopo (lɪmˈpoʊpoʊ is the northernmost province of South Africa. For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit Venda was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, now part of Limpopo province Lebowa was a Bantustan located in the Transvaal in north eastern South Africa. Gazankulu was a Bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Tsonga (Shangaan people. Pietersburg is a City, Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province in South Africa. Mpumalanga, (umˈpuːməlɑŋɡə – name changed from Eastern Transvaal on 24 August 1995) is a province of South Africa For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit KwaNdebele was a Bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Matabele people KaNgwane was a Bantustan in South Africa, intended by the Apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Swazi people Bophuthatswana (meaning gathering of the Tswana people) was a Bantustan ("homeland" in the northwest of South Africa. Lebowa was a Bantustan located in the Transvaal in north eastern South Africa. Nelspruit is a City of 221474 people ( 2000) situated in northeastern South Africa. The Northern Cape is a large sparsely populated province of South Africa, created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up The Cape of Good Hope Province (commonly referred to simply as the Cape Province) was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of Kimberley is a town in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mafikeng. For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit The Cape of Good Hope Province (commonly referred to simply as the Cape Province) was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of Bophuthatswana (meaning gathering of the Tswana people) was a Bantustan ("homeland" in the northwest of South Africa. Mafikeng (previously Mafeking) is the capital of the North-West Province of South Africa. The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The Cape of Good Hope Province (commonly referred to simply as the Cape Province) was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the South Africa occupies the southern tip of Africa, its long coastline stretching more than 2500 kilometers (1553 miles from the Desert Border with The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface At 470,979 sq mi (1,219,912 km²),^[7] South Africa is the world's 25th-largest country (after Mali). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. It is comparable in size to Colombia. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Njesuthi in the Drakensberg at 3,408 m (11,424 ft) is the highest peak in South Africa. Njesuthi is the highest mountain in South Africa. It is located on the border with Lesotho. The Drakensberg ( Afrikaans: "Dragon's Mountain" Mountains are the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising up to in height

South Africa has a generally temperate climate, due in part to it being surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides, by its location in the climatically milder southern hemisphere and due to the average elevation rising steadily towards the north (towards the equator) and further inland. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface Southern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is South of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' The equator (sometimes referred to colloquially as "the Line") is the intersection of the Earth 's surface with the plane perpendicular to the Due to this varied topography and oceanic influence, a great variety of climatic zones exist.

The climatic zones vary, from the extreme desert of the southern Namib in the farthest northwest to the lush subtropical climate in the east along the Mozambique border and the Indian ocean. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. The Namib Desert is a Desert in Namibia and southwest Angola which forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface From the east, the land quickly rises over a mountainous escarpment towards the interior plateau known as the Highveld. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys In Geomorphology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves a sharp steep Elevation differential characterized In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting The Highveld is a high Plateau region of South Africa which is largely home to the largest metropolitan area in the country the Gauteng City Region Even though South Africa is classified as semi-arid, there is considerable variation in climate as well as topography. A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets

The interior of South Africa is a vast, rather flat, and sparsely populated scrubland, Karoo, which is drier towards the northwest along the Namib desert. Scrubland is a Plant community characterized by scrub Vegetation. The Karoo (a Khoisan word of uncertain etymology) is a semi- Desert region of South Africa. In contrast, the eastern coastline is lush and well-watered, which produces a climate similar to the tropics. The extreme southwest has a climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean with wet winters and hot, dry summers, hosting the famous Fynbos Biome. Fynbos (ˈfəinbɒs or anglicised as /ˈfeɪnbɒs/ meaning "fine bush" in Afrikaans) is the natural Shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and This area also produces much of South Africa's wine. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice This region is also particularly known for its wind, which blows intermittently almost all year. The severity of this wind made passing around the Cape of Good Hope particularly treacherous for sailors, causing many shipwrecks. The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک A shipwreck can refer to a wrecked ship or to the event that caused the wreck such as the striking of something that causes the ship to sink the stranding of the ship on rocks Further east on the country's south coast, rainfall is distributed more evenly throughout the year, producing a green landscape. This area is popularly known as the Garden Route. The Garden Route is a popular and scenic stretch of the southern coast of South Africa.

The Free State is particularly flat due to the fact that it lies centrally on the high plateau. History See also Orange Free State Geography The Free State is situated on flat boundless plains in the heart of South Africa North of the Vaal River, the Highveld becomes better watered and does not experience subtropical extremes of heat. This is for the river for the extraterrestrial robot deity see The Apple (Star Trek The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange Johannesburg, in the centre of the Highveld, is at 1,740 metres (5,709 ft) and receives an annual rainfall of 760 millimetres (30 in). Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. Winters in this region are cold, although snow is rare. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation.

To the north of Johannesburg, the altitude drops beyond the Highveld's escarpment, and turns into the lower lying Bushveld, an area of mixed dry forest and an abundance of wildlife. East of the Highveld, beyond the eastern escarpment, the Lowveld stretches towards the Indian ocean. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface It has particularly high temperatures, and is also the location of extended subtropical agriculture. The mountains of the Barberton Greenstone belt in the lowveld are the oldest mountains on Earth, dating back 3. Barberton is the name of different towns including Barberton Ohio, United States Barberton Mpumalanga, South Africa Greenstone belts are zones of variably metamorphosed Mafic to Ultramafic Volcanic sequences with associated Sedimentary rocks that 5 Billion years. The earliest reliable proof of life (dated 3. 2–3. 5 Billion years old) has been found in these mountains.

The high Drakensberg mountains, which form the south-eastern escarpment of the Highveld, offer limited skiing opportunities in winter. The Drakensberg ( Afrikaans: "Dragon's Mountain" Mountains are the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising up to in height A ski is a long flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow The coldest place in South Africa is Sutherland in the western Roggeveld Mountains, where midwinter temperatures can reach as low as −15 degrees Celsius (5 °F). Sutherland is a town located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The Roggeveld Mountains (Roggeveldberge are a Mountain range in South Africa. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The deep interior has the hottest temperatures: A temperature of 51. 7 °C (125 °F) was recorded in 1948 in the Northern Cape Kalahari near Upington. The Northern Cape is a large sparsely populated province of South Africa, created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up Upington is a Town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa ^[8]

South Africa also has one possession, the small sub-Antarctic archipelago of the Prince Edward Islands, consisting of Marion Island (290 km²/112 sq mi) and Prince Edward Island (45 km²/17. The Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the Sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are politically part of South Africa. The Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the Sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are politically part of South Africa. 3 sq mi) (not to be confused with the Canadian province of the same name). Prince Edward Island (ˌprɪns ˌɛdwɚd ˈaɪlɨnd ( PEI or P

Weather averages for Cape Town, South Africa
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	27 (81)	28 (82)	26 (79)	24 (75)	20 (68)	18 (64)	17 (63)	18 (64)	19 (66)	22 (72)	24 (75)	26 (79)	28 (82)
Average low °C (°F)	16 (61)	16 (61)	15 (59)	13 (55)	10 (50)	8 (46)	8 (46)	8 (46)	9 (48)	11 (52)	14 (57)	15 (59)	8 (46)
Precipitation mm (inches)	16. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 5 (0. 6)	13 (0. 5)	20 (0. 8)	54 (2. 1)	92 (3. 6)	111 (4. 4)	96 (3. 8)	87 (3. 4)	56 (2. 2)	40 (1. 6)	24 (0. 9)	18 (0. 7)	627 (24. 7)
Source: EuroWEATHER[9] 2. 22. 2008

Flora and fauna

South Africa is one of only 17 countries worldwide considered Megadiverse. Fynbos (ˈfəinbɒs or anglicised as /ˈfeɪnbɒs/ meaning "fine bush" in Afrikaans) is the natural Shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring A Phytochorion, in Phytogeography, is a geographic area with a relatively uniform composition of plant species Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the The megadiverse countries are a group of countries that harbor the majority of the earth's species and are therefore considered extremely Biodiverse. It has more than 20,000 different plants, or about 10% of all the known species of plants on Earth, making it particularly rich in plant biodiversity. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 South Africa is the third most biodiverse country in the world, after Brazil and Indonesia and has greater biodiversity than any country of equal or smaller size (Brazil being roughly seven times South Africa's size, and Indonesia more than 50% larger). |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia.

