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{{dablink|This article is about the country on the southern tip of the African continent. For its predecessors, see [[Union of South Africa]]. For the southern region of Africa, see [[Southern Africa]].}}
{{Infobox Country
|conventional_long_name = <center>{{Collapsible list |title='''<center>Republic of South Africa</center>''' |<center>Republiek van Suid-Afrika |<center>IRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika | <center>IRiphabliki yaseMzantsi Afrika | <center>IRiphabliki yaseNingizimu Afrika| <center>IRiphabhulikhi yeNingizimu Afrika |<center>Rephaboliki ya Afrika-Borwa|<center>Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa |<center>Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa |<center>Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga|<center>Riphabuliki ya Afurika Tshipembe |<center>Riphabu{{Unicode|ḽ}}iki ya Afurika</center>}}
|common_name = South Africa
|image_flag = Flag of South Africa.svg
|image_coat = Coat_of_arms_of_South_Africa.svg
|symbol_type = Coat of arms
|image_map = LocationSouthAfrica.svg
|national_motto = ''!ke e: {{IPA|ǀ}}xarra {{IPA|ǁ}}ke''{{spaces|2}}<small>([[ǀXam language|ǀXam]])<br/>“Unity In Diversity” (literally “Diverse People Unite”)</small>
|national_anthem = [[National anthem of South Africa]]
|official_languages = {{Collapsible list |title=[[Languages of South Africa|11]] |
[[Afrikaans]] |[[English language|English]] |[[Southern Ndebele language|Southern Ndebele]] |[[Northern Sotho language|Northern Sotho]] |[[Sotho language|Sotho]] |[[Swati language|Swati]] |[[Tsonga language|Tsonga]] |[[Tswana language|Tswana]] |[[Venda language|Venda]] |[[Xhosa language|Xhosa]] |[[Zulu language|Zulu]]}}
|demonym = South African
|capital = [[Pretoria]] (executive)<br/>[[Bloemfontein]] (judicial)<br/>[[Cape Town]] (legislative)
|largest_city = [[Johannesburg]] <small>(2006)&nbsp;[http://www.citypopulation.de/World.html]</small>
|government_type = [[Parliamentary republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[President of South Africa|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Thabo Mbeki]]
|leader_title2 = [[Deputy President of South Africa|Deputy President]]
|leader_name2 = [[Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka]]
|leader_title3 = [[Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces|Chairperson]]
|leader_name3 = [[M. J. Mahlangu]]
|leader_title4 = [[Speaker of the South African National Assembly|National Assembly Speaker]]
|leader_name4 = [[Baleka Mbete]]
|leader_title5 = [[Chief Justice of South Africa|Chief Justice]]
|leader_name5 = [[Pius Langa]]
|sovereignty_type = [[Independence]]
|sovereignty_note = from the [[United Kingdom]]
|established_event1 = [[Union of South Africa|Union]]
|established_date1 = [[31 May]] [[1910]]
|established_event2 = [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]]
|established_date2 = [[11 December]] [[1931]]
|established_event3 = Republic
|established_date3 = [[31 May]] [[1961]]
|area_rank = 25<sup>th</sup>
|area_magnitude = 1 E12
|area_km2 = 1,221,037
|area_sq_mi = 471,443 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|percent_water = Negligible
|population_estimate = 47.9 million
|population_estimate_year = 2007 (mid-year)
|population_estimate_rank = 25<sup>th</sup>
|population_census = 44,819,278
|population_census_year = 2001
|population_density_km2 = 39
|population_density_sq_mi = 101 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 136<sup>th</sup>
|GDP_PPP_year = 2007
|GDP_PPP = $587.5 billion {{increase}} <!--IMF-->
|GDP_PPP_rank = 18<sup>th</sup>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $13,300 {{increase}}
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 56<sup>th</sup>
|Gini = 57.8
|Gini_year = 2000
|Gini_category = <font color="#e0584e">high</font>
|footnotes =
|HDI_year = 2007
|HDI = 0.674 {{increase}}
|HDI_rank = 121<sup>st</sup>
|HDI_category = <font style="color:#fc0">medium</font>
|currency = [[South African rand]]
|currency_code = ZAR
|country_code = RSA
|time_zone = [[SAST]]
|utc_offset = +2
|cctld = [[.za]]
|calling_code = 27
}}

The '''Republic of South Africa''' (also known by [[Official names of South Africa|other official names]]) is a country located at the southern tip of [[Africa]]. It borders the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] [[ocean]]s and [[Namibia]], [[Botswana]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[Mozambique]], [[Swaziland]], and [[Lesotho]], an independent [[enclave]] surrounded by South African territory. South Africa is a member of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. The South African economy is the largest in Africa and 24th largest in the world. Due to this it is the most socially, economically and infrastructurally developed country on the [[continent]].

South Africa has experienced a different history from other nations in Africa because of early [[immigration]] from [[Europe]] and the strategic importance of the [[History of Cape Colony|Cape Sea Route]]. European immigration began shortly after the [[Dutch East India Company]] founded a station at what would become [[Cape Town]], in 1652. The closure of the [[Suez Canal]] during the [[Six-Day War]] highlighted its significance to East-West trade. The country's relatively developed infrastructure made its mineral wealth available and important to [[Western world|Western]] interests, particularly throughout the late nineteenth century and, with international competition and rivalry, during the [[Cold War]]. South Africa is ethnically diverse, with the largest [[Whites in South Africa|Caucasian]], [[Asians in South Africa|Indian]], and [[Coloured|racially mixed]] communities in Africa. [[Black people|Black]] South Africans, who speak nine officially recognised languages, and many more dialects, account for slightly less than 80% of the population.

Racial strife between the white minority and the black majority has played a large part in South Africa's [[History of South Africa|history]] and [[Politics of South Africa|politics]], culminating in [[History of South Africa in the apartheid era|''apartheid'']], which was instituted in 1948 by the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] (although [[Racial segregation|segregation]] existed before that time). The laws that defined apartheid began to be repealed or abolished by the National Party in 1990, after a long and sometimes violent struggle (including [[economic sanctions]] from the [[international community]]) by the Black majority as well as many White, Coloured, and Indian South Africans.

Several philosophies and ideologies have developed in South Africa, including [[Ubuntu (philosophy)|''ubuntu'']] (the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity) and [[Jan Smuts]]'s [[holism]].

Regular [[Elections in South Africa|election]]s have been held for almost a century; but the majority of South Africans were not [[enfranchisement|enfranchised]] until 1994.

South Africa is often called the "[[Rainbow Nation]]", a term coined by [[Archbishop]] [[Desmond Tutu]] and later adopted by then [[President of South Africa|President]] [[Nelson Mandela]]. Mandela used the term "Rainbow Nation" as a metaphor to describe the country's newly developing multicultural diversity after segregationist apartheid ideology. By 2007, the country had joined [[Belgium]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Canada]], and [[Spain]] in legalizing [[same-sex marriage]].

==History==
{{main|History of South Africa}}
South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological sites in [[Africa]]. Extensive [[fossil]] remains at the [[Sterkfontein]], [[Kromdraai, Gauteng|Kromdraai]] and Makapansgat caves suggest that various [[australopithecus|australopithecines]] existed in South Africa from about three million years ago. These were succeeded by various species of ''Homo'', including ''[[Homo habilis]]'', ''[[Homo erectus]]'' and modern man, ''[[Homo sapiens]]''. Settlements of [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]-speaking peoples, who were [[iron]]-using agriculturists and herdsmen, were already present south of the [[Limpopo River]] by the fourth or fifth century (see [[Bantu#Bantu expansion|Bantu expansion]]) displacing and absorbing the original KhoiSan speakers. They slowly moved south and the earliest ironworks in modern-day [[KwaZulu-Natal|KwaZulu-Natal Province]] are believed to date from around 1050. The southernmost group was the [[Xhosa]] people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier KhoiSan people, reaching the [[Great Fish River|Fish River]], in today's [[Eastern Cape|Eastern Cape Province]]. These [[Iron Age]] populations displaced earlier peoples, who often had [[hunter-gatherer]] societies, as they migrated.

[[Image:Khoikhoi.jpg|left|thumb|Indigenous people of what is now South Africa include the Khoikhoi and the San.]]
[[Image:xhosa.jpg|left|thumb|A group of Xhosa people]]
[[Image:JanVanRiebeckArrival.jpg|left|thumb|Painting of an account of the arrival of [[Jan van Riebeeck]], the first European to settle in South Africa, with [[Devil's Peak (Cape Town)|Devil's Peak]] in the background.]]

