Background: Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East founding the city of Cape Town. 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); however the British and the Afrikaners as the Boers became known ruled together beginning in 1910 under the Union of South Africa which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948 the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders such as Nelson MANDELA spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions led to the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing education and health care. ANC infighting which has grown in recent years came to a head in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned and Kgalema MOTLANTHE the party's General-Secretary succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in April 2009. In January 2011 South Africa assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term.

Geographic coordinates: 29 00 S 24 00 E

Area
Rank: 25
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Coastline: 2,798 km

Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east 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 rare earth elements uranium gem diamonds platinum copper vanadium salt natural gas

Irrigated land: 14,980 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 50 km³ (1990)

Natural hazards: prolonged droughts

Geography
Note: South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

Population: 48,810,427 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 26
Growth rate: -0.412% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 216
Below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups: black African 79% white 9.6% colored 8.9% Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)

Languages: IsiZulu (official) 23.82% IsiXhosa (official) 17.64% Afrikaans (official) 13.35% Sepedi (offcial) 9.39% English (official) 8.2% Setswana (official) 8.2% Sesotho (official) 7.93% Xitsonga (official) 4.44% siSwati (official) 2.66% Tshivenda (official) 2.28% isiNdebele (official) 1.59% other 0.5% (2001 census)

Religions: Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1% Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2% Methodist 6.8% Dutch Reformed 6.7% Anglican 3.8%) Catholic 7.1% Muslim 1.5% other Christian 36% other 2.3% unspecified 1.4% none 15.1% (2001 census)

Population growth rate: -0.412% (2012 est.)
Rank: 216

Birth rate: 19.32 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 93

Death rate: 17.23 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 1

Net migration rate: -6.22 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 198

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

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 53

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 220

Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 99

Physicians density: 0.77 physicians/1000 population (2004)

Hospital bed density: 2.84 beds/1000 population (2005)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 17.8% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 4
People living with hivaids: 5.6 million (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 1
Deaths: 310,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 1

Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 45

Government type: republic

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga Northern Cape North-West Western Cape

Independence: 31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony Natal Transvaal and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

National holiday: Freedom Day 27 April (1994)

Constitution: 10 December 1996; note - certified by the Constitutional Court 4 December 1996; was signed by then President MANDELA 10 December 1996; and entered into effect 4 February 1997

Legal system: mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law English common law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consisting of 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) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders: African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]; African National Congress or ANC [Jacob ZUMA]; Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE]; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO]; United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Lucas MANGOPE]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU BIS BRICS C CD FAO FATF G-20 G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MONUSCO NAM NSG OECD (Enhanced Engagement OPCW Paris Club (associate) PCA SACU SADC UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR UNSC (temporary) UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Flag description: two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that 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; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism but the Y stands for the 'convergence of diverse elements within South African society taking the road ahead in unity'; black yellow and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress while red white and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era

National symbols: springbok antelope

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 is the 18th largest in the world; and modern infrastructure supporting a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. Growth was robust from 2004 to 2007 as South Africa reaped the benefits of macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom but began to slow in the second half of 2007 due to an electricity crisis and the subsequent global financial crisis' impact on commodity prices and demand. GDP fell nearly 2% in 2009 but recovered in 2010-12. Unemployment remains high at nearly one-quarter of the work force and outdated infrastructure has constrained growth. State power supplier Eskom encountered problems with aging plants and meeting electricity demand necessitating 'load-shedding' cuts in 2007 and 2008 to residents and businesses in the major cities. Daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups and a shortage of public transportation. South Africa's economic policy focuses on controlling inflation however the country has had significant budget deficits that hamper its ability to deal with pressing economic problems. The current government must contend with the impact of the global crisis and is facing growing pressure from special interest groups to use state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 26

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 126

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 107

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 115

Labor force: 17.89 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 35

Unemployment rate: 24.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 170

Population below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 59.3 (1994)
Rank: 2

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -5.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 164

Taxes and other revenues: 24.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 130

Public debt: 38.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 81

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 143

Central bank discount rate: 11.5% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 18

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 104

Stock of narrow money: $117.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 32

Stock of broad money: $314.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 35

Stock of domestic credit: $284.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 36

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 16

Current account balance: -$13.68 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 183

Exports: $102.9 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 40
Commodities: gold diamonds platinum other metals and minerals machinery and equipment
Partners: China 12.7% US 8.6% Japan 7.9% Germany 6% UK 4.1% (2011)

Imports: $100.4 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 34
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals petroleum products scientific instruments foodstuffs
Partners: China 14.3% Germany 10.7% US 8% Japan 4.7% Saudi Arabia 4.5% India 4% UK 4% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $48.87 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 32

Debt external: $47.49 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 60

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $158.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 26

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $88.95 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 29

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 232.1 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 18
Consumption: 206.1 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 17
Exports: 14.65 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 12
Imports: 12.19 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 18
Installed generating capacity: 44.26 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 22
Generation sources fossil fuels: 90.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 75
Generation sources nuclear: 4.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 25
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 1.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 141
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 74

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 169,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 40
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 180
Crude oil imports: 402,300 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 21
Crude oil proven reserves: 15 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 88

Refined petroleum
Products production: 516,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 31
Products consumption: 590,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 31
Products exports: 49,430 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 60
Products imports: 60,290 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 64

Natural gas
Production: 970 million m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 65
Consumption: 4.01 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 66
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 146
Imports: 3.04 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 43
Proven reserves: 27.16 million m³ (1 January 2006 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 104

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 465.1 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 13

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.127 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 42
Mobile cellular: 64 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 20

Broadcast media: the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv a private station is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national regional and local levels; the SABC radio network state-owned and controlled but nominally independent operates 18 stations one for each of the 11 official languages 4 community stations and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)

Internet
Country code: .za
Hosts: 4.761 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 23
Users: 4.42 million (2009)
Users rank: 54

Military expenditures: 1.7% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 85

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2007)

Airports: 567 (2012)
Rank: 11

Heliports: 1 (2012)

Pipelines: condensate 11 km; gas 908 km; oil 980 km; refined products 1382 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 14

Roadways
Rank: 18

Merchant marine
Rank: 136

Ports and terminals: Cape Town Durban Port Elizabeth Richards Bay Saldanha Bay

Disputes international: South Africa has placed military along the border to apprehend the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007 South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000) Somalia (20,000) Burundi (6,500) and other states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006 Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa

Illicit drugs: transshipment center for heroin hashish and cocaine as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and th