1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 1,219,912 sq km land area: 1,219,912 sq km comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
Climate
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Coastline
2,798 km
Environment
current issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage threatens to outpace supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: prolonged droughts international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
International disputes
Swaziland has asked South Africa to open negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territories that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of the Swazi Kingdom;
Irrigated land
11,280 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 4,750 km, Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 855 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%
Location
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the 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
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
Terrain
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 40% (female 8,842,764; male 9,091,722) 15-64 years: 56% (female 12,825,617; male 12,508,039) 65 years and over: 4% (female 1,047,285; male 780,032) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
33.39 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
7.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Infant mortality rate
45.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
13.4 million economically active (1990) by occupation: services 35%, agriculture 30%, industry 20%, mining 9%, other 6%
Languages
eleven official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 65.42 years male: 62.68 years female: 68.25 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 76% male: 78% female: 75%
Nationality
noun: South African(s) adjective: South African
Net migration rate
0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
total: 45,095,459 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
total: 2.61% (1995 est.)
Religions
Christian (most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of blacks), Hindu (60% of Indians), Muslim 2%
Total fertility rate
4.35 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Abbreviation
RSA
Administrative divisions
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Eastern Transvaal, KwaZulu/Natal, Northern Cape, Northern Transvaal, Northwest, Orange Free State, Gauteng, Western Cape
Capital
Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)
Constitution
27 April 1994 (interim constitution, replacing the constitution of 3 September 1984)
Digraph
SF
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin SONN chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 consulate(s) general: Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, and New York
Executive branch
chief of state and head of government: Executive President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Frederik W. DE KLERK (since 10 May 1994) note: any political party that wins 20% or more of the National Assembly votes in a general election is entitled to name a Deputy Executive President cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the Executive President
FAX
[27] (12) 342-2244 consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag
two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horozontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side, embracing a black isoceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes note: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was 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
Legal system
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
bicameral
Member of
BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Names
conventional long form: Republic of South Africa conventional short form: South Africa
National Assembly
elections last held 26-29 April 1994 (next to be held NA); results - ANC 62.6%, NP 20.4%, IFP 10.5%, FF 2.2%, DP 1.7%, PAC 1.2%, ACDP 0.5%, other 0.9%; seats - (400 total) ANC 252, NP 82, IFP 43, FF 9, DP 7, PAC 5, ACDP 2
National holiday
Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Other political or pressure groups
NA;;
Political parties and leaders
African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; National Party (NP), Frederik W. DE KLERK, president; Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president; Freedom Front (FF), Constand VILJOEN, president; Democratic Party (DP); Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Clarence MAKWETU, president; African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), leader NA note: in addition to these seven parties which received seats in the National Assembly, twelve other parties won votes in the national elections in April 1994
Senate
the Senate is composed of members who are nominated by the nine provincial parliaments (which are elected in parallel with the National Assembly) and has special powers to protect regional interests, including the right to limited self-determination for ethnic minorities; seats - (90 total) ANC 61, NP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3 note: when the National Assembly meets in joint session with the Senate to consider the provisions of the constitution, the combined group is referred to as the Constitutional Assembly
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Princeton N. LYMAN embassy: 877 Pretorius St., Arcadia 0083 mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048
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: $26.3 billion expenditures: $34 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.5 billion (FY93/94 est.)
Currency
1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Economic aid
many aid packages for the new government are still being prepared; current aid pledges include US $600 million over 3 years; UK $150 million over 3 years; Australia $21 million over 3 years; Japan $1.3 billion over 2 years
Electricity
capacity: 39,750,000 kW production: 163 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,482 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
rand (R) per US$1 - 3.5389 (January 1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990)
Exports
$25.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: gold 27%, other minerals and metals 20%-25%, food 5%, chemicals 3% partners: Italy, Japan, US, Germany, UK, other EU countries, Hong Kong
External debt
$18 billion (1994 est.)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Illicit drugs
transshipment center for heroin and cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries
Imports
$21.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, oil, textiles, scientific instruments partners: Germany, US, Japan, UK, Italy
Industrial production
growth rate NA%; accounts for about 40% 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)
9% (1994 est.)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $194.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product per capita
$4,420 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
2% (1994 est.)
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 and lack of job skills. The main strength of the economy lies in its rich mineral resources, which provide two-thirds of exports. Economic developments for the remainder of the 1990s will be driven largely by the new government's attempts to improve black living conditions, to set the country on an aggressive export-led growth path, and to cut back the enormous numbers of unemployed. The economy in recent years has absorbed less than 5% of the more than 300,000 workers entering the labor force annually. Local economists estimate that the economy must grow between 5% and 6% in real terms annually to absorb all of the new entrants, much less reduce the accumulated total.
Unemployment rate
32.6% (1994 est.); an additional 11% underemployment
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 286, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Telephone system
over 4,500,000 telephones; the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa local: NA intercity: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber optic cable, and radiocommunication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international: 1 submarine cable; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) earth stations
Television
broadcast stations: 67 televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 853 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 9 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 47 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 72 with paved runways under 914 m: 327 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 39 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 354
Highways
total: 188,309 km paved: 54,013 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel, improved earth 134,296 km
Merchant marine
total: 4 container ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 211,276 GRT/198,602 DWT
Pipelines
crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas 322 km
Ports
Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha
Railroads
total: 20,638 km narrow gauge: 20,324 km 1.067-m gauge (substantial electrification); 314 km 0.610-m gauge
Military and Security
Branches
South African National Defence Force (SANDF; includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service (SAPS)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $3.2 billion, 2.8% of GDP (FY93/94) ________________________________________________________________________ SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS (dependent territory of the UK)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 10,830,079; males fit for military service 6,601,323; males reach military age (18) annually 439,793 (1995 est.)