The written history of South Africa begins with the arrival of the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]]. In 1487, [[Bartolomeu Dias]] became the first European to reach the southernmost tip of Africa. When he returned to Lisbon carrying news of the discovery, which he called ''Cabo das Tormentas'' (Cape of Storms) due to the stormy conditions he had encountered in the region, his royal sponsor, [[John II of Portugal]], chose a different name, ''Cabo da Boa Esperança'' or [[Cape of Good Hope]], for it promised a sea route to the riches of India then being sought by [[Portugal]]. Later, the great Portuguese poet [[Camões]] immortalized Dias' voyage in the epic poem [[The Lusiads]], specifically via the mythological character, [[Adamastor]], which symbolizes the forces of nature the Portuguese navigators had to overcome during the circumnavigation of the Cape.

Along with the accounts of the early navigators, the accounts of shipwreck survivors provide the earliest written accounts of Southern Africa. In the two centuries following 1488, a number of small fishing settlements were made along the coast by Portuguese sailors, but no written account of these settlements survives. In 1652 a victualling station was established at the [[Cape of Good Hope]] by [[Jan van Riebeeck]] on behalf of the [[Dutch East India Company]]. For most of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the slowly-expanding settlement was a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] possession. The Dutch settlers eventually met the south-westerly expanding [[Xhosa]] people in the region of the [[Great Fish River|Fish River]]. A series of wars, called [[Xhosa Wars|Cape Frontier Wars]], ensued, mainly caused by conflicting land and livestock interests.

To ease Cape labour shortages [[slavery|slaves]] were brought from [[Indonesia]], [[Madagascar]], and [[India]]. Furthermore, troublesome leaders, often of royal descent, were banished from Dutch colonies to South Africa. This group of slaves eventually gave rise to a population that now identifies themselves as "[[Cape Malays]]". [[Cape Malays]] have traditionally been accorded a higher social status by the European colonists - many became wealthy landowners, but became increasingly dispossessed as [[History of South Africa in the apartheid era|apartheid]] developed. Cape Malay mosques in [[District Six, Cape Town|District Six]] were spared, and now serve as monuments for the destruction that occurred around them.

Most of the descendants of these slaves, who often married with Dutch settlers, were later classified together with the remnants of the [[Khoikhoi]] (aka Khoisan) as [[Cape Coloureds]]. Further intermingling within the [[Cape Coloureds|Cape Coloured]] population itself, as well as with [[Xhosa]] and other South African people, now means that they constitute roughly 50% of the population in the [[Western Cape|Western Cape Province]].

{{SouthAfrica state}}

[[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] seized the [[Cape of Good Hope]] area in 1795 ostensibly to stop it falling into the hands of the French, but also seeking to use [[Cape Town]] in particular as a stop on the route to Australia and India. It was returned to the Dutch in 1803, but soon afterwards the [[Dutch East India Company]] declared bankruptcy, and the British annexed the Cape Colony in 1806. The British continued the frontier wars against the Xhosa, pushing the eastern frontier eastward through a line of forts established along the Fish River and consolidating it by encouraging [[1820 Settlers|British settlement]]. Due to pressure of [[Abolitionism|abolitionist]] societies in Britain, the British parliament first stopped its global [[History of slavery|slave trade]] in 1807, then abolished slavery in all its colonies in 1833.

The discovery of [[diamond]]s in 1867 and [[gold]] in 1884 in the interior encouraged economic growth and immigration, intensifying the subjugation of the natives. The [[Boer]]s successfully resisted British encroachments during the [[First Boer War]] (1880&ndash;1881) using [[guerrilla warfare]] tactics, much better suited to local conditions. However, the British returned in greater numbers without their red jackets in the [[Second Boer War]] (1899&ndash;1902). The Boers' attempt to ally themselves with [[German South-West Africa]] provided the British with yet another excuse to take control of the Boer Republics.

The [[Boers]] resisted fiercely, but the British eventually overwhelmed the Boer forces, using their superior numbers, improved tactics and external supply chains. Also during this war, the British used controversial [[Internment#Concentration camp|concentration camps]] and [[scorched earth]] tactics, forcing whole families into crowded tents and burning their houses. Crops were burnt and all livestock slaughtered to demoralize the resisting [[Boers]]. The appalling conditions in British [[concentration camps]] were brought to light by Welfare Campaigner [[Emily Hobhouse]] in her report "Report of a Visit to the Camps of Women and Children in the Cape and Orange River Colonies". Maltreatment and undernourishment were common in camps. Food was often poisoned and glass pieces and hooks were found in many rations. The death toll reached 26,370 of which 24,000 were children.

The [[Treaty of Vereeniging]] specified full British sovereignty over the South African republics, and the British government agreed to assume the [[British Pound|£]]3&nbsp;000&nbsp;000 war debt owed by the Afrikaner governments. One of the main conditions of the treaty ending the war was that "Blacks" would not be allowed to vote, except in the Cape Colony.

After four years of negotiations, the [[Union of South Africa]] was created from the [[Cape Colony|Cape]] and [[Colony of Natal|Natal]] colonies, as well as the republics of [[Orange Free State]] and [[Transvaal]], on [[May 31]], [[1910]], exactly eight years after the end of the Second Boer War. The newly-created Union of South Africa was a [[dominion]]. The [[Natives' Land Act]] of 1913<ref name="Natives' Land Act">"[http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/chronology/thisday/1913-06-19.htm 19 June 1913 Native Land Act]", ''This day in history'', publish date unknown (accessed 20 December, 2007).</ref> severely restricted the ownership of land by 'blacks', at that stage to a mere 7% of the country, although this amount was eventually increased marginally. In 1934, the [[South African Party (Union of South Africa)|South African Party]] and [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] merged to form the [[United Party (South Africa)|United Party]], seeking reconciliation between Afrikaners and [[English language|English]]-speaking "Whites", but split in 1939 over the Union's entry into [[World War II]] as an ally of the [[United Kingdom]], a move which the National Party strongly opposed.

In 1948 the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] was elected to power, and began [[History of South Africa in the apartheid era|implementing a series of harsh segregationist laws]] that would become known collectively as [[History of South Africa in the apartheid era|apartheid]]. Not surprisingly, this segregation also applied to the wealth acquired during rapid industrialisation of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. While the White minority enjoyed the highest [[standard of living]] in all of Africa, often comparable to "[[First World]]" western nations, the Black majority remained disadvantaged by almost every standard, including income, education, housing, and life expectancy. However, the average income and life expectancy of a black, Indian or "Coloured" South African compared favourably to many other African states, such as [[Ghana]] and [[Tanzania]] as education and health were provided, though selectively.

Apartheid became increasingly controversial, leading to widespread [[International sanctions|sanctions]] and [[divestment]] abroad and growing unrest and oppression within South Africa. (See also the article on the [[History of South Africa in the apartheid era]].) A long period of harsh suppression by the government, and at times violent resistance, [[Strike action|strike]]s, marches, protests, and [[sabotage]] by bombing and other means, by various anti-apartheid movements, most notably the [[African National Congress]] (ANC), followed. In the late 1970s, South Africa began a program of [[nuclear weapon]]s, and in the following decade it produced six deliverable nuclear weapons. The rationale for the nuclear arsenal is disputed, but it is believed that [[B.J. Vorster|Vorster]] and [[Pieter Willem Botha|P.W. Botha]] wanted to be able to catalyse [[United States|American]] intervention in the event of a war between South Africa and the [[Cuba]]n-supported [[Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola|MPLA]] government of [[Angola]].

In 1990 the National Party government took the first step towards negotiating itself out of power when it lifted the ban on the African National Congress and other [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] political organisations, and released [[Nelson Mandela]] from prison after twenty-seven years' incarceration on a [[sabotage]] sentence. Apartheid legislation was gradually removed from the statute books, and South Africa also destroyed its nuclear arsenal and acceded to the [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]]. The first [[South African general election, 1994|multi-racial elections]] were held in 1994, which the ANC won by an overwhelming majority. It has been in power ever since.

Despite the end of apartheid, millions of South Africans, mostly black, continue to live in [[poverty]]. This is partly attributed to the legacy of the apartheid system and, increasingly, what many see as the failure of the current government to tackle social issues, coupled with the monetary and fiscal discipline of the current government to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth. Since the ANC government took power, South Africa's [[United Nations]] [[Human Development Index]] has fallen dramatically, while it was steadily rising until the mid-1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http:http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_ZAF.html|title=South Africa|date=2006|publisher=United Nations Development Programme|work=Human Development Report|accessdate=2007-11-28}}</ref> Much of this could be attributed to the [[AIDS]] [[pandemic]] and the government's failure to take steps to address it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sairr.org.za/wsc/pstory.htx?storyID=428|title=Ridicule succeeds where leadership failed on AIDS|publisher=South African Institute of Race Relations|date=November 10, 2006}}</ref> However, the ANC's social housing policy has produced some improvement in living conditions in many areas by redirecting fiscal spending and improving the efficiency of the tax collection system.

==Government and politics==
{{main|Politics of South Africa}}
[[Image:CentralPretoria.jpg|thumb|right|The central area of [[Pretoria]], the administrative capital of South Africa]]
<!-- Please, the city's name is Pretoria, not Tshwane. Tshwane refers to the municipality which Pretoria finds itself in. The administrative divisions however is situated in Pretoria. Do not change this. -->
South Africa is the only nation in the world with three capital cities: [[Cape Town]], the largest of the three, is the ''legislative'' capital; [[Pretoria]] is the ''administrative'' capital; and [[Bloemfontein]] is the ''judicial'' capital. South Africa has a [[bicameral]] [[parliament]]: the ninety members of the [[National Council of Provinces]] (the [[upper house]]); and the four hundred members of the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]] (the [[lower house]]). Members of the lower house are elected on a population basis by [[proportional representation]]: half of the members are elected from national lists and half are elected from provincial lists. Ten members are elected to represent each province in the National Council of Provinces, regardless of the population of the province. Elections for both chambers are held every five years. The government is formed in the lower house, and the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly is the [[President of South Africa|President]].

Current South African politics are dominated by the [[African National Congress]] (ANC), which received 69.7% of the vote during the last [[South African general election, 2004|2004 general election]] and 66.3% of the vote in the [[South African municipal election, 2006|2006 municipal election]]. The current (2004-2009 term) [[President of South Africa]] is [[Thabo Mbeki]], who succeeded former President [[Nelson Mandela]]. The main challenger to the ANC's rule is the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]] party, which received 12.4% of the vote in the 2004 election and 14.8% in the 2006 election. The leader of this party is [[Helen Zille]] (elected [[6 May]] [[2007]]). The previous leader of the party was [[Tony Leon]]. The formerly dominant [[New National Party (South Africa)|New National Party]], which introduced apartheid through its predecessor, the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]], suffered increasing humiliation at election polls since 1994, and finally voted to disband. It chose to merge with the ANC on [[9 April]] [[2005]]. Other major political parties represented in Parliament are the [[Inkatha Freedom Party]], which mainly represents [[Zulu]] voters, and the [[Independent Democrats (South Africa)|Independent Democrats]], who took 6.97% and 1.7% of the vote respectively, in the 2004 election.

However since 2004 the country has suffered many thousands of popular protests, some violent, making it, according to one academic, the "most protest-rich country in the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abahlali.org/node/1898|title=Article by Imran Buccus in the Mercury newspaper}}</ref> Many of these protests have been organised from the growing [[shanty towns]] that surround South African cities.

==Law==
{{main|Law of South Africa}}
The primary sources of South Africa law were Roman-Dutch mercantile law and personal law with English Common law, as imports of Dutch settlements and British colonialism. The first European based law in South Africa was brought by the [[Dutch East India Company]] and is called [[Roman-Dutch law]]. It was imported before the codification of European law into the [[Napoleonic Code]] and is comparable in many ways to [[Scots law|Scottish law]]. This was followed in the 19th century by [[Law of the United Kingdom|British law]] both [[Common law|common]] and [[Statutory law|statutory]]. Starting in 1910 with unification, South Africa had its own [[parliament]] which passed laws specific for South Africa, building on those previously passed for the individual member colonies.

==Provinces, districts and municipalities==
{{main|Provinces of South Africa|Districts of South Africa|Municipalities of South Africa}}
[[Image:South Africa Districts April 2006.png|thumb|350px|right
|Map showing the provinces and districts (numbered) of South Africa.
{{columns
|width=200px
|col1 =
{{legend|#E0A0C0|[[Northern Cape]]}}
{{legend|#40C0C0|[[North West (South African province)|North West]]}}
{{legend|#C1ABD7|[[Gauteng]]}}
{{legend|#608040|[[Limpopo]]}}
{{legend|#808040|[[Mpumalanga]]}}
|col2 =
{{legend|#E04080|[[KwaZulu-Natal]]}}
{{legend|#E0E040|[[Eastern Cape]]}}
{{legend|#80C080|[[Free State]]}}
{{legend|#E0E080|[[Western Cape]]}}
}}]]

When apartheid ended in 1994, the South African government had to integrate the formerly independent and semi-independent [[Bantustan]]s into the political structure of South Africa. To this end, it abolished the four former provinces of South Africa ([[Cape Province]], [[Natal Province|Natal]], [[Orange Free State]], and [[Transvaal]]) and replaced them with nine fully integrated provinces. The new provinces are usually much smaller than the former provinces, which theoretically gives local governments more resources to distribute over smaller areas.

The nine provinces are further subdivided into [[Districts of South Africa|52 districts]]: [[Metropolitan municipality (South Africa)|6 metropolitan]] and [[District municipality (South Africa)|46 district municipalities]]. The 46 district municipalities are further subdivided into [[Local municipality (South Africa)|231 local municipalities]]. The district municipalities also contain 20 district management areas (mostly game parks) that are directly governed by the district municipalities. The six metropolitan municipalities perform the functions of both district and local municipalities. The new provinces are:
{{SouthAfricaProvinces}}

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of South Africa}}
[[Image:Sf-map.png|framed|thumb|Map of South Africa]]
[[Image:South Africa sat.jpg|thumb|right|Satellite picture of South Africa]]
South Africa is located at the southernmost region of Africa, with a long [[coastline]] that stretches more than 2,500&nbsp;kilometres (1,550 [[mile|mi]]) and across two [[ocean]]s (the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]]). At 470,979&nbsp;[[square miles|sq&nbsp;mi]] (1,219,912&nbsp;[[square kilometre|km²]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html|title=World Fact Book|publisher=CIA}}</ref> South Africa is the world's 25th-largest country (after [[Mali]]). It is comparable in size to [[Colombia]]. [[Njesuthi]] in the [[Drakensberg]] at 3,408&nbsp;m (11,424&nbsp;ft) is the highest peak in South Africa.

South Africa has a generally [[temperate climate]], due in part to it being surrounded by the [[Atlantic]] and [[Indian Ocean]]s on three sides, by its location in the climatically milder [[southern hemisphere]] and due to the average elevation rising steadily towards the north (towards the [[equator]]) and further inland. Due to this varied topography and oceanic influence, a great variety of climatic zones exist.

The climatic zones vary, from the extreme [[desert]] of the southern [[Namib]] in the farthest northwest to the lush [[subtropics|subtropical]] climate in the east along the [[Mozambique]] border and the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] ocean. From the east, the land quickly rises over a [[mountain range|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 vast, rather flat, and sparsely populated [[scrubland]], [[Karoo]], which is drier towards the northwest along the Namib desert. In contrast, the eastern coastline is lush and well-watered, which produces a climate similar to the tropics. The extreme southwest has a climate remarkably similar to that of the [[Mediterranean]] with wet winters and hot, dry summers, hosting the famous [[Fynbos]] [[Biome]]. 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 [[shipwreck]]s. 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 it lies centrally on the high plateau. North of 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&nbsp;metres (5,709&nbsp;ft) and receives an annual rainfall of 760&nbsp;millimetres (30&nbsp;[[inch|in]]). Winters in this region are cold, although [[snow]] is rare.

To the north of Johannesburg, the altitude drops beyond the Highveld's escarpment, and turns into the lower lying Bushveld, an area of mixed dry forest and an abundance of wildlife. East of the Highveld, beyond the eastern escarpment, the Lowveld stretches towards the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] ocean. It has particularly high temperatures, and is also the location of extended subtropical agriculture. The mountains of the [[Barberton]] [[Greenstone belt]] in the lowveld are the oldest mountains on Earth, dating back 3.5 Billion years. The earliest reliable proof of life (dated 3.2–3.5 Billion years old) has been found in these mountains.

