Background: After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806 many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races.

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 2,881 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along coast; sunny days, cool nights

Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

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: 10%; permanent crops: 1%; meadows and pastures 65%; forest and woodland 3%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%

Geography
Note: Walvis Bay is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia; South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

Population: 40,600,518 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991; includes the 10 so-called homelands, which are not recognized by the US; four independent homelands--Bophuthatswana 2,419,515, growth rate 2.83%; Ciskei 1,056,552, growth rate 2.96%; Transkei 4,553,994, growth rate 4.16%; Venda 691,273, growth rate 3.83%; six other homelands--Gazankulu 772,532, growth rate 3.98%; Kangwane 576,573, growth rate 3.62%; KwaNdebele 360,582, growth rate 3.38%; KwaZulu 5,546,082, growth rate 3.60%; Lebowa 2,812,630, growth rate 3.91%; QwaQwa 277,957, growth rate 3.60%

Nationality: noun--South African(s; adjective--South African

Ethnic groups: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%

Languages: Afrikaans, English (both official; many vernacular languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, North and South Sotho, Tswana

Religions: most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of blacks are Christian; about 60% of Indians are Hindu; Muslim 20%

Birth rate: 34 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1000 population (1991)

Environment
Current issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures

Infant mortality rate: 51 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 67 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 4.4 children born/woman (1991)

Literacy: 76% (male 78%, female 75%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa; abbreviated RSA

Government type: republic

Capital: administrative, Pretoria; legislative, Cape Town; judicial, Bloemfontein

Administrative divisions: 4 provinces; Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal; there are 10 homelands not recognized by the US--4 independent (Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, Venda) and 6 other (Gazankulu, Kangwane, KwaNdebele, KwaZulu, Lebowa, QwaQwa)

Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)

National holiday: Republic Day, 31 May (1910)

Constitution: 3 September 1984

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: universal at age 18, but voting rights are racially based

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--State President Frederik W. DE KLERK (since 13 September 1989)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, Medical Services

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: BIS, CCC, ECA, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT, ISO, ITU, LORCS, SACU, UN, UNCTAD, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO (suspended)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Harry SCHWARZ; Chancery at 3,051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 232-4,400; there are South African Consulates General in Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, Houston, and New York; US--Ambassador William L. SWING; Embassy at Thibault House, 225 Pretorius Street, Pretoria; telephone [27] (12) 28-4,266; there are US Consulates General in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg

Flag description: actually four flags in one--three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side South Africa South AfricaSouth Africa

Economy overview: Many of the white one-seventh of the South African population enjoy incomes, material comforts, and health and educational standards equal to those of Western Europe. In contrast, most of the remaining population suffers from the poverty patterns of the Third World, including unemployment, lack of job skills, and barriers to movement into higher-paying fields. Inputs and outputs thus do not move smoothly into the most productive employments, and the effectiveness of the market is further lowered by international constraints on dealings with South Africa. The main strength of the economy lies in its rich mineral resources, which provide two-thirds of exports. Average growth of less than 2% in output in recent years falls far short of the 5-6% level needed to cut into the high unemployment rate.

Agriculture products: accounts for about 5% of GDP and 30% of labor force; diversified agriculture, with emphasis on livestock; products--cattle, poultry, sheep, wool, milk, beef, corn, wheat; sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; self-sufficient in food

Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs

Industrial production growth rate: NA%; accounts for about 45% of GDP

Labor force: 11,000,000 economically active (1989; services 34%, agriculture 30%, industry and commerce 29%, mining 7% (1985)

Unemployment rate: 22% (1989; blacks 25-30%, up to 50% in homelands (1988 est.)

Budget: revenues $28.9 billion; expenditures $32.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (FY92 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

Exports: $23.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodities: gold 39%, minerals and metals 33%, food 5%, chemicals 3%
Partners: Italy, Japan, US, FRG, UK, other EC, Hong Kong

Imports: $17 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
Commodities: machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, oil, textiles, scientific instruments, base metals
Partners: FRG, Japan, UK, US, Italy

Debt external: $19.5 billion (July 1990)

Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1--2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 34,941,000 kW capacity; 158,000 million kWh produced, 4,100 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $3.67 billion, 11% of GDP (FY92)

Airports: 917 total, 765 usable; 130 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 224 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: 931 km crude oil; 1,748 km refined products; 322 km natural gas

Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 229,245 GRT/218,929 DWT; includes 6 container, 1 vehicle carrier

Disputes international: claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay exclave and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa