what do u know about South Africa?

Question

languages spoken?
people?
weather?
landscape?
others.......... just tell me everything u know about it.
thanks :)

Answer 1

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.



Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references:

Africa

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 - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 4,862 km

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 claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

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 extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

arable land: 12.08%

permanent crops: 0.79%

other: 87.13% (2001)

Irrigated land:

13,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:

prolonged droughts

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

Geography - note:

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

People South Africa Top of Page

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.)

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.)

Median age:

total: 23.98 years

male: 23.12 years

female: 24.86 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.31% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:

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

Death rate:

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

Net migration rate:

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

Infant mortality rate:

total: 61.81 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 65.6 deaths/1,000 live births

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

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 43.27 years

male: 43.47 years

female: 43.06 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.24 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

21.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

5.3 million (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

370,000 (2003 est.)

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 South Africa Top of Page

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of South Africa

conventional short form: South Africa

former: Union of South Africa

abbreviation: RSA

Government type:

republic

Capital:

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

Administrative divisions:

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, 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 holiday:

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

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

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; 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)

note: ANC-IFP is the governing coalition

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

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 branch:

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA

chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] [phone]

FAX: [1] [phone]

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Jendayi E. FRAZER

embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria

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 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 Top of Page

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$527.4 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$191.3 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $11,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.4%

industry: 31.6%

services: 65.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:

15.23 million economically active (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

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

Unemployment rate:

25.2% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:

50% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.1%

highest 10%: 45.9% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

59.3 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.6% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

17.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $65.91 billion

expenditures: $70.62 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2005 est.)

Public debt:

37.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

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

Industrial production growth rate:

4.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:

215.9 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:

197.4 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:

10.14 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:

6.739 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:

216,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:

484,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:

NA (2001)

Oil - imports:

NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:

7.84 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:

1.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

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 - proved reserves:

14.16 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:

$-9.584 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:

$50.91 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - partners:

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

Imports:

$52.97 billion f.o.b. (2005 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)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$20.16 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:

$44.33 billion (30 June 2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:

$487.5 million (2000)

Currency (code):

rand (ZAR)

Exchange rates:

rand per US dollar - 6.19 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Answer 2

There are several languages spoken, but the official ones are Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, Tswana, and Venda. The country also recognises eight non-official languages: Fanagalo, Lobedu, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, South African Sign Language, Khoe, Nama and San.



Regarding people, South Africa is a nation of 44.8 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and beliefs. The 2001 Statistics South Africa census provided five racial categories by which people could classify themselves, the last of which, "unspecified/other" drew negligible responses, and these results were omitted. Results for the other categories were:



Black—75%

White—14%

Coloured—9%

Indian/Asian—3%

By far the major part of the population classified itself as African or black, but it is not culturally or linguistically homogenous.





The landscape and weather: South Africa has a great variety of climate zones, from the extreme desert of the Kalahari near Namibia to lush subtropical climate along the border with Mozambique. It quickly rises over a mountainous escarpment towards the interior plateau known as the Highveld. Even though South Africa is classified as semi-arid, there is considerable variation in climate as well as topography.



The interior of South Africa is a giant, mountainous, and sparsely populated scrubland Karoo plateau, which is drier towards the north-west along the Kalahari desert. In contrast, the eastern coastline is lush and well-watered which produces a climate similar to the tropics. The extreme south west has a climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean with wet winters and hot, dry summers. This area also produces much of South Africa's wine. This region is also particularly known for its wind, which blows intermittently almost all year. The severity of this wind made passing around the Cape of Good Hope particularly treacherous for sailors, causing many shipwrecks. Further east on the country's south coast rainfall is distributed more evenly throughout the year, producing a green landscape. This area is popularly known as the Garden Route.



The Free State is particularly flat due to the fact that the eastern region of the Highveld does not extend as far north as the western region. North the Vaal River, the Highveld becomes better watered and does not experience subtropical extremes of heat. Johannesburg, in the centre of the Highveld, is at 1,740 metres (5,709 ft) and receives an annual rainfall of 760 millimetres (30 in). Winters in this region are cold, although snow is rare.



To the north and east of Johannesburg, the altitude drops beyond the Highveld's escarpment, and turns into the Lowveld. The Lowveld has particularly high temperatures, and is also the location of traditional South African Bushveld. The high Drakensberg mountains, which form the eastern escarpment of the Highveld, offer limited skiing opportunities in winter. The coldest place in South Africa is Sutherland in the western Roggeveld Mountains, where midwinter temperatures can reach as low as –15 degrees Celsius (5 °F). The deep interior has the hottest temperatures: A temperature of 51.7 °C (125 °F) was recorded in 1948 in the Northern Cape Kalahari near Upington.

Answer 3

South Africa is a shortened version of the correct name, 'The Union of South Africa'. In 1910 the Union of South Africa was created by the unification of four areas, by joining the two former independent Boer republics of the South African Republic (Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) and the Orange Free State (Oranje Vrystaat) with the British dominated Cape Province and Natal. Most significantly, the new Union of South Africa gained international respect with British Dominion status putting it on par with three other important British dominions and allies: Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Answer 4

its a beautiful country



languages spoken: English (becoz of the britishers), and a ton of other local languages.

People: A mix of whites (british, germans, irish etc), local blacks and Indians (from India)

Weather: Winters -> Goes upto 40 degrees F (does not snow)

Summers-> Goes upto 90 degrees F

Landscape is beautiful, places like J'borg, Pretoria, Durban, East London and Capetown are awesome



Crime and Aids are the only two problems.



Cheers!

Answer 5

arabic egyptian hott

the religion ist mor islam

Answer 6

english german and native i am sure desert climate is one of its climates