The high [[Drakensberg|Drakensberg mountains]], which form the south-eastern escarpment of the Highveld, offer limited [[ski]]ing opportunities in winter.The coldest place in South Africa is [[Sutherland, South Africa|Sutherland]] in the western [[Roggeveld Mountains]], where midwinter temperatures can reach as low as −15 degrees [[Celsius]] (5&nbsp;°[[Fahrenheit|F]]). The deep interior has the hottest temperatures: A temperature of 51.7&nbsp;°C (125&nbsp;°F) was recorded in 1948 in the [[Northern Cape]] Kalahari near [[Upington]].<ref> [http://www.safrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/geography/geography.htm SouthAfrica.info: South Africa's geography] </ref>

South Africa also has one possession, the small sub-Antarctic archipelago of the [[Prince Edward Islands]], consisting of [[Marion Island]] (290&nbsp;km²/112&nbsp;sq&nbsp;mi) and Prince Edward Island (45&nbsp;km²/17.3&nbsp;sq&nbsp;mi) (not to be confused with the [[Prince Edward Island|Canadian province of the same name]]).

==Flora and fauna==
[[Image:Fynbos.jpg|thumb|right|[[Fynbos]], a [[floristic province|floral kingdom]] unique to South Africa, is found near [[Cape Town]]]]

South Africa is one of only 17 countries worldwide considered [[Megadiverse countries|Megadiverse]]. It has more than 20,000 different [[plant]]s, or about 10% of all the known [[species]] of plants on [[Earth]], making it particularly rich in plant biodiversity. South Africa is the third most biodiverse country in the world{{Fact|date=August 2007}}, after [[Brazil]] and [[Indonesia]] and has greater biodiversity than any country of equal or smaller size (Brazil being roughly seven times South Africa's size, and Indonesia more than 50% larger).

South Africa's most prevalent biome is [[grassland]], particularly on the [[Highveld]], where the plant cover is dominated by different [[Poaceae|grasses]], low [[shrub]]s, and [[acacia tree]]s, mainly camel-thorn and whitethorn. [[Vegetation]] becomes even more sparse towards the northwest due to low [[precipitation (meteorology)|rainfall]]. There are several species of water-storing [[succulent]]s like [[aloe]]s and euphorbias in the very hot and dry [[Namaqualand]] area. The grass and thorn [[savannah]] turns slowly into a bush savannah towards the north-east of the country, with more dense growth. There are significant numbers of [[baobab]] trees in this area, near the northern end of [[Kruger National Park]].<ref>[http://www.southafrica-travel.net/pages/e_plants.htm Plants and Vegetation in South Africa], South Africa Online Travel Guide.</ref>

The [[Fynbos]] [[Biome]], which makes up the majority of the area and plant life in the [[Cape floristic region]], one of the six [[floristic province|floral kingdom]]s, is located in a small region of the [[Western Cape]] and contains more than 9,000 of those species, making it among the richest regions on earth in terms of floral biodiversity. The majority of the plants are [[evergreen]] hard-leaf plants with fine, needle-like [[leaf|leaves]], such as the [[sclerophyllous]] plants. Another uniquely South African plant is the [[protea]] genus of flowering plants. There are around 130 different species of protea in South Africa.

While South Africa has a great wealth of flowering plants, it has few [[forest]]s. Only 1% of South Africa is forest, almost exclusively in the [[humid]] [[coastal plain]] along the [[Indian Ocean]] in [[KwaZulu-Natal]] (see [[KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic]]). There are even smaller reserves of forests that are out of the reach of [[fire]], known as montane forests (see [[Knysna-Amatole montane forests]]). [[Plantation]]s of imported tree species are predominant, particularly the non-native [[eucalyptus]] and [[pine]]. South Africa has lost a large area of natural habitat in the last four decades, primarily due to [[overpopulation]], sprawling development patterns and [[deforestation]] during the nineteenth century. South Africa is one of the worst affected countries in the world when it comes to invasion by alien species with many (e.g. [[Acacia mearnsii|Black Wattle]], [[Acacia saligna|Port Jackson]], [[Hakea]], [[Lantana]] and [[Jacaranda]]) posing a significant threat to the native [[biodiversity]] and the already scarce water resources. The original [[Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests|temperate forest]] that met the first European settlers to South Africa was exploited ruthlessly until only small patches remained. Currently, South African [[hardwood]] trees like [[Real Yellowwood]] ''(Podocarpus latifolius)'', [[Ocotea bullata|stinkwood]] ''(Ocotea bullata)'', and South African [[Black Ironwood]] ''(Olea laurifolia)'' are under government protection.

Numerous [[mammal]]s are found in the [[bushveld]] habitats including [[lion]]s, [[leopard]]s, [[white rhino]]s, [[blue wildebeest]], [[kudu]]s, [[impala]]s, [[hyena]]s, [[hippopotamus]], and [[giraffe]]s. A significant extent of the bushveld habitat exists in the north-east including [[Kruger National Park]] and the [[Mala Mala]] Reserve, as well as in the far north in the [[Waterberg Biosphere]].

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 heatwaves, flooding and drought. According to computer generated climate modelling produced by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)<ref name = "SANBI">[http://www.sanbi.org South African National Biodiversity Institute].</ref> (along with many of its partner institutions), parts of southern Africa will see an increase in temperature by about one degree Celsius along the coast to more than four degrees Celsius in the already hot hinterland such as the [[Northern Cape]] in late spring and summertime by 2050.

The Cape Floral Kingdom has been identified as one of the global [[biodiversity hotspots]] since it will be hit very hard by [[climate change]] and has such a great diversity of life. Drought, increased intensity and frequency of fire and climbing temperatures are expected to push many of these [[rare species]] towards [[extinction]]. The book ''[[Scorched : South Africa's changing climate]]'' takes much of the modelling produced by SANBI and presents it in an accessible travelogue-style collection of essays.<ref>[http://www.scorched.co.za Scorched]: South Africa’s changing climate.</ref>

South Africa houses many endemic species, among them the [[critically endangered]] [[Riverine Rabbit]] (''Bunolagus monticullaris'') in the [[Karoo]].

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of South Africa}}

[[Image:Cape Town Waterfront.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]] in [[Cape Town]] with [[Table Mountain]] in the background. Cape Town has become an important [[retail]] and [[tourism]] centre for the country, and attracts the largest number of foreign visitors in South Africa]]

By UN classification South Africa is a middle-income country with an abundant supply of resources, well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors, a [[stock exchange]] (the [[JSE Securities Exchange|JSE Limited]]), that ranks among the top twenty in the world, and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centres throughout the region. South Africa is ranked 25th in the world in terms of [[GDP]](PPP).

In many respects, South Africa can be considered a developed country.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} However, advanced development is significantly localised around four areas: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Pretoria/Johannesburg. Beyond these four economic centres, development is marginal and poverty is still prevalent despite government efforts. Consequently the vast majority of South Africans are poor. However, key marginal areas have experienced rapid growth recently. Such areas include: Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay; Rustenburg area; Nelspruit area; Bloemfontein; Cape West Coast; KwaZulu-Natal North Coast amongst others.

Even though South Africa has the fourth highest per capita income in Africa, only behind [[Seychelles]], [[Botswana]] and the European possessions located in Africa, it suffers from large income gaps and a [[dual economy]] marking it as a [[developing country]]. South Africa has one of the highest rates of [[List of countries by income equality|income inequality]] in the world. A decade of continual economic growth has helped to lower unemployment, but daunting economic and social problems remain. The average South African household income decreased considerably between 1995 and 2000. As for racial inequality, [[Statistics South Africa]] reported that in 1995 the average white household earned four times as much as the average black household. In 2000 the average white household was earning 6 times the average black household.[http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000164/page1.php]
The implementation of [[affirmative action]] policies have seen a rise in black economic wealth and an emerging black middle class.<ref>http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=261345&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/</ref> Other problems are crime, corruption, and HIV/AIDS.

At the start of 2000, President Thabo Mbeki vowed to promote economic growth and foreign investment by relaxing restrictive labour laws, stepping up the pace of [[privatisation]], and cutting unneeded governmental spending. His policies face strong opposition from organised [[labour movement|labour]].<!-- It is estimated that South Africa accounts for up to 30% of the [[gross domestic product]] of the entire African continent.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} commented out until citation is found --> South Africa is also the continent's largest energy producer and consumer.

The South African [[South African rand|rand]] (ZAR), the world's most actively-traded emerging [[market currency]], has joined an elite club of fifteen currencies, the [[Continuous linked settlement]] (CLS), where forex transactions are settled immediately, lowering the risks of transacting across [[time zone]]s. The rand was the best-performing currency against the [[United States dollar]] (USD) between 2002 and 2005, according to the [[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] Currency Scorecard.

The volatility of the rand has affected economic activity, falling sharply during 2001 and hitting a historic low of 13.85 ZAR to the [[U.S. dollar|USD]], raising fears of inflation, and causing the Reserve Bank to increase [[interest rate]]s. The rand has since recovered, trading at 7.13 ZAR to the dollar as of January 2008. However, as exporters are put under considerable pressure from a stronger domestic currency, many call for government intervention to help soften the rand.

