2000 Edition

Background

After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.

Area

land

1,219,912 sq km

note

includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

total

1,219,912 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

Coastline

2,798 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Njesuthi 3,408 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

Irrigated land

12,700 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 855 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

total

4,750 km

Land use

arable land

10%

forests and woodland

7%

other

15% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

67%

Location

Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

prolonged droughts

Natural resources

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

Terrain

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

Age structure

0-14 years: 32.46% (male 7,094,756; female 6,999,009) 15-64 years: 62.76% (male 13,111,457; female 14,139,372) 65 years and over: 4.78% (male 782,397; female 1,294,030) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

24.56 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

14.69 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%

Infant mortality rate

58.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Life expectancy at birth

female

51.81 years (2000 est.)

male

50.41 years

total population

51.1 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

81.7% (1995 est.)

male

81.9%

total population

81.8%

Nationality

adjective

South African

noun

South African(s)

Net migration rate

-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

43,421,021

note

South Africa took a census October 1996 which showed a population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8% underenumeration based on a post-enumeration survey); estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.5% (2000 est.)

Religions

Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.47 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Northern Province, Western Cape

Capital

Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and Bloemfontein the judicial center

Constitution

10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

Country name

abbreviation

RSA

conventional long form

Republic of South Africa

conventional short form

South Africa

Data code

SF

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Delano E. LEWIS

embassy

877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia 0083

mailing address

P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone

(12) 342-1048

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Makate Sheila SISULU

telephone

(202) 232-4400

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)

elections

president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 2 June 1999 (next scheduled for sometime between May and July 2004)

head of government

President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

note

ANC-IFP governing coalition

FAX

(202) 265-1607

(12) 342-2244

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

consulate(s) general

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

Flag description

two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles 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

Government type

republic

Independence

31 May 1910 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, NSG, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts

Legal system

based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note - following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February 1997 the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution

election results

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 66.4%, DP 9.6%, IFP 8.6%, NP 6.9%, UDM 3.4, FF 0.8%, other 4.3%; seats by party - ANC 266, DP 38, IFP 34, NP 28, UDM 14, FF 3, other 17; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 61, NP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3

elections

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held 2 June 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

National holiday

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Political parties and leaders

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP ; African National Congress or ANC ; Democratic Party or DP [Tony LEON, president]; Freedom Front or FF ; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP ; National Party (now the New National Party) or NP [Marthinus VAN SCHALKWYK, executive director]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC ; United Democratic Movement or UDM

Political pressure groups and leaders

Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU ; South African Communist Party or SACP ; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

Budget

expenditures

$38 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (FY94/95 est.)

revenues

$30.5 billion

Currency

1 rand (R) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$25.7 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$676.3 million

Economy - overview

South Africa is a middle-income, developing country with an abundant supply of resources, well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors, a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world, and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to cut into the 30% unemployment, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially the problems of poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. Other problems are crime, corruption, and HIV/AIDS. At the start of 2000, President MBEKI vowed to promote economic growth and foreign investment by relaxing restrictive labor laws, stepping up the pace of privatization, and cutting unneeded governmental spending. His policies face strong opposition from organized labor.

Electricity - consumption

174.486 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

4.093 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

5 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

192.015 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

92.09%

hydro

0.83%

nuclear

7.08%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

rand (R) per US$1 - 6.12439 (January 2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995)

Exports

$28 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, diamonds, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment

Exports - partners

UK, Italy, Japan, US, Germany (1997)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $296.1 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

5%

industry

35%

services

60% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,900 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.6% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 47.3% (1993)

Imports

$26 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, foodstuffs and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments

Imports - partners

Germany, US, UK, Japan

Industrial production growth rate

-5% (1998 est.)

Industries

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force

15 million economically active (1997)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

30% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

58 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

13.75 million (1997)

Telephone system

the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa

domestic

consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

international

2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

5.075 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

over 2,000,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

5.2 million (1997)

Airports

744 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

143 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 46 914 to 1,523 m: 73 under 914 m: 11 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

601 1,524 to 2,437 m: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 303 under 914 m: 265 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

63,027 km (including 2,032 km of expressways)

total

534,131 km

unpaved

471,104 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

container 6, petroleum tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1 (1999 est.)

total

9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 274,797 GRT/270,837 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas 322 km

Ports and harbors

Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha

Railways

narrow gauge

20,995 km 1.067-m gauge (9,087 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)

total

21,431 km

Military - note

the National Defense Force continues to integrate former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces

Military branches

South African National Defense Force or SANDF (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service or SAPS

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$2 billion (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.5% (FY99/00)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 11,345,031 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 6,901,252 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

460,917 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

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

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; illicit cultivation of marijuana

SOUTHERN OCEAN