1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
mostly semiarid; subtropical along coast; sunny days, cool nights
Coastline
2,881 km
Comparative area
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Disputes
claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay exclave and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa
Environment
lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures
Land boundaries
4,973 km total; Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 1,078 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Land use
arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 65%; forest and woodland 3%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Note
Walvis Bay is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia; South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
Terrain
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Total area
1,221,040 km2; land area: 1,221,040 km2; includes Walvis Bay, Marion Island, and Prince Edward Island
People and Society
Birth rate
34 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Infant mortality rate
51 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
11,000,000 economically active (1989); services 34%, agriculture 30%, industry and commerce 29%, mining 7% (1985)
Language
Afrikaans, English (both official); many vernacular languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, North and South Sotho, Tswana
Life expectancy at birth
61 years male, 67 years female (1991)
Literacy
76% (male 78%, female 75%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Nationality
noun--South African(s); adjective--South African
Net migration rate
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
about 17% of total labor force is unionized; African unions represent 15% of black labor force
Population
40,600,518 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991); includes the 10 so-called homelands, which are not recognized by the US; four independent homelands--Bophuthatswana 2,419,515, growth rate 2.83%; Ciskei 1,056,552, growth rate 2.96%; Transkei 4,553,994, growth rate 4.16%; Venda 691,273, growth rate 3.83%; six other homelands--Gazankulu 772,532, growth rate 3.98%; Kangwane 576,573, growth rate 3.62%; KwaNdebele 360,582, growth rate 3.38%; KwaZulu 5,546,082, growth rate 3.60%; Lebowa 2,812,630, growth rate 3.91%; QwaQwa 277,957, growth rate 3.60%
Religion
most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of blacks are Christian; about 60% of Indians are Hindu; Muslim 20%
Total fertility rate
4.4 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
4 provinces; Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal; there are 10 homelands not recognized by the US--4 independent (Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, Venda) and 6 other (Gazankulu, Kangwane, KwaNdebele, KwaZulu, Lebowa, QwaQwa)
Capital
administrative, Pretoria; legislative, Cape Town; judicial, Bloemfontein
Communists
small Communist party legalized in 1990 after 30-year ban, Daniel TLOOME, chairman, and Joe SLOVO, general secretary
Constitution
3 September 1984
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Harry SCHWARZ; Chancery at 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-4400; there are South African Consulates General in Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, Houston, and New York; US--Ambassador William L. SWING; Embassy at Thibault House, 225 Pretorius Street, Pretoria; telephone [27] (12) 28-4266; there are US Consulates General in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg
Elections
House of Assembly (whites)--last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held by March 1995); results--NP 58%, CP 23%, DP 19%; seats--(178 total, 166 elected) NP 103, CP 41, DP 34; House of Representatives (Coloreds)--last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(85 total, 80 elected) LP 69, DRP 5, UDP 3, Freedom Party 1, independents 2; House of Delegates (Indians)--last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(45 total, 40 elected) Solidarity 16, NPP 9, Merit People's Party 3, United Party 2, Democratic Party 2, People's Party 1, National Federal Party 1, independents 6
Executive branch
state president, Executive Council (cabinet), Ministers' Councils (from the three houses of Parliament)
Flag
actually four flags in one--three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
Independence
31 May 1910 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--State President Frederik W. DE KLERK (since 13 September 1989)
Legal system
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
tricameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of the House of Assembly (Volksraad; whites), House of Representatives (Raad van Verteenwoordigers; Coloreds), and House of Delegates (Raad van Afgevaardigdes; Indians)
Long-form name
Republic of South Africa; abbreviated RSA
Member of
BIS, CCC, ECA, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT, ISO, ITU, LORCS, SACU, UN, UNCTAD, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO (suspended)
National holiday
Republic Day, 31 May (1910)
Other political or pressure groups
African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), Clarence MAKWETU, president
Political parties and leaders
white political parties and leaders--National Party (NP), Frederik W. DE KLERK (majority party); Conservative Party (CP), Dr. Andries P. TREURNICHT (official opposition party); Herstigte National Party (HNP), Jaap MARAIS; Democratic Party (DP), Zach DE BEER; Colored political parties and leaders--Labor Party (LP), Allan HENDRICKSE (majority party); Democratic Reform Party (DRP), Carter EBRAHIM; United Democratic Party (UDP), Jac RABIE; Freedom Party; Indian political parties and leaders--Solidarity, J. N. REDDY (majority party); National People's Party (NPP), Amichand RAJBANSI; Merit People's Party
Suffrage
universal at age 18, but voting rights are racially based
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for about 5% of GDP and 30% of labor force; diversified agriculture, with emphasis on livestock; products--cattle, poultry, sheep, wool, milk, beef, corn, wheat; sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; self-sufficient in food
Budget
revenues $28.9 billion; expenditures $32.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (FY92 est.)
Currency
rand (plural--rand); 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Economic aid
NA
Electricity
34,941,000 kW capacity; 158,000 million kWh produced, 4,100 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
rand (R) per US$1--2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)
Exports
$23.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--gold 39%, minerals and metals 33%, food 5%, chemicals 3%; partners--Italy, Japan, US, FRG, UK, other EC, Hong Kong
External debt
$19.5 billion (July 1990)
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$101.7 billion, per capita $2,600; real growth rate - 0.9% (1990)
Imports
$17 billion (c.i.f., 1990); commodities--machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, oil, textiles, scientific instruments, base metals; partners--FRG, Japan, UK, US, Italy
Industrial production
growth rate NA%; accounts for about 45% of GDP
Industries
mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
14.4% (1990)
Overview
Many of the white one-seventh of the South African population enjoy incomes, material comforts, and health and educational standards equal to those of Western Europe. In contrast, most of the remaining population suffers from the poverty patterns of the Third World, including unemployment, lack of job skills, and barriers to movement into higher-paying fields. Inputs and outputs thus do not move smoothly into the most productive employments, and the effectiveness of the market is further lowered by international constraints on dealings with South Africa. The main strength of the economy lies in its rich mineral resources, which provide two-thirds of exports. Average growth of less than 2% in output in recent years falls far short of the 5-6% level needed to cut into the high unemployment rate.
Unemployment rate
22% (1989); blacks 25-30%, up to 50% in homelands (1988 est.)
Communications
Airports
917 total, 765 usable; 130 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 224 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
81 major transport aircraft
Highways
188,309 km total; 54,013 km paved, 134,296 km crushed stone, gravel, or improved earth
Merchant marine
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 229,245 GRT/218,929 DWT; includes 6 container, 1 vehicle carrier
Pipelines
931 km crude oil; 1,748 km refined products; 322 km natural gas
Ports
Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Richard's Bay, Saldanha, Mosselbaai, Walvis Bay
Railroads
20,638 km route distance total; 35,079 km of 1.067-meter gauge trackage (counts double and multiple tracking as single track); 314 km of 610 mm gauge
Telecommunications
the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa; it consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay links, fiber optic cable, and radiocommunication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria; 4,500,000 telephones; stations--14 AM, 286 FM, 67 TV; 1 submarine cable; earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Medical Services
Defense expenditures
$3.67 billion, 11% of GDP (FY92) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 9,797,349; 5,980,786 fit for military service; 426,615 reach military age (18) annually; obligation for service in Citizen Force or Commandos begins at 18; volunteers for service in permanent force must be 17; national service obligation is one year; figures include the so-called homelands not recognized by the US