It is the country's legislative capital. The then Prime Minister Jan Smuts wrote the preamble to the UN Charter. The security forces cracked down on internal dissent, and violence became widespread, with anti-apartheid organisations such as the African National Congress (ANC), the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO), and the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) carrying out guerrilla warfare[64] and urban sabotage. From April 2017 to March 2018, on average 57 murders were committed each day in South Africa. [52] The Boers' inability to subdue Sekhukhune and the Pedi led to the departure of Burgers in favour of Paul Kruger and the British annexation of the South African Republic (Transvaal) on 12 April 1877 by Theophilus Shepstone, secretary for native affairs of Natal. The Republic of South Africa is a country in the southern region of Africa. Gauteng comprises the largest share of the South African popula… [231] Many of the unofficial languages of the San and Khoekhoe peoples contain regional dialects stretching northwards into Namibia and Botswana, and elsewhere. The Little Karoo is historically, and still, famous for its ostrich farming around the town of Oudtshoorn. [54][55][56][57][58], Eight years after the end of the Second Boer War and after four years of negotiation, an act of the British Parliament (South Africa Act 1909) granted nominal independence, while creating the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910. The area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been branded "the Cradle of Humankind". When looking at a map of the country, you will also notice Lesotho in the middle of South Africa. Official Name: Republic of South Africa short form: South Africa former: Union of South Africa. Further east on the south coast, rainfall is distributed more evenly throughout the year, producing a green landscape. [43] Some of the earliest mixed race communities in the country were formed between vrijburgers, enslaved people, and indigenous peoples. The last census was held in 2011, with a more recent intercensal national survey conducted in 2016. To the north, the Great Karoo fades into the even drier and more arid Bushmanland, which eventually becomes the Kalahari desert in the very north-west of the country. [80] While xenophobia in South Africa is still a problem, recent violence has not been as widespread as initially feared. For 2019, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) estimates the mid-year population at 58,78 million. [194] The 2011 census figures for these groups were: Black African at 79.2%, White at 8.9%, Coloured at 8.9%, Indian or Asian at 2.5%, and Other/Unspecified at 0.5%. (1984). The amount of land reserved for indigenous peoples was later marginally increased.[60]. South Africa's national cricket team, the Proteas, has also won the inaugural edition of the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy by defeating West Indies in the final. Which means "South African"; the Dutch for "South Africa" is "Zuid-Afrika." In at least some major South African ecosystems, an exceptionally high percentage of fungi are highly specific in terms of the plants with which they occur. [47] British emigration to South Africa began around 1818, subsequently culminating in the arrival of the 1820 Settlers. The majority of people in South Africa use informal minibus taxis as their main mode of transport. Encyclopædia Britannica (1975); Micropaedia Vol. [9] Estimates based on the 1991 census suggest just under half of South Africans can speak English. [220] Only 16% of the population is covered by medical aid schemes. The country has three capitals for different purposes. The Cape Floral Region, being identified as one of the global biodiversity hotspots, will be hit very hard by climate change. This was south of the furthest point reached in 1485 by his predecessor, the Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão (Cape Cross, north of the bay). [163], Principal international trading partners of South Africa—besides other African countries—include Germany, the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Spain. "[164][205][206], African initiated churches formed the largest of the Christian groups. The provinces are in turn divided into 52 districts: 8 metropolitan and 44 district municipalities. Free State … [217] The healthcare spending in the country is about 9% of GDP. The original temperate forest found by the first European settlers was exploited ruthlessly until only small patches remained. The white population is estimated at 4,7 million, the coloured population at 5,2 million and the Indian/Asian population at 1,5 million. Over 27,000 Boer women and children died in the British concentration camps. The powers of provincial governments are limited to topics listed in the Constitution; these topics include such fields as health, education, public housing and transport. South Africa has cultivated a burgeoning astronomy community. The legislature elects a Premier as head of government, and the Premier appoints an Executive Council as a provincial cabinet. North of the Vaal River, the Highveld becomes better watered and does not experience subtropical extremes of heat. The plays of Athol Fugard have been regularly premiered in fringe theatres in South Africa, London (Royal Court Theatre) and New York. South Africa has no legally defined capital city. [214] High school education spans a further five years. [48] Shaka's warfare indirectly led to the Mfecane ('crushing'), in which 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 people were killed and the inland plateau was devastated and depopulated in the early 1820s. South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with a diversity of unique biomes and plant and animal life. The country is a member of the Group of 77 and chaired the organisation in 2006. [138], Between 1994 and 2018, there were more than 500 xenophobic attacks against foreigners in South Africa. According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, this population numbered approximately 144,700 in 2007. [220], According to the 2015 UNAIDS Report, South Africa has an estimated seven million people living with HIV – more than any other country in the world. [201] These unofficial languages may be used in certain official uses in limited areas where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Archaeologists have recovered extensive fossil remains from a series of caves in Gauteng Province. Wildlife in South Africa is abundant, with almost 300 mammal species.. [178] Illegal immigrants are involved in informal trading. After unification in 1910, South Africa had its own parliament which passed laws specific for South Africa, building on those previously passed for the individual member colonies. At 1,219,912 km2 (471,011 sq mi),[83] South Africa is the 24th-largest country in the world. The British returned with greater numbers, more experience, and new strategy in the Second Boer War (1899–1902) but suffered heavy casualties through attrition; nonetheless, they were ultimately successful. [36] On 4 December, he landed at Walfisch Bay (now known as Walvis Bay in present-day Namibia). It is famous for the most extensive areas of indigenous forests in South Africa (a generally forest-poor country). Another attack by the Lydenburg Volunteer Corps was also repulsed. Although the name change was approved by the SAGNC, it has not … [220] The three dominant hospital groups, Mediclinic, Life Healthcare and Netcare, together control 75% of the private hospital market. [118] There have been a number of incidents of political repression as well as threats of future repression in violation of the constitution, leading some analysts and civil society organisations to conclude that there is or could be a new climate of political repression,[119][120] or a decline in political tolerance. [107] In 2006, the number of fungi in South Africa was estimated at about 200,000 species, but did not take into account fungi associated with insects. The sites include Sterkfontein, one of the richest sites for hominin fossils in the world. However, all ten other official languages are represented to some extent or another. The first human-to-human heart transplant was performed by cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnard at Groote Schuur Hospital in December 1967, Max Theiler developed a vaccine against yellow fever, Allan McLeod Cormack pioneered X-ray computed tomography (CT scan), and Aaron Klug developed crystallographic electron microscopy techniques. The Afrikaans for "South Africa" is "Suid-Afrika" so SA would be more logical. [180], The Human Rights Watch reported on 26 August 2019 about foreign national truck drivers being subjected to deadly attacks carried out by South African truck drivers. In 1931, the union was fully sovereign from the United Kingdom with the passage of the Statute of Westminster, which abolished the last powers of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to legislate on the country. The legally institutionalised segregation became known as apartheid. South Africa is a nation of about 55 million (2016) people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions. OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of South Africa FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Republic CAPITALS: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) POPULATION: 55, 489, 975 See also [113], Climate change is expected to bring considerable warming and drying to much of this already semi-arid region, with greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves, flooding and drought. South Africa’s Constitution recognises 11 official languages: Sepedi (also known as Sesotho sa Leboa ), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu. Several important scientific and technological developments have originated in South Africa. South Africa has a mixed economy, the second largest in Africa after Nigeria. It has been classified by the World Bank as a newly industrialised country, with the second-largest economy in Africa, and the 33rd-largest in the world. To the north of Highveld, from about the 25° 30' S line of latitude, the plateau slopes downwards into the Bushveld, which ultimately gives way to the Limpopo lowlands or Lowveld.[87]. South Africa scored well in the categories of Rule of Law, Transparency and Corruption, and Participation and Human Rights, but was let down by its relatively poor performance in Safety and Security. South Africa has published two national climate change reports in 2011 and 2016.[115]. [143][144] In April 2011, South Africa formally joined the Brazil-Russia-India-China (BRICS) grouping of countries, identified by Zuma as the country's largest trading partners, and also the largest trading partners with Africa as a whole. [13] The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White South Africans), Asian (Indian South Africans), and Multiracial (Coloured South Africans) ancestry. There are eleven official names of South Africa,[1] one in each of its eleven official languages. South Africa's official Coronavirus (Covid-19)online news and information portal. The National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, consists of 400 members and is elected every five years by a system of party-list proportional representation. The black African population is in the majority (47,4 million) and constitutes approximately 81% of the total South African population. Bloemfontein . The number is surpassed only by India. Since 2004, South Africa has had many thousands of popular protests, some violent, making it, according to one academic, the "most protest-rich country in the world". As a concession