Refugees from poorer neighbouring countries include many immigrants from the DRC, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and others, representing a large portion of the informal sector. With high unemployment levels amongst poorer South Africans, [[xenophobia]] is prevalent and many people born in South Africa feel resentful of immigrants who are seen to be depriving the native population of jobs, a feeling which has been given credibility by the fact that many South African employers have employed migrants from other countries for lower pay than South African citizens, especially in the [[construction]], [[tourism]], [[agriculture]] and [[domestic service]] industries. Illegal immigrants are also heavily involved in informal trading.<ref> [http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/ASR/5No4/StrategigPerspectives.html African Security Review Vol&nbsp;5 No&nbsp;4, 1996: Strategic Perspectives on Illegal Immigration into South Africa]</ref> However, many immigrants to South Africa continue to live in poor conditions, and the South African immigration policy has become increasingly restrictive since 1994.<ref> [http://www.queensu.ca/samp/sampresources/samppublications/policyseries/policy20.htm Queens College: The Brain Gain: Skilled Migrants and Immigration Policy in Post-Apartheid South Africa]</ref>

===Electricity crisis===
After unsuccessful attempts by the government to encourage private construction of electricity generation capacity, in 2007 the state-owned electricity supplier ([[Eskom]]) started experiencing a lack of capacity in the electrical generating and reticulation infrastructure. This led to an inability to meet the routine demands of industry and consumers, resulting in countrywide [[rolling blackout]]s. Initially the lack of capacity was triggered by a failure at [[Koeberg nuclear power station]], but since then a general lack of capacity became evident. The supplier has been widely criticised for failing to adequately plan for and construct sufficient electrical generating capacity.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/world/africa/31safrica.html "Power Failures Outrage South Africa"] article by [[Barry Bearak]] and [[Celia W. Dugger]] in [[The New York Times]] January 31, 2008</ref>

==Agriculture==
[[Image:Farm in Mpumalanga.jpg|thumb|right|Workers planting on a farm in the central area of [[Mpumalanga]].]]
[[Image:SouthAfricaFieldwork21989.jpg|thumb|right|Farm workers.]]
South Africa has a large agricultural sector and is a net exporter of [[farming]] products. There are almost a thousand [[agricultural cooperative]]s and [[agribusiness]]es throughout the country, and agricultural exports have constituted 8% of South Africa's total exports for the past five years. The 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 [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]] for the nation.<ref name = "HRW">Human Rights Watch, 2001. [http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/safrica2/ Unequal Protection]: The State Response to Violent Crime on South African Farms, ISBN 1-56432-263-7.</ref> However, due to the [[arid]]ity of the land, only 13.5% can be used for crop production, and only 3% is considered high potential land.<ref> Mohamed, Najma. 2000. "Greening Land and Agrarian Reform: A Case for Sustainable Agriculture", in ''At the Crossroads: Land and Agrarian Reform in South Africa into the 21st Century'', ed. Cousins, Ben. Bellville, School of Government, University of the Western Cape. ISBN 1-86808-467-1.</ref>

Although the commercial farming sector is relatively well developed, people in some rural areas still survive on [[subsistence agriculture]]. It is the eighth largest wine producer in the world, and the eleventh largest producer of sunflower seed. South Africa is a net exporter of agricultural products and foodstuffs, the largest number of exported items being [[sugar]], [[grape]]s, [[citrus]], [[nectarine]]s, [[winemaking|wine]] and [[deciduous]] fruit. The largest locally produced crop is [[maize]] (corn), and it has been estimated that 9 million tons are produced every year, with 7.4 million tons being consumed. [[Livestock]] are also popular on South African farms, with the country producing 85% of all meat consumed. The dairy industry consists of around 4,300 milk producers providing employment for 60,000 farm workers and contributing to the livelihoods of around 40,000 others.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.southafrica.co.za/agriculture_29.html | work = South Africa Online | title = Agriculture |accessdate= 2006-07-17}}</ref>

In recent years, the agricultural sector has introduced several reforms, some of which are controversial, such as [[land reform]] and the deregulation of the market for agricultural products. Land reform has been criticised both by farmers' groups and by landless workers, the latter alleging that the pace of change has not been fast enough, and the former alleging racist treatment and expressing concerns that a similar situation to [[Land reform in Zimbabwe|Zimbabwe's land reform policy]] may develop,<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1052-2352011,00.html South Africa's bitter harvest].</ref> a fear exacerbated by comments made by the country's [[Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka|deputy president]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4718707.stm South Africans' long wait for land], BBC News.</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4140990.stm SA 'to learn from' land seizures], BBC News.</ref> The sector continues to face problems, with increased foreign competition and crime being two of the major challenges for the industry. The government has been accused of not devoting enough time and money to tackle the problem of [[South African farm attacks|farm attacks]] as opposed to other forms of violent crime.<ref name = "Times">[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article694534.ece Farms of Fear], The Sunday Times Magazine.</ref>

Another issue which affects South African agriculture is environmental damage caused by misuse of the land and global climate change. South Africa is unusually vulnerable to climate change and resultant diminution of surface waters. Some predictions shows surface water supply could decrease by 60% by the year 2070 in parts of the Western Cape.<ref>[http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/114303555233.htm Climate change to create African 'water refugees' – scientists], Reuters Alertnet. Accessed [[21 September]] [[2006]]].</ref> To reverse the damage caused by land mismanagement, the government has supported a scheme which promotes [[sustainable development]] and the use of natural resources.<ref>[http://www.nda.agric.za/ Department of Agriculture South Africa].</ref>'''

==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of South Africa}}
{{HistoricalPopulations
|Y1=1900 |P1= 5014000
|Y2=1910 |P2= 5842000
|Y3=1920 |P3= 6953000
|Y4=1930 |P4= 8580000
|Y5=1940 |P5= 10341000
|Y6=1950 |P6= 13310000
|Y7=1960 |P7= 16385000
|Y8=1970 |P8= 21794000
|Y9=1980 |P9= 24261000
|Y10=1990 |P10= 37944000
|Y11=2000 |P11= 43686000
|Y12=2007 |P12= 48000000 |N12=(est)
|footnote=http://populstat.info/Africa/safricag.htm
}}
[[Image:Population density ZA.svg|thumb|right|Population density by municipality. Large areas of South Africa are sparsely populated.]]
South Africa is a nation of more than 47 million people of diverse origins, [[culture]]s, [[language]]s, and [[religion]]s. The last [[South African National Census of 2001|census]] was held in 2001 and the next will be in 2011. [[Statistics South Africa]] provided five [[race|racial]] categories by which people could classify themselves, the last of which, "unspecified/other" drew negligible responses, and these results were omitted.<ref name = "Census2001">[http://www.statssa.gov.za/census01/html/default.asp Census 2001], Statistics South Africa.</ref> The 2006 midyear estimated figures for the other categories were [[Black (people)|Black African]] at 79.5%, [[Whites in South Africa|White]] at 9.2%, [[Coloured]] at 8.9%, and [[Asians in South Africa|Indian or Asian]] at 2.5%.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022006.pdf
| title=Midyear population estimates, South Africa
| format=PDF
|date=2006
| publisher=Statistics South Africa
| accessdate = 2007-11-28
}}</ref> Even though South Africa's population has increased in the past decade<ref name = "Census2001"/><ref>[http://www.statssa.gov.za/Publications/CS2007Basic/CS2007Basic.pdf statssa.gov.za]</ref> (primarily due to immigration), the country had an annual population growth rate of −0.46% in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|
url=http://www.xist.org/earth/pop_growth.aspx|
title=The demographic status of the world's population|
work = Global Statistics |
publisher=GeoHive }}</ref>

By far the major part of the population classified itself as African or black, but it is not culturally or linguistically homogeneous. Major ethnic groups include the [[Zulu]], [[Xhosa]], [[Basotho]] (South Sotho), [[Bapedi]] (North Sotho), [[Venda people|Venda]], [[Tswana]], [[Shangaan|Tsonga]], [[Swazi]] and [[Ndebele people (South Africa)|Ndebele]], all of which speak [[Bantu languages]] (see ''[[Bantu peoples of South Africa]]'').