South Africa's most prevalent biome is grassland, particularly on the Highveld, where the plant cover is dominated by different grasses, low shrubs, and acacia trees, mainly camel-thorn and whitethorn. Grasslands (also called greenswards) are areas where the Vegetation is dominated by Grasses ( Poaceae) and other Herbaceous (non-woody The Highveld is a high Plateau region of South Africa which is largely home to the largest metropolitan area in the country the Gauteng City Region Poaceae or Gramineae is a family in the Class Liliopsida of the flowering plants. A shrub or Bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of Woody plant, distinguished from a Tree Acacia is a Genus of Shrubs and Trees belonging to the Subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first Vegetation becomes even more sparse towards the northwest due to low rainfall. Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric There are several species of water-storing succulents like aloes and euphorbias in the very hot and dry Namaqualand area. Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are Water -retaining Plants adapted to Arid climate or Soil conditions Aloe, also written Aloë, is a Genus containing about four hundred Species of flowering succulent Plants Namaqualand ( Afrikaans: Namakwaland) is an arid region of South Africa, extending along the west coast over 600 miles and covering a total area of 170000 The grass and thorn savannah turns slowly into a bush savannah towards the north-east of the country, with more dense growth. A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. There are significant numbers of baobab trees in this area, near the northern end of Kruger National Park. Baobab is the common name of a Genus ( Adansonia) containing eight species of Trees native to Madagascar (having six species mainland Kruger National Park is the largest Game reserve in South Africa. ^[10]

The Fynbos Biome, which makes up the majority of the area and plant life in the Cape floristic region, one of the six floral kingdoms, is located in a small region of the Western Cape and contains more than 9,000 of those species, making it among the richest regions on earth in terms of floral biodiversity. Fynbos (ˈfəinbɒs or anglicised as /ˈfeɪnbɒs/ meaning "fine bush" in Afrikaans) is the natural Shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and The Cape floristic region is a Floristic region located in South Africa. A Phytochorion, in Phytogeography, is a geographic area with a relatively uniform composition of plant species The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The majority of the plants are evergreen hard-leaf plants with fine, needle-like leaves, such as the sclerophyllous plants. In Botany, an Evergreen plant is a plant having leaves all year round In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem Another uniquely South African plant is the protea genus of flowering plants. "Sugarbush" redirects here For the ski resort see Sugarbush Resort Protea is both the Botanical name There are around 130 different species of protea in South Africa.

While South Africa has a great wealth of flowering plants, it has few forests. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Only 1% of South Africa is forest, almost exclusively in the humid coastal plain along the Indian Ocean in KwaZulu-Natal (see KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic). Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean Relative humidity. A coastal plain is an area of flat low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. The Kwazulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa. There are even smaller reserves of forests that are out of the reach of fire, known as montane forests (see Knysna-Amatole montane forests). Fire is the heat and light energy released during a Chemical reaction, in particular a combustion reaction. The Knysna-Amatole montane forests is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa. Plantations of imported tree species are predominant, particularly the non-native eucalyptus and pine. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco Eucalyptus (From Greek ευκάλυπτος meaning "well covered" is a diverse Genus of Trees (and a few shrubs the members of which This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. South Africa has lost a large area of natural habitat in the last four decades, primarily due to overpopulation, sprawling development patterns and deforestation during the nineteenth century. Overpopulation refers to a condition where an Organism 's numbers exceed the Carrying capacity of its Habitat. Deforestation is the conversion of Forested areas to non-forest land for use such as Arable land, Pasture, urban use logged area or wasteland South Africa is one of the worst affected countries in the world when it comes to invasion by alien species with many (e. g. Black Wattle, Port Jackson, Hakea, Lantana and Jacaranda) posing a significant threat to the native biodiversity and the already scarce water resources. Acacia mearnsii is a fast-growing leguminous tree native to Australia. Acacia saligna (Syn Acacia cyanophylla) commonly known by various names including coojong, golden wreath wattle, orange wattle Hakea ( Hakea) is a genus of 149 species of Shrubs and small Trees in the Proteaceae, native to Australia. Lantana is a Genus of about 150 Species of perennial Flowering plants native to tropical regions of the Americas Jacaranda (pronounced,, or) is a Genus of 49 species of Flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. The original temperate forest that met the first European settlers to South Africa was exploited ruthlessly until only small patches remained. Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests temperate deciduous forest) --> are a Temperate and Humid Biome. Currently, South African hardwood trees like Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius), stinkwood (Ocotea bullata), and South African Black Ironwood (Olea laurifolia) are under government protection. The term hardwood is used to describe Wood from broad-leaved angiosperm Trees mostly Deciduous, but not necessarily in the case of tropical Podocarpus latifolius ( Broad-leaved Yellowwood or Real Yellowwood) is a large Evergreen Tree up to 35 m high and 3 m Ocotea bullata ( Stinkwood tree) is a species of Flowering plant in the family Lauraceae, native to South Africa. Olea laurifolia ( Black Ironwood) is a Species of Flowering plant belonging to the Olive family Oleaceae

Numerous mammals are found in the bushveld habitats including lions, leopards, white rhinos, blue wildebeest, kudus, impalas, hyenas, hippopotamus, and giraffes. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The Bushveld is a tropical savanna Ecoregion of Southern Africa that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and part of the North West Province The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. The leopard (lɛpɚd Panthera pardus) is an Old World Mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four roaring The White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum) is one of the five species of Rhinoceros that still exist and is one of the few The Blue Wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus) is a large Ungulate mammal of the Bovid family and one of two species of Wildebeest. Kudu is an alternate spelling for kuzu the Japanese word for the plant Kudzu. An impala ( Aepyceros melampus Greek αιπος aipos "high" κερος ceros "horn" + melas "black" pous The Hyaenidae is a Mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family native to both African and Asian continents consists of four The hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius) from the Greek ἱπποπόταμος ( hippopotamos, ιππος hippos meaning "horse" The giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African Even-toed ungulate Mammal, the tallest of all land-living Animal Species A significant extent of the bushveld habitat exists in the north-east including Kruger National Park and the Mala Mala Reserve, as well as in the far north in the Waterberg Biosphere. Kruger National Park is the largest Game reserve in South Africa. Mala Mala is a Game reserve located within the Sabi Sand Reserve Mpumalanga province South Africa. The Waterberg Biosphere is a Massif of approximately 15000 square kilometers in north Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Climate change is expected to bring considerable warming and drying to much of this already semi-arid region, with greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, flooding and drought. According to computer generated climate modelling produced by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)^[11] (along with many of its partner institutions), parts of southern Africa will see an increase in temperature by about one degree Celsius along the coast to more than four degrees Celsius in the already hot hinterland such as the Northern Cape in late spring and summertime by 2050. The Northern Cape is a large sparsely populated province of South Africa, created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up