to the Westminster system, the appointment of the president remained an appointment by parliament, and virtually powerless until P. W. Botha's Constitution Act of 1983, which eliminated the office of Prime Minister and instated a near-unique "strong presidency" responsible to parliament. South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions. [28][29][30] Archaeologists have recovered extensive fossil remains from a series of caves in Gauteng Province. Members of remaining Christian churches accounted for another 36% of the population. According to the 2001 census, Christians accounted for 79.8% of the population, with a majority of them being members of various Protestant denominations (broadly defined to include syncretic African initiated churches) and a minority of Roman Catholics and other Christians. We’re off to a place bursting with wonderful wildlife, rich culture and mind-blowing history! While South Africa's many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population as a whole, the most commonly used language is English. A significant extent of the Bushveld exists in the north-east including Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, as well as in the far north in the Waterberg Biosphere. He reached as far up the eastern coast of Africa as, what he called, Rio do Infante, probably the present-day Groot River, in May 1488, but on his return he saw the Cape, which he first named Cabo das Tormentas ('Cape of Storms'). The judicial system consists of the magistrates' courts, which hear lesser criminal cases and smaller civil cases; the High Court, which has divisions that serve as the courts of general jurisdiction for specific areas; the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the Constitutional Court, which is the highest court. In the first quarter of 2011, confidence levels for graduate professionals were recorded at a level of 84% in a Professional Provident Society (PPS) survey. [45] After briefly returning to Dutch rule under the Batavian Republic in 1803, the Cape was occupied again by the British in 1806. [164], The South African agricultural industry contributes around 10% of formal employment, relatively low compared to other parts of Africa, as well as providing work for casual labourers and contributing around 2.6% of GDP for the nation. South Africa is a parliamentary republic, although unlike most such republics the President is both head of state and head of government, and depends for his tenure on the confidence of Parliament. [150] South Africa undertook a nuclear weapons programme in the 1970s[150] According to former state president FW de Klerk, the decision to build a "nuclear deterrent" was taken "as early as 1974 against a backdrop of a Soviet expansionist threat. This intensified British efforts to gain control over the indigenous peoples. Grade R, or grade 0, is a pre-primary foundation year. Pressured by other Commonwealth of Nations countries, South Africa withdrew from the organisation in 1961 and rejoined it only in 1994. [189][190][191] A series of anti-immigrant riots occurred in South Africa beginning on 11 May 2008. He was a South African nationalist and socialist who fought the apartheid regime. The coastal belt below the south and south-western stretches of the Great Escarpment contains several ranges of Cape Fold Mountains which run parallel to the coast, separating the Great Escarpment from the ocean. Winters in this region are cold, although snow is rare. It strengthened the racial segregation begun under Dutch and British colonial rule. Even though travel has seen a sharp decline in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa is launching a brand new airline that will begin running domestic flights in December 2020. Nandipha: Nandipha or simply Nandi means “Gift Of God”. The eleventh official language is English, which is the primary language used in parliamentary and state discourse, though all official languages are equal in legal status, and unofficial languages are protected under the Constitution of South Africa, though few are mentioned by any name. South Africa has eleven official languages.They are Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, Swazi, Setswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.Most South Africans (over 99%) speak one of these languages as a first language. The Cape Fold Mountains peter out at about the 32° S line of latitude,[93] after which the coastal plain is bounded by the Great Escarpment itself. [97] The Prince Edward Islands have colder average annual temperatures, but Buffelsfontein has colder extremes. Water-saving measures were in effect that required each citizen to use less than 50 litres (13 US gal) a day.[187]. South Africa has also produced numerous world class rugby players, including Francois Pienaar, Joost van der Westhuizen, Danie Craven, Frik du Preez, Naas Botha, and Bryan Habana. The extreme southwest has a climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean Sea with wet winters and hot, dry summers, hosting the famous fynbos biome of shrubland and thicket. p. 113. Atlas of Southern Africa. A "freeway" is different from most countries as certain things are forbidden which include certain motorcycles, no hand signals, and motor tricycles. Black musicians have developed a unique style called Kwaito, that is said to have taken over radio, television, and magazines. Nelson Mandela. [196], South Africa has 11 official languages:[197] Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Pedi,[198] Tswana, Southern Sotho, Tsonga, Swazi, Venda, and Southern Ndebele (in order of first language speakers). [183], Two distinctive features of the South African water sector are the policy of free basic water and the existence of water boards, which are bulk water supply agencies that operate pipelines and sell water from reservoirs to municipalities. [224] Most