Description:
The Republic of South Africa lies at the southern end of the
African continent, bounded by the South Atlantic Ocean to the west
and the Indian Ocean to the east. It totally encloses the
independent kingdom of Lesotho, and shares its northern borders with
Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland.
v South Africa has three major geographical regions, namely plateau,
mountains and the low-lying coastal belt. The vast, high plateau of
the interior has sharp escarpments which rise above the plains, or
veld. Despite two major river systems, the Limpopo and the Orange,
most of the plateau lacks surface water. The mountainous regions
that run close to the coastline from the Cape of Good Hope to the
Limpopo Valley in the northeast of the country are split into the
Drakensberg, Nuweveldberg and Stormberg ranges. The west coast is
arid, while the south and southeast coasts are semi-arid, with a
narrow belt of low vegetation fringed by sandy beaches and rocky
coves. In the subtropical northeast, long sandy beaches are
interspersed with lush wetlands and coastal forests.
South Africa is organised into nine provinces. These comprise the
Western Cape with its capital Cape Town; the Eastern Cape with its
capital Bisho and the major city of Port Elizabeth; the Northern
Cape with its capital Kimberley; KwaZulu-Natal with its capital
Pietermaritzburg and the major city of Durban; the Free State with
its capital Bloemfontein; the North West Province with its capital
Mafikeng and the major city of Potchefstroom; Limpopo with its
capital Polokwane; Mpumalanga with its capital Nelspruit; and
Gauteng with its capital Johannesburg. Northern Cape, in the far
northwest of the country, is by far the largest and most sparsely
populated province; Gauteng, landlocked in the northeast, is the
smallest and most densely populated.
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/255/general_information/Africa/South-Africa.html
49.1 million (2009 estimate).
11 official languages, including
Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana,
Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Climate:
South Africa's climate is generally sunny and pleasant, but
there is considerable regional variation: the northwest is very
arid, the south is temperate, and the northeast has a more typically
tropical climate. Winters (May to August) are generally mild,
particularly in the Western Cape; most of the rest of the country
receives only a brief cold spell, when snow falls on the mountain
ranges and occasionally in lower-lying areas. The rainiest months in
Cape Town are May to August; Johannesburg receives most of its
annual rainfall in the summer, between November and March
Economy - overview:
The South African economy dominates the region. Agriculture is
strong enough to allow South Africa virtual self-sufficiency in
foodstuffs: livestock is reared extensively, and large amounts of
sugar, maize and cereals are produced. Wine and fruit are exported
in large quantities.
The industrial sector has traditionally been based on mining: it has
long been the one of the world's largest producer and exporter of
gold, platinum and diamonds, and it also has considerable deposits
of coal, chromium, manganese and vanadium.
After decades of inflation running into double figures, the period
from 2004 to the onset of the global financial downturn in 2008 were
marked by healthy growth matched by inflation of under 5%. Reduced
interest rates encouraged greater consumer spending and a
construction boom, partly in preparation for the 2010 FIFA Football
World Cup. Unemployment is falling, but remains high, at 21.7% in
2008. Other long-term problems include poverty, a high level of
HIV/AIDS infection and inadequacies in the country's infrastructure,
particularly the public transport system and electricity supply
network.
South Africa is the dominant member of the local Southern African
Customs Union, SACU (with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland);
it is also a member of the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) and the African Union (AU).
Economy:
The South African economy dominates the region. Agriculture is
strong enough to allow South Africa virtual self-sufficiency in
foodstuffs: livestock is reared extensively, and large amounts of
sugar, maize and cereals are produced. Wine and fruit are exported
in large quantities.
The industrial sector has traditionally been based on mining: it has
long been the one of the world's largest producer and exporter of
gold, platinum and diamonds, and it also has considerable deposits
of coal, chromium, manganese and vanadium.
After decades of inflation running into double figures, the period
from 2004 to the onset of the global financial downturn in 2008 were
marked by healthy growth matched by inflation of under 5%. Reduced
interest rates encouraged greater consumer spending and a
construction boom, partly in preparation for the 2010 FIFA Football
World Cup. Unemployment is falling, but remains high, at 21.7% in
2008. Other long-term problems include poverty, a high level of
HIV/AIDS infection and inadequacies in the country's infrastructure,
particularly the public transport system and electricity supply
network.
South Africa is the dominant member of the local Southern African
Customs Union, SACU (with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland);
it is also a member of the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) and the African Union (AU).
mining (world's largest producer of
platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking,
machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer,
foodstuffs
Exports:
Mineral raw materials (gold, diamonds, platinum), agricultural
produce, chemical products and machinery.
• Main trade partners: Germany, UK, USA, Japan and China.
Imports:
Machinery, plastic products, chemicals, vehicles and food.
Exchange rates:
Rand (ZAR; symbol R) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of
R200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of R5, 2 and 1,
and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/255/money/Africa/South-Africa.html
GDP :
US$506.1 billion (2008 estimate).
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