2005 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: 30.3% (male 6,760,137/female 6,682,013) 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 13,860,727/female 14,750,496) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 893,360/female 1,397,403) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

728 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

144 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 67 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

584 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 300 under 914 m: 250 (2004 est.) Military South Africa

Area

land

1,219,912 sq km

total

1,219,912 sq km

water

0 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

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

18.48 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$52.54 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

revenues

$47.43 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 (code)

rand (ZAR)

Currency code

ZAR

Current account balance

$-2.48 billion (2004 est.)

Death rate

21.32 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$27.01 billion (2004 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Jendayi E. FRAZER

consulate(s) general

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

embassy

877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria

FAX

[27] (12) 342-2244

mailing address

P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone

[27] (12) 342-1048

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

FAX

[1] (202) 265-1607

telephone

[1] (202) 232-4400

Disputes - international

South Africa has placed military along the border to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape political persecution; 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. 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

189.4 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

6.95 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

7.873 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

202.6 billion kWh (2002)

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

Ethnic groups

black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)

Exchange rates

rand per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005); 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) note: ANC-IFP is the governing coalition

elections

president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 April 2004 (next to be held April 2009)

head of government

President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Exports

$41.97 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 10.2%, UK 9.2%, Japan 9%, Germany 7.1%, Netherlands 4% (2004)

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 - composition by sector

agriculture

3.6%

industry

31.2%

services

65.2% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $11,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.5% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$491.4 billion (2004 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

57,568 km (including 2,032 km of expressways)

total

275,971 km

unpaved

218,403 km (2002)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

21.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

370,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

5.3 million (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 45.9% (1994)

Illicit drugs

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, 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; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$39.42 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Germany 14.2%, US 8.5%, China 7.5%, Japan 6.9%, UK 6.9%, France 6%, Saudi Arabia 5.6%, Iran 5% (2004)

Independence

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

Industrial production growth rate

5.5% (2004 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

57.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

65.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

61.81 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, 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, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Internet country code

.za

Internet hosts

288,633 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

150 (2001)

Internet users

3.1 million (2002) Transportation South Africa

Investment (gross fixed)

16.7% of GDP (2004 est.)

Irrigated land

13,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

16.63 million economically active (2004 est.)

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

12.08%

other

87.13% (2001)

permanent crops

0.79%

Languages

IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)

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 69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%; seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other 21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

elections

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)

Life expectancy at birth

female

43.06 years (2005 est.)

male

43.47 years

total population

43.27 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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 10,354,769 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 4,927,757 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males

512,407 (2005 est.)

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

24.86 years (2005 est.)

male

23.12 years

total

23.98 years

Merchant marine

by type

container 1, petroleum tanker 1

foreign-owned

1 (Denmark 1)

registered in other countries

7 (2005)

total

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 31,505 GRT/37,091 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 (SANDF)

Army, Navy, Air Force, Joint Operations, Joint Support, Military Intelligence, Military Health Service (2004)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$3.172 billion (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.5% (2004)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women have a long history of military service in non-combat roles - dating back to World War I (2004)

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 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

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

-0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

460,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

196,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

7.84 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Pipelines

condensate 100 km; gas 1,052 km; oil 847 km; refined products 1,354 km (2004)

Political parties and leaders

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE, president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI, president]; Democratic Alliance or DA (formed from the merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the Freedom Alliance or FA) [Anthony LEON]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president]; 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

44,344,136 note: 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 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2000 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.31% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

Public debt

45.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

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

Radios

17 million (2001)

Railways

narrow gauge

20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge note: includes a 1,210 km commuter rail system (2004)

total

20,872 km

Religions

Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, other Christian 36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$11.68 billion (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

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

country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

4.844 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

16.86 million (2003)

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 (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

26.2% (2004 est.)