Some, such as the Zulu, Xhosa, Bapedi and Venda groups, are unique to South Africa. Other groups are distributed across the borders with South Africa's neighbours: The [[Basotho]] group is also the major ethnic group in [[Lesotho]]. The [[Tswana]] ethnic group constitute the majority of the population of [[Botswana]]. The [[Swazi]] ethnic group is the major ethnic group in [[Swaziland]]. The [[Ndebele people (South Africa)|Ndebele]] ethnic group is also found in [[Matabeleland]] in [[Zimbabwe]], where they are known as the [[Ndebele people (Zimbabwe)|Matabele]]. These Ndebele people are however in effect Zulu people because the language they speak is Zulu and they are the descendants of a faction under the warrior [[Mzilikazi]] that escaped persecution from [[Shaka]] by migrating to their current territory. The [[Shangaan|Tsonga]] ethnic group is also found in southern [[Mozambique]], where they are known as the Shangaan.

The white population is not ethnically homogenous and descend from many ethnic groups: [[Netherlands|Dutch]], [[Germany|German]], [[France|French]] [[Huguenot]], and [[United Kingdom|British]]. Culturally and linguistically, they are divided into the [[Afrikaners]], who speak [[Afrikaans]], and [[English language|English]]-speaking groups, many of whom are descended from British immigrants (see ''[[Anglo African]]''). Many small communities that have immigrated over the last century retain the use of other languages. The white population is on the decrease due to a low birth rate and emigration; as a factor in their decision to emigrate, many cite the high [[Crime in South Africa|crime]] rate and the government's [[affirmative action]] policies. Since 1994, around one hundred thousand white South Africans have emigrated.<ref name = "Unisa">[http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=13537 Unisa].</ref><ref name = "Queen’s U">[http://www.queensu.ca/samp/sampresources/samppublications/policyseries/policy23.htm Policy Series], Queen’s University.</ref><ref name = "Economist">[http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4277319 The Economist].</ref>

The term "[[Coloured]]" is still largely used for the people of mixed race descended from slaves brought in from East and Central Africa, the indigenous [[Khoisan]] who lived in the [[Cape of Good Hope|Cape]] at the time, indigenous African Blacks, Whites (mostly the [[Netherlands|Dutch]]/[[Afrikaner]] and British settlers) as well as an admixture of [[Javanese]], [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malay]], [[India]]n, [[Malagasy]] and other European (such as [[Portugal|Portuguese]]) and Asian blood (such as [[Bamar|Burmese]]). The majority speak Afrikaans. Khoisan is a term used to describe two separate groups, physically similar in that they were light-skinned and small in stature. The [[Khoikhoi]], who were called ''Hottentots'' by the Europeans, were pastoralists and were effectively annihilated; the San, called [[Bushmen]] by the Europeans, were hunter-gatherers. Within what is known as the Coloured community, more recent immigrants will also be found: Coloureds from the former [[Rhodesia]] (now [[Zimbabwe]]) and [[Namibia]] and immigrants of mixed descent from India and [[Myanmar|Burma]] ([[Anglo-Indians]]/[[Anglo-Burmese people|Anglo-Burmese]]) who were welcomed to the Cape when India and Burma received their Independence.

The major part of the [[Asians in South Africa|Asian]] population of the country is Indian in origin (see [[Indian South Africans]]), many of them descended from indentured workers brought in the nineteenth century to work on the [[sugar]] [[plantation]]s of the eastern coastal area then known as [[KwaZulu-Natal Province|Natal]]. There is also a significant group of [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] South Africans (approximately 100,000 individuals) and [[Overseas Vietnamese|Vietnamese]] South Africans (approximately 50,000 individuals).

==Religion==
According to the latest 2001 national census, Christians accounted for 79.7% of the population. This includes [[Zion Christian]] 11.1%, Pentecostal (Charismatic) 8.2%, [[Catholic Church|Catholic 7.1%]], [[Methodist Church of Southern Africa|Methodist]] 6.8%, [[Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk|Dutch Reformed]] 6.7%, [[Anglican Church of Southern Africa|Anglican]] 3.8%, and other Christian 36%. [[Islam in South Africa|Islam]] accounted for 1.5% of the population, [[Hinduism in South Africa|Hinduism]] about 1.3%. 15.1% had no religious affiliation, 2.3% were other and 1.4% were unspecified.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html Factbook], CIA.</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51496.htm
|title= South Africa - Section I. Religious Demography
|publisher=U.S. Department of State
|accessdate=2006-07-15
}}</ref>

African Indigenous Churches were the largest of the [[Christian]] groups.
It was believed that many of these persons who claimed no affiliation with any organised religion adhered to traditional indigenous religions. Many persons combined Christian and traditional indigenous religious practices.<ref name = "DoS">[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71325.htm Department of State], USA.</ref>

[[Islam in South Africa|Islam]] probably pre-dates the colonial period, and consisted of isolated contact with [[Arab]] and [[East Africa]]n traders.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} Many South African Muslims are described as [[Coloured]]s, notably in the [[Western Cape]], including those whose ancestors came as slaves from the Indonesian archipelago (the [[Cape Malays]]). Others are described as [[Asians in South Africa|Indian]]s, notably in [[KwaZulu-Natal]], including those whose ancestors came as traders from [[South Asia]]; they have been joined by others from other parts of [[Africa]] as well as white or black South African converts. It is estimated that [[Islam]] is the fastest growing religion of conversion in the country,<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0110/p13s1-woaf.html In South Africa, many blacks convert to Islam]</ref> with the number of black [[Muslim]]s growing sixfold, from 12,000 in 1991 to 74,700 in 2004.<ref>[http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=14286&sec=33&con=58 Muslims say their faith growing fast in Africa]</ref>

[[Hinduism in South Africa|Hinduism]] dates back to British Colonial period primarily but later waves of continuous immigrants from India have contributed to sizeable Hindu population. Most Hindus are predominantly ethnically South Asians but there are many who come from mixed racial stock and many are converts with the efforts of Hindu missionaries such as ISKCON.
Other religions in smaller numbers are [[Sikhism]], [[Jainism]] and [[Bahai Faith]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51496.htm
|title= South Africa - Section I. Religious Demography
|publisher=U.S. Department of State
|accessdate=2006-07-15
}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{main|Culture of South Africa}}
[[Image:SafrikaIMG 8414.JPG|thumb|right|[[Prison]] Buildings on [[Robben Island]], the holding place of several [[apartheid|anti-apartheid]] fighters including [[Nelson Mandela]], who was imprisoned there for eighteen years. Robben Island is now a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]]]
[[Image:SouthAfricaDecoratedHouses.jpg|thumb|right|Decorated houses, [[Drakensberg Mountains]]]]

It may be argued that there is no "single" culture in South Africa because of its ethnic diversity. Today, the diversity in foods from many cultures is enjoyed by all and especially marketed to tourists who wish to sample the large variety of South African cuisine. In addition to [[food]], [[music]] and [[dance]] feature prominently.

[[South African cuisine]] is heavily [[meat|meat-based]] and has spawned the distinctively South African social gathering known as a ''[[braai]]'', or barbecue. South Africa has also developed into a major [[wine]] producer, with some of the best [[vineyard]]s lying in valleys around [[Stellenbosch]], [[Franschoek]], [[Paarl]] and [[Barrydale]].<ref>[http://www.thewinedoctor.com/regionalguides/southafrica.shtml thewinedoctor.com]</ref>

There is great diversity in music from South Africa. Many black musicians who sang in Afrikaans or English during apartheid have since begun to sing in traditional African languages, and have developed a unique style called [[Kwaito]]. Of note is [[Brenda Fassie]], who launched to fame with her song "Weekend Special", which was sung in English. More famous traditional musicians include [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]], while the [[Soweto String Quartet]] performs classic music with an African flavour. White and Coloured South African singers are historically influenced by European musical styles including such western metal bands such as [[Seether]] (formerly Saron Gas). South Africa has produced world-famous jazz musicians, notably [[Hugh Masekela]], [[Jonas Gwangwa]], [[Abdullah Ibrahim]], [[Miriam Makeba]], [[Jonathan Butler]], [[Chris McGregor]], and [[Sathima Bea Benjamin]]. [[Afrikaans]] music covers multiple genres, such as the [[contemporary (music)|contemporary]] [[Steve Hofmeyr]] and the [[punk rock]] band [[Fokofpolisiekar]]. Crossover artists such as [[Johnny Clegg]] and his bands [[Juluka]] and [[Savuka]] have enjoyed various success underground, publicly, and abroad.

The country's black majority still has a substantial number of rural inhabitants who lead largely impoverished lives. It is among these people, however, that cultural traditions survive most strongly; as blacks have become increasingly [[urbanisation|urbanised]] and [[Western world|westernised]], aspects of traditional culture have declined. Urban blacks usually speak [[English language|English]] or [[Afrikaans]] in addition to their native tongue. There are smaller but still significant groups of speakers of [[Khoisan languages]] which are not included in the eleven official languages, but are one of the eight other officially recognised languages. There are small groups of speakers of [[endangered language]]s, most of which are from the Khoi-San family, that receive no official status; however, some groups within South Africa are attempting to promote their use and revival.