The Cape Floral Kingdom has been identified as one of the global biodiversity hotspots since it will be hit very hard by climate change and has such a great diversity of life. A biodiversity hotspot is a Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences Drought, increased intensity and frequency of fire and climbing temperatures are expected to push many of these rare species towards extinction. A rare species is an Organism which is very uncommon or scarce In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. The book Scorched : South Africa's changing climate takes much of the modelling produced by SANBI and presents it in an accessible travelogue-style collection of essays. ^[12]

South Africa houses many endemic species, among them the critically endangered Riverine Rabbit (Bunolagus monticullaris) in the Karoo. Organisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct The Riverine Rabbit ( Bunolagus monticularis) also known as the Bushman Rabbit or Bushman Hare, is one of the rarest and most endangered Mammals The Karoo (a Khoisan word of uncertain etymology) is a semi- Desert region of South Africa.

Economy

Main article: Economy of South Africa

By UN classification South Africa is a middle-income country with an abundant supply of resources, well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors, a stock exchange (the JSE Limited), that ranks among the top twenty in the world, and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centres throughout the entire region. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel A stock exchange, share market or bourse is a Corporation or Mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for Stock South Africa is ranked 20th in the world in terms of GDP (PPP) as of 2007.

Advanced development is significantly localised around four areas: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Pretoria/Johannesburg. Beyond these four economic centres, development is marginal and poverty is still prevalent despite government efforts. Consequently the vast majority of South Africans are poor. However, key marginal areas have experienced rapid growth recently. Such areas include: Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay; Rustenburg area; Nelspruit area; Bloemfontein; Cape West Coast; and KwaZulu-Natal's North Coast amongst others.

Even though South Africa has the fourth highest per capita income in Africa, only behind Seychelles, Botswana and the European possessions located in Africa, it suffers from large income gaps and a dual economy marking it as a developing country. Seychelles (seɪˈʃɛl or /seɪˈʃɛlz/ in English and seʃɛl in French) officially the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles Creole The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. A dual economy is the existence of two separate economic systems within one country Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties South Africa has one of the highest rates of income inequality in the world. This is a list of countries or dependencies by Income inequality metrics, including Gini coefficients according to the United Nations (UN and the A decade of continual economic growth has helped to lower unemployment, but daunting economic and social problems remain. The average South African household income decreased considerably between 1995 and 2000. As for racial inequality, Statistics South Africa reported that in 1995 the average white household earned four times as much as the average black household. Statistics South Africa is the national Statistics board of South Africa. In 2000 the average white household was earning 6 times the average black household. [3] The implementation of affirmative action policies have seen a rise in black economic wealth and an emerging black middle class. Affirmative action in the United States|Employment equity (Canada|Reservation in India|Numerus clausus The term affirmative action describes many policies aimed at a historically ^[13] Other problems are crime, corruption, and HIV/AIDS.

At the start of 2000, President Thabo Mbeki vowed to promote economic growth and foreign investment by relaxing restrictive labour laws, stepping up the pace of privatisation, and cutting unneeded governmental spending. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business His policies face strong opposition from organised labour. The labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better South Africa is also the continent's largest energy producer and consumer.

The South African rand (ZAR), the world's most actively-traded emerging market currency, has joined an elite club of fifteen currencies, the Continuous linked settlement (CLS), where forex transactions are settled immediately, lowering the risks of transacting across time zones. The rand ( sign: R; code: ZAR) is the Currency of South Africa. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Continuous Linked Settlement is a process by which a number of the world's largest Banks manage settlement of foreign exchange amongst themselves (and The rand was the best-performing currency against the United States dollar (USD) between 2002 and 2005, according to the Bloomberg Currency Scorecard. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Bloomberg LP is a financial software services news and data company

The volatility of the rand has affected economic activity, falling sharply during 2001 and hitting a historic low of 13. 85 ZAR to the USD, raising fears of inflation, and causing the Reserve Bank to increase interest rates. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Interest is a fee paid on borrowed capital Assets lent include Money, Shares, Consumer goods through Hire purchase, major assets The rand has since recovered, trading at 7. 13 ZAR to the dollar as of January 2008. However, as exporters are put under considerable pressure from a stronger domestic currency, many call for government intervention to help soften the rand.

Refugees from poorer neighbouring countries include many immigrants from the DRC, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and others, representing a large portion of the informal sector. With high unemployment levels amongst poorer South Africans, xenophobia is prevalent and many people born in South Africa feel resentful of immigrants who are seen to be depriving the native population of jobs, a feeling which has been given credibility by the fact that many South African employers have employed migrants from other countries for lower pay than South African citizens, especially in the construction, tourism, agriculture and domestic service industries. Xenophobia is an intense and/or irrational dislike and sometimes fear of people from other countries In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture A domestic worker, domestic, servingman, servingwoman, or servant is one who works and often also lives within the employer's household Illegal immigrants are also heavily involved in informal trading. ^[14] However, many immigrants to South Africa continue to live in poor conditions, and the South African immigration policy has become increasingly restrictive since 1994. ^[15]

South Africa's principal international trading partners—besides other African countries—include Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Chief exports include corn, diamonds, fruits, gold, metals and minerals, sugar, and wool. Machinery and transportation equipment make up more than one-third of the value of the country’s imports. Other imports include chemicals, manufactured goods, and petroleum.

Electricity crisis

After unsuccessful attempts by the government to encourage private construction of electricity generation capacity, in 2007 the state-owned electricity supplier (Eskom) started experiencing a lack of capacity in the electrical generating and reticulation infrastructure. This article is about the South African electricity utility For the similarly-named German computer company see Escom. This led to an inability to meet the routine demands of industry and consumers, resulting in countrywide rolling blackouts. A rolling blackout, also referred to as load shedding, is an intentionally-engineered electrical Power outage. Initially the lack of capacity was triggered by a failure at Koeberg nuclear power station, but since then a general lack of capacity became evident. Koeberg nuclear power station is the only nuclear Power station in South Africa and the entire African continent The supplier has been widely criticised for failing to adequately plan for and construct sufficient electrical generating capacity,^[16] although ultimately the government has admitted that it's at fault for refusing to approve funding for investment in infrastructure. ^[17]

Agriculture

South Africa has a large agricultural sector and is a net exporter of farming products. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture There are almost a thousand agricultural cooperatives and agribusinesses throughout the country, and agricultural exports have constituted 8% of South Africa's total exports for the past five years. An agicultural cooperative, also known as a farmers' co-op, is a Cooperative where Farmers pool their resources in certain areas of activity In Agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term that refers to the various Businesses involved in Food production including Farming, Seed The agricultural industry contributes around 10% of formal employment, relatively low compared to other parts of Africa, as well as providing work for casual labourers and contributing around 2. 6% of GDP for the nation. ^[18] However, due to the aridity of the land, only 13. In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering 5% can be used for crop production, and only 3% is considered high potential land. ^[19]

