from
CIA World Factbook 2006
South Africa
Introduction
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
Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent
of Africa
Geographic 29 00 S, 24 00 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 1,219,912 sq km
land: 1,219,912 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and
Prince Edward Island)
Area - slightly less than twice the size of Texas
comparative:
Land total: 4,862 km
boundaries: border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km,
Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km,
Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline: 2,798 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental
margin
Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny
days, cool nights
Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow
coastal plain
Elevation lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m
Natural gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese,
resources: nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds,
platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 12.1%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.11% (2005)
Irrigated 14,980 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural prolonged droughts
hazards:
Environment - lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires
current extensive water conservation and control measures;
issues: 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 - party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
international Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
agreements: 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
Geography - South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost
note: completely surrounds Swaziland
People
Population: 44,187,637
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 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.7% (male 6,603,220/female 6,525,810)
15-64 years: 65% (male 13,955,950/female 14,766,843)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 905,870/female 1,429,944)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 24.1 years
male: 23.3 years
female: 25 years (2006 est.)
Population -0.4% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 18.2 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population
rate: note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into
South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic
opportunities (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 60.66 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 64.31 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 56.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 42.73 years
expectancy at male: 43.25 years
birth: female: 42.19 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 21.5% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 5.3 million (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 370,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: South African(s)
adjective: South African
Ethnic groups: black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/
Asian 2.5% (2001 census)
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)
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)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 87%
female: 85.7% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
conventional short form: South Africa
former: Union of South Africa
abbreviation: RSA
Government republic
type:
Capital: name: Pretoria (administrative capital)
geographic coordinates: 29 12 S, 28 10 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein
(judicial capital)
Administrative 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng,
divisions: KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West,
Northern Cape, Western Cape
Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a
republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum
National Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
holiday:
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
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June
branch: 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile
MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of
government
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
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly
for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
election last held 24 April 2004 (next to be held April
2009)
election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president;
percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by
acclamation)
Legislative bicameral Parliament consisting of the National
branch: 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
elections: National Assembly and National Council of
Provinces - last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA
2009)
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
Judicial Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High
branch: Courts; Magistrate Courts
Political African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth
parties and MESHOE, president]; African National Congress or ANC
leaders: [Thabo MBEKI, president]; Democratic Alliance or DA
[Anthony LEON] (formed from the merger of the
Democratic Party or DP and the Freedom Alliance or FA);
Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI,
president]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley
MOGOBA, president]; New National Party or NNP; United
Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]
Political Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU
pressure [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African
groups and Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general
leaders: secretary]; South African National Civics Organization
or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note
- COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC
International ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
organization ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
participation: IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima
representation MASEKELA
in the US: chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Jendayi E. FRAZER
representation embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
from the US: mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048
FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244
consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue
description: 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
Economy - South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with
overview: 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.
GDP $540.8 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $187.3 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 4.9% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $12,200 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 2.5%
composition by industry: 30.3%
sector: services: 67.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 15.23 million economically active (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 30%
by occupation: industry: 25%
services: 45% (1999 est.)
Unemployment 26.6% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 50% (2000 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 1.1%
income or highest 10%: 45.9% (1994)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 59.3 (1995)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 4% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 16.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $65.91 billion
expenditures: $70.62 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 35.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef,
products: poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold,
chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking,
machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals,
fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
Industrial 3.6% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 215.9 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 93.5%
production by hydro: 1.1%
source: nuclear: 5.5%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 197.4 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 10.14 billion kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 6.739 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 216,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 484,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 7.84 million bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 2.35 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 2.35 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 28.32 million cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $-11.08 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $50.91 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals,
commodities: machinery and equipment
Exports - UK 11.1%, US 9.1%, Japan 8.3%, Germany 6.3%, China
partners: 5.2%, Italy 4.5% (2005)
Imports: $52.97 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products,
commodities: scientific instruments, foodstuffs
Imports - Germany 14.9%, US 7%, China 6.9%, UK 6.8%, Saudi Arabia
partners: 6.5%, Japan 5.9%, Iran 5.8%, France 4.3% (2005)
Reserves of $20.63 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $29.97 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $487.5 million (2000)
recipient:
Currency rand (ZAR)
(code):
Currency code: ZAR
Exchange rand per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004),
rates: 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones - 4.729 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 33.96 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: the system is the best developed
system: 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: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 17 million (2001)
Television 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 6 million (2000)
Internet .za
country code:
Internet 645,179 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 150 (2001)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 5.1 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 731 (2006)
Airports - total: 146
with paved over 3,047 m: 10
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 51
914 to 1,523 m: 67
under 914 m: 13 (2006)
Airports - total: 585
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 302
under 914 m: 249 (2006)
Pipelines: condensate 100 km; gas 1,062 km; oil 966 km; refined
products 1,354 km (2006)
Railways: total: 20,872 km
narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,868 km
electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 362,099 km
paved: 73,506 km
unpaved: 288,593 km (2002)
Merchant total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,815 GRT/39,295 DWT
marine: by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
registered in other countries: 8 (Panama 3, UK 5)
(2006)
Ports and Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth,
terminals: Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay
Military
Military South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South
branches: African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African
Air Force (SAAF), Joint Operations Command, Joint
Support Command, Military Intelligence, Military Health
Service (2005)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women
service age have a long history of military service in noncombat
and roles, dating back to World War I (2004)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 10,354,769
available for females age 18-49: 10,626,550 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 4,927,757
for military females age 18-49: 4,609,071 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 512,407
reaching females age 18-49: 506,078 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $3.55 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.5% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - with the end of apartheid and the establishment of
note: 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
Disputes - South Africa has placed military along the border to
international: 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
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 5,774 (Angola) 9,516
internally (Democratic Republic of Congo) 7,118 (Somalia) (2005)
displaced
persons:
Trafficking in current situation: South Africa is a source, transit,
persons: and destination country for men, women, and children
trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation;
women and girls are trafficked internally - and
occasionally to European and Asian countries - for
sexual exploitation; women from other African countries
are trafficked to South Africa and, less frequently,
onward to Europe for sexual exploitation; men and boys
are trafficked from neighboring countries for forced
agricultural labor; Asian and Eastern European women
are trafficked to South Africa for debt-bonded sexual
exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - South Africa is placed
on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to show
increasing efforts to address trafficking in 2005
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