The [[middle class]] lifestyle, predominantly of the white minority but with growing numbers of Black, Coloured and Indian people,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-25_2117122|title=Black middle class explodes|date=22 May 2007|publisher=FIN24}}</ref> is similar in many respects to that of people found in [[Western Europe]], [[North America]] and [[Australasia]]. Members of the middle class often study and work abroad for greater exposure to the world's markets.

[[Asians in South Africa|Asians]], predominantly of [[India]]n origin, preserve their own cultural heritage, languages and religious beliefs, being either [[Christian]], [[Hinduism|Hindu]] or [[Sunni Muslim]] and speaking English, with Indian languages like [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]] or [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] being spoken less frequently, but the majority of Indians being able to understand their mother tongue. The first Indians arrived on the famous [[Truro (ship)|Truro ship]] as [[indentured servant|indentured labourers]] in Natal to work the Sugar Cane Fields. There is a much smaller [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] community in South Africa, although its numbers have increased due to immigration from [[Republic of China]] (Taiwan).

South Africa has also had a large influence in the [[Scouting]] movement, with many Scouting traditions and ceremonies coming from the experiences of [[Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell|Robert Baden-Powell]] (the founder of Scouting) during his time in South Africa as a military officer in the 1890s. The [[South African Scout Association]] was one of the first youth organisations to open its doors to youth and adults of all races in South Africa. This happened on [[2 July]] [[1977]] at a conference known as ''Quo Vadis''.<ref name="scouthistorypage">{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2006| url = http://www.scouting.org.za/visitors/history.html | title = History of Scouting in South Africa | format = | work = History of Scouting in South Africa| publisher = South African Scout Association | accessdate = 2006-11-30}}</ref>

===Languages===
{{main|Languages of South Africa}}
[[Image:South Africa municipalities by language 2001.png|thumb|300px|right
|Map showing principal South African languages by municipality. Lighter shades indicate a non-majority [[plurality]].
{{columns
|col1 =
{{legend|#0080C0|[[Afrikaans]]}} <!--blue-->
{{legend|#FF00FF|[[Northern Sotho language|Northern Sotho]]}} <!--pink-->
{{legend|#7F7F7F|[[Sesotho language|Southern Sotho]]}} <!--grey-->
{{legend|#FFFF00|[[Swati language|Swati]]}} <!--yellow-->
{{legend|#00C0C0|[[Tsonga language|Tsonga]]}} <!--cyan-->
|col2 =
{{legend|#FF0000|[[Tswana language|Tswana]]}} <!--red-->
{{legend|#87870E|[[Venda language|Venda]]}} <!--olive-->
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South Africa has eleven [[official language]]s:<ref>Constitution of South Africa, Chapter 1, Section 6 [http://www.fs.gov.za/Departments/SAC/Library/DEPART/lang_legislation1.htm]</ref>
[[Northern Sotho language|Sepedi]], [[Sotho language|Sesotho]], [[Tswana language|Setswana]], [[Swati language|siSwati]], [[Venda language|Tshivenda]], [[Tsonga language|Xitsonga]], [[Afrikaans]], [[South African English|English]], [[Southern Ndebele language|isiNdebele]], [[Xhosa language|isiXhosa]] and [[Zulu language|isiZulu]]. In this regard it is [[Official languages of India|second only to India]] in number. While each language is technically equal to every other, some languages are spoken more than others. According to the 2001 National Census, the three most spoken first home languages are Zulu (23.8%), Xhosa (17.6%) and Afrikaans (13.3%).<ref name = "Census2001"/>

There are [[Official names of South Africa|eleven official names]] for South Africa, one in each of the official national languages.

The country also recognizes eight non-official languages: [[Fanagalo language|Fanagalo]], [[Khoe language|Khoe]], [[Lobedu language|Lobedu]], [[Nama language|Nama]], [[Northern Ndebele language|Northern Ndebele]], [[Phuthi language|Phuthi]], [[San language|San]] and [[South African Sign Language]]{{Fact|date=July 2007}}. These non-official languages may be used in certain official uses in limited areas where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Nevertheless, their populations are not such that they require nationwide recognition.

Many of the "unofficial languages" of the [[Bushmen|San]] and [[Khoikhoi]] people contain regional [[dialect]]s stretching northward into Namibia and Botswana, and elsewhere. These people, who are a physically distinct population from other Africans, have their own cultural identity based on their [[hunter-gatherer]] societies. They have been marginalised to a great extent, and many of their languages are in danger of becoming [[Extinct language|extinct]].

Many white South Africans also speak other [[Europe]]an languages, such as [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] (also spoken by Angolan and Mozambican blacks), [[German language|German]], and [[Greek language|Greek]], while some [[Asians in South Africa|Asians]] and [[Indian South Africans|Indians]] in South Africa speak [[South Asia]]n languages, such as [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]].

===Sports===
The main sports in South Africa are [[Association football|football]], [[rugby union]], [[cricket]] and [[boxing]]. Other sports with significant support are [[swimming]], [[golf]] and [[netball]]. [[Basketball]], [[surfing]] and [[skateboarding]] are popular among the youth.

Famous boxing personalities include Baby Jake [[Jacob Matlala]], [[Vuyani Bungu]], [[Welcome Ncita]], "the rose of Soweto" [[Dingaan Thobela]], [[Gerrie Coetzee]] and [[Brian Mitchell]]. Soccer players who have excelled in international clubs include [[Lucas Radebe]] of Leeds United and [[Quinton Fortune]], formerly of Manchester United, [[Benni McCarthy]] of Blackburn Rovers and Steven Pienaar of Everton. South Africa produced [[Formula 1]] motor racing's 1979 world champion [[Jody Scheckter]]. Sarel van der Merwe won many national titles during the 1970s, '80s, and '90s.

South Africa hosted and won the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]] at their first attempt and again won the [[2007 Rugby World Cup]] in [[France]], beating reigning champions [[England]] in the final. South Africa was only allowed to participate from 1995 since the end of Apartheid, meaning they won 2 out of the 4 tournaments they participated in. It followed the 1995 Rugby World Cup final by hosting and winning the [[1996 African Cup of Nations]] football tournament. It also hosted the [[2003 Cricket World Cup]] and the [[Pro20]] Cricket World Cup in 2007. South Africa will be the host nation for the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]], which will be the first time the tournament is held on the African continent.

In 2004, the team of [[Roland Schoeman]], [[Lyndon Ferns]], [[Darian Townsend]] and [[Ryk Neethling]] won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, simultaneously breaking the world record in the 4x100 freestyle relay. Schoeman, Ferns, and Neethling trained at the University of Arizona. Previously Penny Heyns won Olympic Gold in the 1996 [[Atlanta Olympic Games]]. Several other swimmers have participated and won in international swimming events.

== Health ==
===HIV/AIDS===
{{Main|HIV/AIDS in South Africa}}
The spread of [[AIDS]] (acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome) is an alarming problem in South Africa with up to 31% of pregnant women found to be HIV infected in 2005 and the infection rate among adults estimated at 20%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.avert.org/aidssouthafrica.htm |title=HIV & Aids in South Africa |publisher=Avert |accessdate=2006-10-08}}</ref> The link between HIV, a virus spread primarily by sexual contact, and AIDS has long been denied by the president and the health minister, who have insisted that the many deaths in the country are due to malnutrition, and hence poverty, and not HIV.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afrol.com/articles/21094 |title="Sack SA Health Minister" – world's AIDS experts |publisher=afrol News |accessdate=2006-10-08}}</ref> Recently, in 2007, the government made efforts to fight AIDS.<ref>[http://www.info.gov.za/otherdocs/2007/aidsplan2007/situation_analysis.pdf info.gov.za]</ref>.

AIDS affects mainly those who are sexually active and is far more prevalent in the black population. Most deaths are people who are also economically active, resulting in many families losing their primary wage earners. This has resulted in many 'AIDS orphans' who in many cases depend on the state for care and financial support.<ref name="avertaids">{{cite web |url=http://www.avert.org/aidsorphans.htm |title=AIDS orphans |publisher=Avert |accessdate=2006-10-08}}</ref> It is estimated that there are 1,200,000 orphans in South Africa.<ref name="avertaids"/> Many elderly people also lose the support from lost younger members of their family.