Although the commercial farming sector is relatively well developed, people in some rural areas still survive on subsistence agriculture. Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficient farming in which farmers grow only enough food to feed the family and to pay taxes or feudal dues It is the eighth largest wine producer in the world, and the eleventh largest producer of sunflower seed. South Africa is a net exporter of agricultural products and foodstuffs, the largest number of exported items being sugar, grapes, citrus, nectarines, wine and deciduous fruit. Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of The peach ( Prunus persica) is a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of Wine, starting with selection of the Grapes and ending with bottling the finished wine Botany Autumn leaf color. See --> In Botany and Horticulture, deciduous Plants, including The largest locally produced crop is maize (corn), and it has been estimated that 9 million tons are produced every year, with 7. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica 4 million tons being consumed. Livestock are also popular on South African farms, with the country producing 85% of all meat consumed. Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food The dairy industry consists of around 4,300 milk producers providing employment for 60,000 farm workers and contributing to the livelihoods of around 40,000 others. ^[20]

In recent years, the agricultural sector has introduced several reforms, some of which are controversial, such as land reform and the deregulation of the market for agricultural products. Land reforms (also Agrarian reform, though that can have a broader meaning is an often- controversial alteration in the societal arrangements whereby government Land reform has been criticised both by farmers' groups and by landless workers, the latter alleging that the pace of change has not been fast enough, and the former alleging racist treatment and expressing concerns that a similar situation to Zimbabwe's land reform policy may develop,^[21] a fear exacerbated by comments made by the country's deputy president. Land reform in Zimbabwe began after the signing of the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979 in an effort to more equitably distribute land between the historically disenfranchised Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (pʰumziːle mlamboŋǀʱuːkʼa born 3 November 1955 is a South African politician who was Deputy President of South Africa from 2005 ^[22][23] The sector continues to face problems, with increased foreign competition and crime being two of the major challenges for the industry. The government has been accused of not devoting enough time and money to tackle the problem of farm attacks as opposed to other forms of violent crime. The South African farming community has suffered from attacks for many years ^[24]

Another issue which affects South African agriculture is environmental damage caused by misuse of the land and global climate change. South Africa is unusually vulnerable to climate change and resultant diminution of surface waters. Some predictions show surface water supply could decrease by 60% by the year 2070 in parts of the Western Cape. ^[25] To reverse the damage caused by land mismanagement, the government has supported a scheme which promotes sustainable development and the use of natural resources. Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present ^[26]

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in South Africa

South Africa is a popular tourist destination, and a substantial amount of revenue comes from tourism. South Africa is a popular tourist destination with around 860 000 arrivals per month ( March 2008) of which around 210 000 is from outside the African continent Among the main attractions are the diverse and picturesque culture, the game reserves and the highly regarded local wines. In recent years, tourism in South Africa has seen high growth with the first five months of 2007 showing the highest levels of tourism in South Africa since 1998. Figures released by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism show a decided increase in foreign visitors. Marthinus Christoffel Johannes van Schalkwyk (born 10 November 1959) is a South African politician

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of South Africa

Historical populations
Census	Pop. South Africa has an uncommon demographic profile marked by a heterogeneous population base social issues brought on by the legacy of Apartheid, divisions within ethnic groups	%±
1900	5014000	—
1910	5842000	16. 5%
1920	6953000	19. 0%
1930	8580000	23. 4%
1940	10341000	20. 5%
1950	13310000	28. 7%
1960	16385000	23. 1%
1970	21794000	33. 0%
1980	24261000	11. 3%
1990	37944000	56. 4%
2000	43686000	15. 1%
2008 (est. )	43786115	0. 2%
* Source: "South Africa", Population Statistics

South Africa is a nation of more than 43 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos The last census was held in 2001 and the next will be in 2011. The South African National Census of 2001 is the most recent national Census of South Africa. Statistics South Africa provided five racial categories by which people could classify themselves, the last of which, "unspecified/other" drew negligible responses, and these results were omitted. Statistics South Africa is the national Statistics board of South Africa. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets ^[27] The 2006 midyear estimated figures for the other categories were Black African at 79. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse 5%, White at 9. White South Africans is a term which refers to people from South Africa who are of Afrikaner, British or other Continental European descent 2%, Coloured at 8. In the South African Namibian Zambian Botswanan and Zimbabwean context the term Coloured (also known as Bruinmense 9%, and Indian or Asian at 2. The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known 5%. ^[28] Even though South Africa's population has increased in the past decade^[27][29] (primarily due to immigration), the country had an annual population growth rate of −0. 501% in 2008(CIA est. ). ^[30] South Africa is home to an estimated 3 million illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe. Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election ^[31][32]

By far the major part of the population classified itself as African or black, but it is not culturally or linguistically homogeneous. Major ethnic groups include the Zulu, Xhosa, Basotho (South Sotho), Bapedi (North Sotho), Venda, Tswana, Tsonga, Swazi and Ndebele, all of which speak Bantu languages (see Bantu peoples of South Africa). The Zulu ( IsiZulu: amaZulu) are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal See also Xhosa language The Xhosa (ǁʰɔsɑ( people are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two The Basotho people have lived in Southern Africa since around the fifteenth century. Northern Sotho ( Sesotho sa Leboa in the language itself is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is spoken by nearly five million—4208980 people Venda was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, now part of Limpopo province Tswana ( Motswana, plural Batswana) is the name of a Southern African people The Shangaan (Vatsonga or Vitsonga are a large group of people living mainly in southern Mozambique in Maputo and in Gaza Province; there is also The Swazi are a Bantu -speaking people in southeastern Africa, chiefly in Swaziland and South Africa and some in Mozambique, who speak The Ndebele people are three Tribes or Nations of people living in South Africa and Zimbabwe; there are three main groups of Ndebele The Bantu languages (technically Narrow Bantu languages) constitute a grouping belonging to the Niger-Congo family Black South Africans were at times officially called " Bantu " by the Apartheid Regime.

Some, such as the Zulu, Xhosa, Bapedi and Venda groups, are unique to South Africa. Other groups are distributed across the borders with South Africa's neighbours: The Basotho group is also the major ethnic group in Lesotho. The Basotho people have lived in Southern Africa since around the fifteenth century. Lesotho (lɪˈsuːtuː) officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a Landlocked country and Enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South The Tswana ethnic group constitute the majority of the population of Botswana. Tswana ( Motswana, plural Batswana) is the name of a Southern African people The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. The Swazi ethnic group is the major ethnic group in Swaziland. The Swazi are a Bantu -speaking people in southeastern Africa, chiefly in Swaziland and South Africa and some in Mozambique, who speak The Kingdom of Swaziland is a country located in Southern Africa centred at approximately 26o49'S 31o38'E The Ndebele ethnic group is also found in Matabeleland in Zimbabwe, where they are known as the Matabele. The Ndebele people are three Tribes or Nations of people living in South Africa and Zimbabwe; there are three main groups of Ndebele Modern day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe currently divided into two provinces Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election This article relates to the Ndebele people of Zimbabwe For other uses of the term please see Ndebele. These Ndebele people are the descendants of a Zulu faction under the warrior Mzilikazi that escaped persecution from Shaka by migrating to their current territory. Mzilikazi (meaning The Great Road) (ca 1790 - 9 September 1868) also sometimes called Mosilikatze was a Southern African king Shaka (sometimes spelled Tshaka, Tchaka or Chaka; ca 1787 – ca The Tsonga ethnic group is also found in southern Mozambique, where they are known as the Shangaan. The Shangaan (Vatsonga or Vitsonga are a large group of people living mainly in southern Mozambique in Maputo and in Gaza Province; there is also Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa

The white population is not ethnically homogenous and descend from many ethnic groups: Dutch, Portuguese, German, French Huguenot, English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Portuguese people (os Portugueses literally the Portuguese) are the Ethnic group or Nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Culturally and linguistically, they are divided into the Afrikaners, who speak Afrikaans, and English-speaking groups, many of whom are descended from British and Irish immigrants (see Anglo-African). The term Afrikaner people refers to white Afrikaans -speaking people who have been established in Southern Africa since the 17th century and are mainly of northwestern Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Anglo-Africans are people of primarily Sub-Saharan Africa whose first language is English. Many small communities that have immigrated over the last century retain the use of other languages. The white population is on the decrease due to a low birth rate and emigration; as a factor in their decision to emigrate, many cite the high crime rate and the government's affirmative action policies. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. Crime is an issue in South Africa in the 2000s A survey for the period 1998-2000 compiled by the United Nations Office Affirmative action in the United States|Employment equity (Canada|Reservation in India|Numerus clausus The term affirmative action describes many policies aimed at a historically Since 1994, over one hundred thousand white South Africans have emigrated. ^{[33][34][35][36]} Despite high emigration levels, a high level of non-South African white immigrants have settled in the country, in particular from countries such as Britain and Zimbabwe. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election For example, by 2005, an estimated 212 000 British citizens were residing in South Africa. Since 2003, the numbers of British expats coming to South Africa has rose by 50%. An estimated 20 000 British expats moved to South Africa in 2007. The reasons cited by many expats are South Africa's family values, the weather and a better quality of life. South Africa recently overtook New Zealand as the 6th most popular destination amongst the British expat community. ^[37] There have also been a significant number of white Zimbabwean arrivals, fleeing their home country in light of the economic and political problems currently facing the country. A small number of people of European ethnic origin ( Whites) first came as settlers to the African country now known as Zimbabwe during the late nineteenth century As well as recent arrivals, a significant number of white Zimbabweans emigrated to South Africa in the wake of independence in Zimbabwe in 1980. Some of the more nostalgic members of the community are known in popular culture as "Whenwes", because of their nostalgia for their lives in Rhodesia "when we were in Rhodesia"^[38]

The term "Coloured" is still largely used for the people of mixed race descended from slaves brought in from East and Central Africa, the indigenous Khoisan who lived in the Cape at the time, indigenous African Blacks, Whites (mostly the Dutch/Afrikaner and British settlers) as well as an admixture of Javanese, Malay, Indian, Malagasy and other European (such as Portuguese) and Asian blood (such as Burmese). The term whenwe describes former British settlers or Expatriates usually white known to talk constantly and nostalgically about their former homes in colonial Africa Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence In the South African Namibian Zambian Botswanan and Zimbabwean context the term Coloured (also known as Bruinmense Khoisan (increasingly commonly spelled Khoesan or Khoe-San) is the name for two major Ethnic groups of Southern Africa. The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The term Afrikaner people refers to white Afrikaans -speaking people who have been established in Southern Africa since the 17th century and are mainly of northwestern Malays (Melayu are an Ethnic group of Austronesian peoples predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Bamar ( bəmà lùmjó also called Burman) are the dominant Ethnic group of Burma, constituting approximately 68% (30000000 of the population The majority speak Afrikaans. Khoisan is a term used to describe two separate groups, physically similar in that they were light-skinned and small in stature. The Khoikhoi, who were called Hottentots by the Europeans, were pastoralists and were effectively annihilated; the San, called Bushmen by the Europeans, were hunter-gatherers. The Bushmen, San, Sho, Basarwa, ǃKung or Khwe are indigenous people of southern Africa that spans most areas of South Africa Within what is known as the Coloured community, more recent immigrants will also be found: Coloureds from the former Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Namibia and immigrants of mixed descent from India and Burma (Anglo-Indians/Anglo-Burmese) who were welcomed to the Cape when India and Burma received their Independence. Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry and the term is sometimes used in the West.

The major part of the Asian population of the country is Indian in origin (see Indian South Africans), many of them descended from indentured workers brought in the nineteenth century to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known as Natal. The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known Indian South African is a term for people who arrived in South Africa from colonial India. Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. There is also a significant group of Chinese South Africans (approximately 100,000 individuals) and Vietnamese South Africans (approximately 50,000 individuals). Overseas Vietnamese ( Vietnamese: Việt Kiều, a Sino-Vietnamese word literally translating to "Vietnamese sojourner" refers to Vietnamese

Society and culture

Main article: Culture of South Africa

It may be argued that there is no "single" culture in South Africa because of its ethnic diversity. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Drakensberg ( Afrikaans: "Dragon's Mountain" Mountains are the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising up to in height Today, the diversity in foods from many cultures is enjoyed by all and especially marketed to tourists who wish to sample the large variety of South African cuisine. In addition to food, music and dance feature prominently. Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic

South African cuisine is heavily meat-based and has spawned the distinctively South African social gathering known as a braai, or barbecue. Cuisine of South Africa has had a variety of sources and stages Cookery practised by indigenous people of South Africa such as the Khoisan and In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer The word braaivleis ( is Afrikaans for "roasted meat" The word braai (pronounced "bry" rhyming with the word "cry" plural South Africa has also developed into a major wine producer, with some of the best vineyards lying in valleys around Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl and Barrydale. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic Stellenbosch (ˈstɛlənbɒs is the second oldest European settlement in the Western Cape Province, South Africa after Cape Town, and is situated Paarl (derived from Parel, meaning Pearl in Dutch is the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after Cape Barrydale is a village located on the border of the Overberg and Klein Karoo regions of the Western Cape Province in South Africa. ^[39]