deaths are experienced by economically active individuals, resulting in many AIDS orphans who in many cases depend on the state for care and financial support. Religious Demography", "In South Africa, many blacks convert to Islam / The Christian Science Monitor", "Muslims say their faith growing fast in Africa", "National adult literacy rates (15+), youth literacy rates (15–24) and elderly literacy rates (65+)", "Peoples Budget Coalition Comments on the 2011/12 Budget", "Motsoaledi to reform private health care", "What does the demand for healthcare look like in SA? White South Africans may also speak European languages, including Italian, Portuguese (also spoken by black Angolans and Mozambicans), Dutch, German, and Greek, while some Indian South Africans speak Indian languages, such as Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Even so, these numbers make the Jewish community in South Africa the twelfth largest in the world. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons", "Inequality in income or expenditure / Gini index, Human Development Report 2007/08", "Distribution of family income – Gini index", "South Africa has highest gap between rich and poor", "South Africa's economy: How it could do even better", "Economic Assessment of South Africa 2008: Achieving Accelerated and Shared Growth for South Africa", "African Countries of the Future 2013/14", "Financial Secrecy Index 2020: Narrative Report on South Africa", "Inequality on scale found in SA bites like acid", "Black middle class boosts car sales in South Africa – Business – Mail & Guardian Online", "Economic Assessment of South Africa 2008", "Health Personnel in Southern Africa: Confronting maldistribution and brain drain", "Skilled Labour Migration from Developing Countries: Study on South and Southern Africa", "South Africa's brain-drain generation returning home", "Strategic Perspectives on Illegal Immigration into South Africa", "The Brain Gain: Skilled Migrants and Immigration Policy in Post-Apartheid South Africa", "South Africa: Deadly Attacks on Foreign Truck Drivers", "SKA announces Founding Board and selects Jodrell Bank Observatory to host Project Office", "Africa and Australasia to share Square Kilometre Array", Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, "Professor Says Cape Town Crisis Should Serve as a 'Wakeup Call to All Major U.S. Cities, "Why Cape Town's drought was so hard to forecast", "The 11 cities most likely to run out of drinking water – like Cape Town", "Anti-immigrant violence spreads in South Africa, with attacks reported in Cape Town – The New York Times", "Immigrants Fleeing Fury of South African Mobs", "Debate over race and censuses not peculiar to SA", "Constitution of South Africa, Chapter 1, Section 6", "Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 – Chapter 1: Founding Provisions | South African Government", "These are the most-spoken languages in South Africa in 2019", "Community Survey 2016: Provinces at a Glance", "World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, Online Edition", "South Africa – Section I. [173] and is almost certainly detrimental for the wellbeing of those reliant on the healthcare infrastructure. The narrow coastal strip between the most seaward Cape Fold Mountain range (i.e., the Langeberg–Outeniqua mountains) and the ocean has a moderately high year-round rainfall, especially in the George-Knysna-Plettenberg Bay region, which is known as the Garden Route. [135] Rape occurs most commonly in relationships, but many men and women say that rape cannot occur in relationships; however, one in four women reported having been abused by an intimate partner. In 1948, the National Party was elected to power. The South African black majority still has a substantial number of rural inhabitants who lead largely impoverished lives. [175] However, the statistics which purport to show a brain drain are disputed and also do not account for repatriation and expiry of foreign work contracts. Note the course of the Great Escarpment to the north of these mountain ranges.) These languages include English, Afrikaans, the Nguni languages (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, and Swazi), as well as the Sotho-Tswana languages, which include Tswana, Sotho and Pedi. Following Lord Carnarvon's successful introduction of federation in Canada, it was thought that similar political effort, coupled with military campaigns, might succeed with the African kingdoms, tribal areas and Boer republics in South Africa. [71], Along with many African nations, South Africa has been experiencing a brain drain in the past 20 years. It became the first country (followed by Ukraine) with nuclear capability to voluntarily renounce and dismantle its programme and in the process signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1991. (1984). [222] In 2018, HIV prevalence—the percentage of people living with HIV—among adults (15–49 years) was 20.4% and in the same year 71000 people died from an AIDS-related illness. In 2012, Oscar Pistorius became the first double amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympic Games in London. South Africa first won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which it hosted. Up to 1945, more than 4900 species of fungi (including lichen-forming species) had been recorded. Check out our fascinating facts about South Africa… Facts about South Africa. [227], After the 2009 general elections, former president Jacob Zuma appointed Dr Aaron Motsoaledi as the new health minister and committed his government to increasing funding for and widening the scope of HIV treatment,[228] and by 2015, South Africa had made significant progress, with the widespread availability of antiretroviral drugs resulted in an increase in life expectancy from 52.1 years to 62.5 years.[229].
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