2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 30% (male 6,460,273; female 6,377,090) 15-64 years: 65% (male 13,807,922; female 13,970,088) 65 years and over: 5% (male 864,441; female 1,288,864) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

727 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 50 914 to 1,523 m: 67

total

143

under 914 m

11 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

584 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 298

under 914 m

252 (2002) Military South Africa

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

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. Geography South Africa

Birth rate

18.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$24.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (FY 02/03)

revenues

$22.6 billion

Capital

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

Climate

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

Coastline

2,798 km

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

former

Union of South Africa

Currency

rand (ZAR)

Currency code

ZAR

Death rate

18.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$24.7 billion (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Cameron H. HUME

embassy

877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria

mailing address

P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone

[27] (12) 342-1048

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

Disputes - international

managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River

Distribution of family income - Gini index

59.3 (1993-94)

Economic aid - recipient

$487.5 million (2000)

Economy - overview

South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural 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 lower South Africa's high unemployment rate; and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. High crime and HIV/AIDS infection rates also deter investment. South African economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to increase job growth and household income.

Electricity - consumption

181.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

6.91 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

6.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

195.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

93.5%

hydro

1.1%

nuclear

5.5%

other

0% (2001)

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 outpacing 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-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, 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

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

rand per US dollar - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000), 6.11 (1999), 5.53 (1998)

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 is the governing coalition

Exports

$31.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment (1998 est.)

Exports - partners

UK 12.8%, US 12.7%, Germany 9%, Japan 8.8%, Italy 5.8% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 265-1607

[27] (12) 342-2244

chancery

3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

consulate(s) general

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

telephone

[1] (202) 232-4400

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications South Africa

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 Economy South Africa

GDP

purchasing power parity - $427.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

4.4%

industry

28.9%

services

66.7% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland People South Africa

Government type

republic

Highways

paved

73,506 km (including 2,032 km of expressways)

total

362,099 km

unpaved

288,593 km (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

20.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

360,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

5 million (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

45.9% (1994)

lowest 10%

1.1%

Illicit drugs

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, and possibly 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; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$26.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs (2000 est.)

Imports - partners

Germany 15.4%, US 9.4%, UK 9%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Japan 5.8%, France 5%, China 4.9%, Iran 4.1% (2002)

Independence

31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2002 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

56.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

64.73 deaths/1,000 live births

total

60.84 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9.9% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, BIS, C, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, NSG, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Internet country code

.za

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

150 (2001)

Internet users

3.068 million (2002) Transportation South Africa

Irrigated land

13,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

17 million economically active

Labor force - by occupation

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

Land boundaries

border countries

Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

total

4,862 km

Land use

arable land

12.13%

other

87.1% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0.77%

Languages

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

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%, NNP 6.9%, UDM 3.4%, ACDP 1.4%, FF 0.8%, other 2.9%; seats by party - ANC 266, DP 38, IFP 34, NNP 28, UDM 14, ACDP 6, FF 3, other 11; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ANC 61, NNP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3

elections

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

46.54 years (2003 est.)

male

46.57 years

total population

46.56 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

85.7% (2003 est.) Government South Africa

male

87%

total population

86.4%

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 NM

continental shelf

200 NM or to edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

25 years (2002)

male

24 years

total

24.5 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Denmark 3, Netherlands 1 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

container 1, petroleum tanker 2

total

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,235 GRT/35,904 DWT

Military - note

with the end of Apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete Transnational Issues South Africa

Military branches

South African National Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1.746 billion (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.7% (FY02)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

11,865,280 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

7,211,075 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

471,578 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Nationality

adjective

South African

noun

South African(s)

Natural gas - consumption

1.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

14.16 million cu m (37257)

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

Net migration rate

-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

460,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

196,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

7.84 million bbl (37257)

Pipelines

condensate 100 km; gas 741 km; oil 847 km; refined products 1,354 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE, president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI, president]; Democratic Alliance (formed from the merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the New National Party or NNP; note - NNP split from DP in 2001) [Anthony LEON]; Freedom Front or FF [Dr. Pieter MULDER, president]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president]; New National Party or NNP [Marthinus VAN SCHALKWYK]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Population

42,768,678

note

South Africa took a census October 1996 that showed a population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8% underenumeration based on a postenumeration 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 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.01% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

Radio broadcast stations

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

Radios

17 million (2001)

Railways

narrow gauge

21,984 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 314 km 0.610-m gauge

note

includes a 2,228 km commuter rail system (2002)

total

22,298 km

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

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

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

general assessment

the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa

international

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

Telephones - main lines in use

more than 5 million (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

7.06 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations

556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

6 million (2000)

Terrain

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

Total fertility rate

2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

37% (includes workers no longer looking for employment) (2001 est.)

Waterways

NA