After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics.

The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule. The African National Congress (ANC) has been the ruling party since 1994 and the world call us the "Rainbow Nation". South Africa has since grown economically and has won the bid to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Geography:

• Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa.
• 29 00 S, 24 00 E ( Map coordinates )
• Total Land mass: 1,219,912 sq km ( includes Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
• Land boundaries: total: 4,862 km
• Border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
• Coastline: 2,798 km
• Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
• Territorial sea: 12 NM
• Continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin
• Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:

• Mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights.
• Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain.
• Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0m; highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

• Arable land: 12.13%
• Permanent crops: 0.77%
• Other: 87.1% (1998 est.)
• Irrigated land: 13,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Environment - international agreements:

Party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Decertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling.

Nationality:

• Noun: South African(s)
• Adjective: South African

Ethnic groups:

• Black 75.2%, White 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%

Religions:

Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%

Languages:

11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Government:

• Conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
• Conventional short form: South Africa
• Former: Union of South Africa
• Abbreviation: RSA
• Government type: Republic
• Capital: Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and Bloemfontein the judicial center
• Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)

Economy:

South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region.

Currency:

1 Rand = 100 cents