There is great diversity in music from South Africa. Many black musicians who sang in Afrikaans or English during apartheid have since begun to sing in traditional African languages, and have developed a unique style called Kwaito. Kwaito is a Music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s Of note is Brenda Fassie, who launched to fame with her song "Weekend Special", which was sung in English. Brenda Fassie (3 November 1964 &ndash 9 May 2004 was a legendary South African pop singer widely considered a voice for disenfranchised blacks during Apartheid More famous traditional musicians include Ladysmith Black Mambazo, while the Soweto String Quartet performs classic music with an African flavour. Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from South Africa that sings in the vocal style of Isicathamiya and mbube. The Soweto String Quartet is a String quartet from Soweto in South Africa comprising of Reuben Khemese, Makhosini Mnguni, Sandile White and Coloured South African singers are historically influenced by European musical styles including such western metal bands such as Seether (formerly Saron Gas). Seether is a Post-grunge band from South Africa. They are currently signed to Wind-up Records. South Africa has produced world-famous jazz musicians, notably Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa, Abdullah Ibrahim, Miriam Makeba, Jonathan Butler, Chris McGregor, and Sathima Bea Benjamin. Hugh Ramopolo Masekela (b Witbank, South Africa, April 4, 1939) is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist Jonas Mosa Gwangwa has been an important figure in South African jazz for over 40 years Abdullah Ibrahim (born 9 October 1934 in Cape Town, South Africa) formerly known as Adolph Johannes Brand, and as Dollar Brand Miriam Makeba (b March 4, 1932) is a Grammy Award-winning South African singer also known as Mama Afrika. Jonathan Butler (born October 1961 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a Singer-songwriter and Guitarist. Christopher McGregor ( 24 December 1936 &ndash 26 May 1990) was a South African Jazz Pianist, Bandleader Sathima Bea Benjamin (born 17 October 1936, Johannesburg, South Africa) is a South African vocalist and composer born in Johannesburg raised Afrikaans music covers multiple genres, such as the contemporary Steve Hofmeyr and the punk rock band Fokofpolisiekar. Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in In the broadest and popular sense Contemporary music is any music being written in the present day Steve Hofmeyr (born 29 August 1964) is a South African singer songwriter and actor Fokofpolisiekar ( Afrikaans: "Fuck off police car") is an Afrikaans Punk rock band from Bellville, near Crossover artists such as Johnny Clegg and his bands Juluka and Savuka have enjoyed various success underground, publicly, and abroad. Jonathan (Johnny Clegg, born June 7, 1953 in Rochdale (near Manchester) Lancashire, ( UK Juluka was a South African music band formed in 1969 by Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu. Savuka was a band formed in 1986 by English -born South African Johnny Clegg after the disbanding of his first band Juluka.

The country's black majority still has a substantial number of rural inhabitants who lead largely impoverished lives. It is among these people, however, that cultural traditions survive most strongly; as blacks have become increasingly urbanised and westernised, aspects of traditional culture have declined. Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Urban blacks usually speak English or Afrikaans in addition to their native tongue. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in There are smaller but still significant groups of speakers of Khoisan languages which are not included in the eleven official languages, but are one of the eight other officially recognised languages. The Khoisan languages (also Khoesaan languages) are the indigenous languages of southern and eastern Africa; in southern Africa their speakers are the Khoi There are small groups of speakers of endangered languages, most of which are from the Khoi-San family, that receive no official status; however, some groups within South Africa are attempting to promote their use and revival. An endangered language is a Language that it is at risk of falling out of use generally because it has few surviving speakers

The middle class lifestyle, predominantly of the white minority but with growing numbers of Black, Coloured and Indian people,^[40] is similar in many respects to that of people found in Western Europe, North America and Australasia. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' Australasia is a Region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring Islands in the Pacific Members of the middle class often study and work abroad for greater exposure to the world's markets.

Asians, predominantly of Indian origin, preserve their own cultural heritage, languages and religious beliefs, being either Christian, Hindu or Sunni Muslim and speaking English, with Indian languages like Hindi, Telugu, Tamil or Gujarati being spoken less frequently, but the majority of Indians being able to understand their mother tongue. The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. Gujarati (ગુજરાતી Gujǎrātī ? The first Indians arrived on the famous Truro ship as indentured labourers in Natal to work the Sugar Cane Fields. The Truro was the Ship (from Madras) containing the first batch of 342 indentured Indian labourers to arrive in Durban An indentured servant is a form of Debt bondage worker The Laborer is under Contract of an Employer for some period of time usually three to There is a much smaller Chinese community in South Africa, although its numbers have increased due to immigration from Republic of China (Taiwan). REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES

South Africa has also had a large influence in the Scouting movement, with many Scouting traditions and ceremonies coming from the experiences of Robert Baden-Powell (the founder of Scouting) during his time in South Africa as a military officer in the 1890s. Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide Youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical mental and spiritual The South African Scout Association was one of the first youth organisations to open its doors to youth and adults of all races in South Africa. The South African Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM recognized Scouting association in South Africa This happened on 2 July 1977 at a conference known as Quo Vadis. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays ^[41]

The South African music scene consists of Kwaito, a new music genre that had developed in the mid 80's and has since developed to become the most popular social economical form of representation among the populous. Kwaito is a Music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s Though some may argue that the political aspects of Kwaito has since diminished after Apartheid, and the relative interest in politics has become a minor aspect of daily life. Some argue that in a sense, Kwaito is in fact a political force that shows activism in its apolitical actions. Kwaito is a Music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s Today, major corporations like Sony, BMG, and EMI have been in the South African scene to produce and distribute Kwaito music. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Kwaito is a Music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s The overwhelming popularity of Kwaito, and the general influence of Dj's, who are among the top 5 most influential people within the country, the music has taken over the radio, television and magazines. Kwaito is a Music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s ^[42]

Kwaito, much like most hip hop has its own local flavor and originality. Kwaito is a Music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s However, unlike when hip hop first bursted on the scene as a politically-driven and rebellious underground movement, South Africans wanted to create a happier vibe. As the post-apartheid fog cleared, South African youth found its "own voice in a style of music known as kwaito and spawning a new (and profitable) industry". ^[43] According to Timeeurope magazine, "The kwaito sound now regularly incorporates traditional African music, jazz, gospel and even rock guitar, most notably on Mandoza's 2000 hit Nkalakatha, one of the few kwaito records to cross over onto traditionally white radio" ^[44]. In the kwaito, the samples from old school Jamaican dancehall, European house etc. . . tempos are changed, beats are added and the urban street slang is also incorporated. 2266-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl or TEMPO is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH23(CMe22NO This local flavor of music, more recently has been attacked for its lack of ingenuity, and its betrayal of its roots. The melodies, incorporation of sex and dance have since become very similar to the American standard. In addition, Kwaito has been criticised for its absence of influential lyrical content as well. As Kwaito is still a developing, and the South African population is only around 40 million, albums only require 25,000 cd's to go gold in South Africa. ^[45]

Religion

Main article: Religion in South Africa

According to the latest 2001 national census, Christians accounted for 79. South Africa has a wide mix of religions. Many Religions are represented in the ethnic and regional diversity of South Africa's population 7% of the population. This includes Zion Christian 11. WikipediaFootnotes for details 1 Assign your footnote a unique name for example 1%, Pentecostal (Charismatic) 8. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism The term charismatic movement describes the adoption from the early twentieth century onwards of certain beliefs typical of those held by Pentecostal Christians — specifically 2%, Roman Catholic 7. The Roman Catholic Church in South Africa is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome 1%, Methodist 6. The Methodist Church of Southern Africa is a member church of the World Methodist Council. 8%, Dutch Reformed 6. The Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk is a Dutch Reformed Church denomination which took root in South Africa, where it is the oldest and largest of several Dutch 7%, Anglican 3. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa is the Anglican province in the southern part of Africa, including 23 Dioceses in Angola, 8%, and other Christian 36%. Islam accounted for 1. Islam in South Africa predates the colonial period and consisted of isolated contact with Arab and East African traders 5% of the population, Hinduism about 1. Hinduism in South Africa has a following primarily in KwaZulu-Natal, due to historical patterns of migration to the region 3%. 15. 1% had no religious affiliation, 2. 3% were other and 1. 4% were unspecified. ^[46][47]