Roughly 5 million people are infected with the disease.<ref>[http://www.info.gov.za/otherdocs/2007/aidsplan2007/situation_analysis.pdf info.gov.za]</ref>

===Malaria===
According to Statistics South Africa, malaria death rates increased between 1997 and 1999, and decreased between 1999 and 2004. That said, deaths from malaria among males increased 45% between 1997 and 2004, and among females it increased 93% during the same period.<ref>http://www.statssa.gov.za/news_archive/14September2006_1.asp</ref>

==Crime==
{{main|Crime in South Africa}}
Owing to the fact that very little accurate information on crime is available for the other African countries, it is difficult to judge how South Africa fares against the rest of the continent, crime-wise. International comparative studies on crime generally do not take into account African countries for which recent statistics are not available.

According to a survey for the period 1998–2000 compiled by the [[United Nations]], South Africa was ranked second for [[assault]] and murder (by all means) per capita, in addition to being ranked second for [[rape]] and first for rapes per capita.<ref> [http://www.nationmaster.com/red/country/sf/Crime&b_cite=1 NationMaster: South African Crime Statistics]</ref> Total crime per capita is tenth out of the sixty countries in the data set.

Crime has had a pronounced effect on society: many middle-class South Africans moved into [[gated community|gated communities]], abandoning the central business districts of some cities for the relative security of suburbs. This effect is most pronounced in [[Johannesburg]], although the trend is noticeable in other cities as well. {{Fact|date=January 2008}} Many emigrants from South Africa also state that crime was a big motivator for them to leave. [[South African Farmer Murders|Crime against the farming community]] has continued to be a major problem.<ref>{{cite news|
url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article694534.ece|
title=Farms of fear|
publisher=The Times Online|date=April 2, 2006}}</ref>

==Military==
{{main|South African National Defence Force}}
South Africa's [[armed force]]s, known as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), was created in 1994. Previously known simply as the South African Defence Force (SADF), the new force is an all volunteer army and consists of the forces of the old SADF, as well as the forces of the African nationalist groups, namely [[Umkhonto we Sizwe]] (MK), [[Azanian People's Liberation Army]] (APLA), and the former [[Bantustan]] defence forces. The SANDF is subdivided into four branches, the [[South African Army]], the [[South African Air Force]], the [[South African Navy]], and the [[South African Medical Service|South African Military Health Services]].

In recent years, the SANDF has become a major [[peacekeeping]] force in Africa, and has been involved in operations in [[Lesotho]], the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], and [[Burundi]], amongst others. It has also participated as a part of multi-national [[UN]] peacekeeping forces.

South Africa undertook a nuclear weapons program in the 1970s and [[Vela Incident|may have conducted]] a nuclear test over the [[Atlantic]] in 1979. It has since become the only country with nuclear capability to voluntarily renounce and dismantle its program and in the process signed the [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]] in 1991. It is the only African country to have successfully [[South Africa and weapons of mass destruction|developed nuclear weapons]].

==Media==
{{main|Media in South Africa}}
South Africa has a large, free, and active press that regularly challenges the government, a habit formed during the apartheid era when the press was the medium least controlled by the government. Major [[scandal]]s have erupted when the press reported charges of [[political corruption|corruption]] that were proven to be true in cases such as that of [[Schabir Shaik]], in which (then) deputy president [[Jacob Zuma]] was implicated, and the corruption allegations that led to the dismissal of [[Winnie Mandela]] from parliament. Even though South Africa now has the most sophisticated media network in Africa, it was one of the last countries in the world to allow [[Television in South Africa|television]], with colour TV broadcasts only commencing in 1975. By the end of [[apartheid]] in 1994, television networks covered all [[List of cities in South Africa|urban areas]] and some less populated areas, while radio networks covered almost all of the country.

During the Apartheid era the majority of commercial and all public-service radio stations and all of the television channels were operated by the South African Broadcasting Corporation ([[SABC]]), and were subject to strict control and censorship by the government, with a few independent regional stations allowed. The creation of the independent black homelands (or [[Bantustan]]s) in the 1970s allowed for the establishment of TV and radio stations outside of the control of the apartheid Government. Following the demise of apartheid, the broadcasting industry was deregulated with many of the commercial regional SABC radio stations and former Bantustan stations privatised and sold to companies and consortia that were majority-owned by black people. Three SABC television channels are in place at present.

An African language channel was introduced to the SABC in 1981 (during [[apartheid]]) with a second African language channel added later in the decade. The SABC's television monopoly was eventually challenged in 1986 when a new privately owned subscription television network, [[M-Net]], was launched. However M-Net was not licenced to operate a news service.

South Africa currently has two terrestrial free-to-air television networks [[SABC]] and [[e.tv]], one subscription based terrestrial network, [[M-Net]], as well as two satellite television services, [[DStv]], operated by M-Net's owners, [[Multichoice]] and [[Vivid satellite television|Vivid]], operated by the state-owned signal distributor [[Sentech]]. e.tv is licenced to operate an independent television news service. DStv broadcasts local and international news and entertainment channels Africa-wide via satellite. More recently DStv and e.tv announced a joint venture to provide a 24 hour news channel from 2008 that will be distributed through the DStv platform.

==Tourism==
{{main|Tourism in South Africa}}
South Africa is a popular tourist destination, and a substantial amount of revenue comes from tourism{{Fact|date=June 2007}}. Among the main attractions are the diverse and picturesque culture, the game reserves and the highly regarded local wines. In recent years, tourism in South Africa has seen high growth with the first five months of 2007 showing the highest levels of tourism in South Africa since 1998. Figures released by [[Marthinus van Schalkwyk]], Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism show a decided increase in foreign visitors.

==International rankings==
{{SouthAfricaRankings}}

==See also==
*[[South African diplomatic missions]]
*[[Foreign relations of South Africa]]
*[[Ecotourism in South Africa]]

<br/>{{South African topics}}

==Bibliography==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
*''Twentieth-Century South Africa''. William Beinart [[Oxford University Press]] 2001, 414 pages, ISBN 0-19-289318-1
* ''A History of South Africa, Third Edition''. Leonard Thompson. [[Yale University Press]]. [[1 March]] [[2001]]. 384 pages. ISBN 0-300-08776-4.
* ''South Africa: A Narrative History''. [[Frank Welsh]]. Kodansha America. [[1 February]] [[1999]]. 606 pages. ISBN 1-56836-258-7.
* ''The Atlas of Changing South Africa''. A. J. Christopher. [[1 October]] [[2000]]. 216 pages. ISBN 0-415-21178-6.
* ''The Politics of the New South Africa''. Heather Deegan. [[28 December]] [[2000]]. 256 pages. ISBN 0-582-38227-0.
* ''Making of Modern South Africa: Conquest, Segregation and Apartheid''. Nigel Worden. [[1 July]] [[2000]]. 194 pages. ISBN 0-631-21661-8.
* ''Emerging Johannesburg: Perspectives on the Postapartheid City''. Richard Tomlinson, et al. [[1 January]] [[2003]]. 336 pages. ISBN 0-415-93559-8.
* "Religion and Politics in South Africa." David Hein. Modern Age 31 (1987): 21–30.
* {{cite web |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=homepage |work=South Africa Government Online |publisher=South African Government |date= |url=http://www.gov.za |format= |doi= | accessmonthday = February 20 | accessyear = 2005 }}
* [http://www.southafrica.info SouthAfrica.info]. Accessed [[12 February]] [[2005]].
* [http://www.southafricawargraves.org/lists/SAwants.htm South Africa war graves project]
* [http://www.southafrican.za.net/official-languages.html South African Official Languages] [[4 December]] [[2006]].
</div>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{portal|South Africa|Flag of South Africa.svg}}
{{sisterlinks|South Africa}}
* [http://www.gov.za/ Government of South Africa]
* {{wikiatlas|South Africa}}
* {{wikitravel}}
* {{wikia|world:South Africa|South Africa}}
* {{CIA World Factbook link|sf|South Africa}}
* {{dmoz|Regional/Africa/South_Africa}}

{{Template group
|title = Geographic locale
|list =

{{Countries of Africa}}
{{Countries and territories bordering the Indian Ocean}}
}}
{{Template group
|title = International membership
|list =
{{UN Security Council|state=collapsed}}
{{South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone}}
{{Southern African Development Community (SADC)}}
{{African Union (AU)}}
{{Peri-Antarctic countries and overseas territories}}
{{Commonwealth of Nations}}
}}

<!--As featured article-->

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[[Category:African Union member states]]
[[Category:English-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Liberal democracies]]
[[Category:Members of the Commonwealth of Nations]]
[[Category:South Africa| ]]

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Revision as of 11:21, 14 February 2008

AIDS!!!!!!!!!! ITS NOT FUNNY!!!!!!!

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