African Indigenous Churches were the largest of the Christian groups. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth It was believed that many of these persons who claimed no affiliation with any organised religion adhered to traditional indigenous religions. See also Religion in Africa African traditional religions, also referred to as African indigenous religions or African Many peoples have syncretic religious practices combining Christian and indigenous influences. Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought ^[48]

Islam in South Africa itself is not known to pre-date the colonial period, despite the fact that neighbouring Mozambique had isolated contact with Arab and East African traders. Islam in South Africa predates the colonial period and consisted of isolated contact with Arab and East African traders Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. There is no evidence that Islam was known to the Zulu, Swazi, or Xhosa of the east coast prior to the colonial era. The Zulu ( IsiZulu: amaZulu) are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal The Swazi are a Bantu -speaking people in southeastern Africa, chiefly in Swaziland and South Africa and some in Mozambique, who speak See also Xhosa language The Xhosa (ǁʰɔsɑ( people are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two Many South African Muslims are described as Coloureds, notably in the Western Cape, especially those whose ancestors came as slaves from the Indonesian archipelago (the Cape Malays). In the South African Namibian Zambian Botswanan and Zimbabwean context the term Coloured (also known as Bruinmense The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The Cape Malay community is an Ethnic group or Community in South Africa, taking its name from what is now known as the Western Cape of Others are described as Indians, notably in KwaZulu-Natal, including those whose ancestors came as traders from South Asia; they have been joined by others from other parts of Africa as well as white or black South African converts. The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. It is estimated that Islam is the fastest growing religion of conversion in the country,^[49] with the number of black Muslims growing sixfold, from 12,000 in 1991 to 74,700 in 2004. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion ^[50]

Hinduism dates back to British Colonial period primarily but later waves of continuous immigrants from India have contributed to a sizable Hindu population. Hinduism in South Africa has a following primarily in KwaZulu-Natal, due to historical patterns of migration to the region Most Hindus are ethnically South Asian but there are many who come from mixed racial stock and many are converts with the efforts of Hindu missionaries such as ISKCON. Other religions in smaller numbers are Sikhism, Jainism and Bahá'í Faith. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. The Bahá'í Faith in South Africa began with the holding of Bahá'í meetings in the country in 1911 ^[51]

Languages

Main article: Languages of South Africa

South Africa has eleven official languages:^[52] Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu. Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in Northern Sotho ( Sesotho sa Leboa in the language itself is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is spoken by nearly five million—4208980 people History Should include probable history of the language what form of Bantu it is most closely derived from (the coolest forms! dates of movement of major groups Swati ( siSwati in the language itself isiSwazi in Zulu is a Bantu language of the Nguni group spoken in Swaziland and The Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people also known as the Shangaan. Tswana ( Setswana) is a Bantu language written in the Latin Alphabet. Venda, also known as Tshivenḓa, or Luvenḓa, is a Bantu language Xhosa (ˈkǁʰoːsa ( isiXhosa) is one of the Official languages of South Africa. Zulu (called isiZulu in Zulu is a Language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers the vast majority (over 95% of whom live in South An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Northern Sotho ( Sesotho sa Leboa in the language itself is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is spoken by nearly five million—4208980 people History Should include probable history of the language what form of Bantu it is most closely derived from (the coolest forms! dates of movement of major groups Tswana ( Setswana) is a Bantu language written in the Latin Alphabet. Swati ( siSwati in the language itself isiSwazi in Zulu is a Bantu language of the Nguni group spoken in Swaziland and Venda, also known as Tshivenḓa, or Luvenḓa, is a Bantu language The Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people also known as the Shangaan. Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in South African English ( SAE, en-ZA) is a Dialect of English spoken in South Africa and in neighbouring countries with a large number Xhosa language.Sort/separate infos about Ndebele language and Ndebele people until it can be Xhosa (ˈkǁʰoːsa ( isiXhosa) is one of the Official languages of South Africa. Zulu (called isiZulu in Zulu is a Language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers the vast majority (over 95% of whom live in South In this regard it is second only to India in number. The Constitution of India envisages Hindi as the primary official language to be used by the Union Government, with English as the subsidiary official language While each language is technically equal to every other, some languages are spoken more than others. According to the 2001 National Census, the three most spoken first home languages are Zulu (23. 8%), Xhosa (17. 6%) and Afrikaans (13. 3%). ^[27] Despite the fact that English is recognised as the language of commerce and science, it was spoken by only 8. 2% of South Africans at home in 2001, an even lower percentage than in 1996 (8. 6%). ^[27]

There are eleven official names for South Africa, one in each of the official national languages. There are eleven official names of South Africa, one in each of its eleven official languages. The country also recognises eight non-official languages: Fanagalo, Khoe, Lobedu, Nama, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, San and South African Sign Language. Fanagalo or Fanakalo is a Pidgin (simplified language based on the Zulu, English, and Afrikaans languages Kxoe is a Khoisan Dialect continuum of Namibia, Angola, Botswana, South Africa, and a few in Zambia, with some Lobedu (also Lovedu or Selobedu) is a Bantu language regarded as a dialect of Northern Sotho. The Northern Ndebele language, or isiNdebele, or Sindebele, is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, and spoken Phuthi ( Síphùthì)is a Nguni Bantu language spoken in southern Lesotho and areas in South Africa adjacent to the same border The Khoisan languages (also Khoesaan languages) are the indigenous languages of southern and eastern Africa; in southern Africa their speakers are the Khoi South African Sign Language (SASL is accepted as the language of instruction in the education of Deaf learners These non-official languages may be used in certain official uses in limited areas where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Nevertheless, their populations are not such that they require nationwide recognition.

Many of the "unofficial languages" of the San and Khoikhoi people contain regional dialects stretching northward into Namibia and Botswana, and elsewhere. The Bushmen, San, Sho, Basarwa, ǃKung or Khwe are indigenous people of southern Africa that spans most areas of South Africa A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of These people, who are a physically distinct population from other Africans, have their own cultural identity based on their hunter-gatherer societies. A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild Foraging and Hunting They have been marginalised to a great extent, and many of their languages are in danger of becoming extinct. According to some definitions an extinct language is a Language which no longer has any speakers, whereas a dead language is a language which is no longer spoken

Many white South Africans also speak other European languages, such as Portuguese (also spoken by Angolan and Mozambican blacks), German, and Greek, while some Asians and Indians in South Africa speak South Asian languages, such as Telugu, Hindi, Gujarati and Tamil. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known Indian South African is a term for people who arrived in South Africa from colonial India. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Gujarati (ગુજરાતી Gujǎrātī ? Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent.

Sports

The main sports in South Africa are soccer, rugby, cricket and boxing. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Other sports with significant support are swimming, golf and netball. Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Netball is a non-contact team Sport similar to and derived from Basketball. Basketball, surfing and skateboarding are popular among the youth. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Surfing is a surface water sport in which the participant is carried along the face of a breaking wave, most commonly using a Surfboard, although wave-riders Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard.

Famous boxing personalities include Baby Jake Jacob Matlala, Vuyani Bungu, Welcome Ncita, "the rose of Soweto" Dingaan Thobela, Gerrie Coetzee and Brian Mitchell. Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala (born August 1, 1962 in Meadowlands, Johannesburg) was a South African boxer and junior Vuyani Bungu (born February 26, 1967 in Mdantsane, South Africa) was a professional boxer Welcome Ncita (born 1965-10-25 in Mdantsane, South Africa) was a professional boxer Dingaan Bongane Thobela (born March 15, 1972 in Soweto South Africa) is a professional boxer in the Super Middleweight (168 Gerhardus Christian Coetzee (born August 4, 1955 in Boksburg) better known as Gerrie Coetzee, is a South African former boxer Brian Mitchell may refer to Brian Mitchell (musician, keyboard and accordian player and founder and leader of the Brian Mitchell Band Brian Mitchell Football players who have excelled in international clubs include Lucas Radebe of Leeds United and Quinton Fortune, formerly of Manchester United, Benni McCarthy of Blackburn Rovers and Steven Pienaar of Everton. Lucas Valeriu Radebe (born April 12 1969) is a former Leeds United and South African football player Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football Quinton Fortune (born May 21, 1977 in Cape Town) is a South African footballer who has represented a number of European clubs including Benedict Saul "Benni" McCarthy (born November 12 1977 in Cape Town) is a South African professional footballer, currently Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. Steven Jerome Pienaar (born 17 March, 1982 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a South African football Midfielder Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. South Africa produced Formula 1 motor racing's 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter. Jody David Scheckter (born January 29, 1950) is a South African former Auto racing driver the 1979 Formula One World Drivers

South Africa hosted and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup at their first attempt and again won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, beating reigning champions England in the final. The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted by South Africa, and had the distinction of being the first Rugby World Cup in which every match The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international Rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987. The France national rugby union team represents France in Rugby union. The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. South Africa was only allowed to participate from 1995 since the end of Apartheid. It followed the 1995 Rugby World Cup final by hosting and winning the 1996 African Cup of Nations football tournament. Host Cities & Venues Squads For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament see 1996 African Cup of Nations (squads Participating It also hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup and the Pro20 Cricket World Cup in 2007. The 2003 Cricket World Cup ( Official name: ICC Cricket World Cup 2003) was played in South Africa from February 9 to March 24. Twenty20 is a form of Cricket, originally introduced in the United Kingdom for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board South Africa will be the host nation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which will be the first time the tournament is held on the African continent. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, an international tournament for football, that is scheduled to take place between 11 June and As the 2010 World Cup Host country the South African national soccer team (Bafana Bafana) will automatically qualify to play in the 2010 World Cup finals. The South Africa national football team or Bafana Bafana' (The Boys is the national team of South Africa and is controlled by the South African Football The South African National Soccer team will be coached by Brazilian Coach Joel Santana.

In 2004, the team of Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, simultaneously breaking the world record in the 4x100 freestyle relay. Roland Mark Schoeman (born 3 July 1980 is a South African swimmer and a member of the 2004 Olympic Games swimming team for South Africa Lyndon Ferns (born September 24, 1983 in Pietersburg) is a South African swimmer who was a member of the Men's 4x100m freestyle relay Darian Townsend (born August 28, 1984 in Pinetown) is a South African swimmer Ryk Neethling (born 17 November 1977 is a South African swimmer Schoeman, Ferns, and Neethling trained at the University of Arizona. Previously Penny Heyns won Olympic Gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Penelope ("Penny" Heyns (born November 8, 1974) is a South African swimmer, who is best known for being the only woman in the The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International Several other swimmers have participated and won in international swimming events.

In golf, Gary Player is generally regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, having won the Career Grand Slam, one of five golfers to have done so. Background and family Gary Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, the youngest of Harry and Muriel Player's three children The Grand Slam in golf is winning all the golf's major championships in the same calendar year Other South African golfers to have successfully won a major tournament include Bobby Locke, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman, who won the Masters in 2008. For the baseball player see Bobby Locke (baseball Arthur D'Arcy "Bobby" Locke ( 20 November 1917 &ndash 9 March 1987 Early life Growing up just east of Johannesburg in Kempton Park South Africa he played Rugby union, Cricket, Tennis, and starting at age 8 Early life Goosen was born in Pietersburg (now Polokwane South Africa. Biography Immelman was born in Cape Town, South Africa Born into a golfing family (his father Johan is the former commissioner of the Sunshine Tour in South The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters or The US Masters (outside of the United States is one of four major championships in men's

Current issues in South Africa

HIV/AIDS

Main article: HIV/AIDS in South Africa

The spread of AIDS (acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome) is an alarming problem in South Africa with up to 31% of pregnant women found to be HIV infected in 2005 and the infection rate among adults estimated at 20%. HIV and AIDS in South Africa are major health concerns and around 5 ^[53] The link between HIV, a virus spread primarily by sexual contact, and AIDS has long been denied by the president and the health minister, who have insisted that the many deaths in the country are due to malnutrition, and hence poverty, and not HIV. ^[54] Recently, in 2007, the government made efforts to fight AIDS. ^[55]

AIDS affects mainly those who are sexually active and is far more prevalent in the black population. Most deaths are people who are also economically active, resulting in many families losing their primary wage earners. This has resulted in many 'AIDS orphans' who in many cases depend on the state for care and financial support. ^[56] It is estimated that there are 1,200,000 orphans in South Africa. ^[56] Many elderly people also lose the support from lost younger members of their family. Roughly 5 million people are infected with the disease. ^[57]

Crime

Main article: Crime in South Africa

According to a survey for the period 1998–2000 compiled by the United Nations, South Africa was ranked second for assault and murder (by all means) per capita, in addition to being ranked second for rape and first for rapes per capita. Crime is an issue in South Africa in the 2000s A survey for the period 1998-2000 compiled by the United Nations Office The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Assault is a Crime of Violence against another person. In some Jurisdictions including Australia and New Zealand, Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person ^[58] Total crime per capita is tenth (10th) out of the sixty (60) countries in the data set.

Crime has had a pronounced effect on society: many middle-class South Africans moved into gated communities, abandoning the central business districts of some cities for the relative security of suburbs. In its modern form a gated community is a form of Residential community containing controlled entrances for Pedestrians Bicycles and Automobiles This effect is most pronounced in Johannesburg, although the trend is noticeable in other cities as well. Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa. Many emigrants from South Africa also state that crime was a big motivator for them to leave. Crime against the farming community has continued to be a major problem. The South African farming community has suffered from attacks for many years ^[59]

International rankings

Organisation	Survey	Ranking
A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine	Globalization Index 2005	48 out of 62
Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal	2007 Index of Economic Freedom	52 out of 157
IMD International	World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005	46 out of 60
Reporters Without Borders	Press Freedom Index (2007)	43 out of 169
Save the Children	Children's Index Rank 2005	65 out of 110
The Economist	Worldwide Quality-of-Life Index 2005	92 out of 111
Transparency International	Corruption Perceptions Index 2007	43 out of 179
United Nations Development Programme	Human Development Index 2006	121 out of 177
World Economic Forum	Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007	45 out of 125
Yale University Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network	Environmental Sustainability Index	96 out of 146 countries

See also

• South African diplomatic missions
• Foreign relations of South Africa
• Ecotourism in South Africa

References

Notes

Literature

Websites

External links

• Government of South Africa
• Wikimedia Atlas of South Africa
• South Africa travel guide from Wikitravel
• South Africa entry at The World Factbook
• South Africa at the Open Directory Project

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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