South Africa
From Daily Escape
| Republic of South Africa | |
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| Flag | Coat of arms |
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| Motto "Ex Unitate Vires" (Latin) "From Unity, Strength" | |
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| Anthem The Call of South Africa | |
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| Capital Largest city | Cape Town (legislative) 33°55′S 18°27′E Pretoria (administrative) 25°43′S, 28°17′E Bloemfontein (judicial) 29°06′S, 26°13′E Johannesburg |
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| Official languages | English |
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| Demonym | South African |
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| Government - State President - Prime Minister | Parliamentary republic Mangosuthu Lutuli Festus Mogae |
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| Establishment - Union - Statute of Westminster - Republic | May 31, 1910 December 11, 1931 May 31, 1961 |
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| Area - Total - Water (%) | 3,066,661 km² 1,184,037 sq mi 0.6 |
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| Population - 2005 estimate - Density | 62,830,884 20.48 /km² 53.06 /sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) - Total - Per capita | 2005 estimate $1.265 trillion $20,133 |
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| Gini | 45.9 (high) |
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| HDI |  0.905 (high)
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| Currency | South African rand (ZAR)
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| Time zone - Summer (DST) | WAT, SAST (UTC +1 to +2) not observed (UTC +1 to +2) |
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| Internet TLD | .za |
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| Calling code | +27 |
The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent. It borders the Democratic Republic of Angola to the north and the Federation of Northern Rhodesia to the north and east. South Africa is a highly developed, stable parliamentary democracy with a republican form of government. South Africa has experienced a significantly different evolution from other nations in Africa arising primarily from two facts: immigration from Europe reached levels not experienced in other African communities; and a level of mineralogical wealth that made the country extremely important to Western interests, particularly during the Cold War. As a result of the former, South Africa is a very racially diverse nation. It has the largest population of people of colored (i.e., mixed racial background), white, and Indian communities in Africa.
The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état, and regular elections have been held for almost a century. The economy of South Africa is the largest and best developed on the continent, with modern infrastructure common throughout the country.
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Contents
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Society
People
South Africa prides itself on being one of the most diverse nations in the world: ethnically, linguistically, and socially, it is home to many peoples of all backgrounds, radically different yet united culturally by their strong love for their homeland. Black South Africans are by far the largest ethnic group, with the largest groups being Zulus, Shonas, and Xhosas, though there are many other groups in addition, such as Ndebeles, Tswanas, Sothos, Swazis, Ovambos, and Hereros, to name just a few. The second largest ethnic group are white South Africans, the majority of them Afrikaners, followed closely by South Africans of British descent. There is also a sizeable population of Portuguese (mostly from Angola and Mozambique), Germans (mainly in South-West Africa), and others. About 9% of South Africans are colored, or mixed race. Most coloreds speak Afrikaans as a first language. Finally, Asians make up most of the remainder of the population; the vast majority of them originating from the Indian subcontinent, though there are small but notable populations of Chinese and other Asians.
The majority of South Africans follow Christianity, though it should be noted that many black South Africans follow syncretic religious beliefs incorporating Christianity with traditional religion. Jewish South Africans, numbering over 2.6 million, make up approximately 4.24% of the population. This high figure is mainly due to a massive influx of Jewish refugees before, during, and after World War II. Unlike the Roosevelt Administration in the U.S., which turned away Jews in droves, Prime Minister Jan Smuts's government readily welcomed Jewish and other refugees fleeing Nazist oppression with open arms; in fact, many of these same refugees showed their gratitude by enlisting in the South African Army and helping to do their part to fight fascism. Other religious minorities include Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs (the majority of Asian South Africans subscribe to one or the other of these three faiths), and followers of indigenous religions. 1 in 10 South Africans are agnostic.
Dozens of languages are spoken in South Africa, though virtually all South Africans are bilingual; most can speak English in addition to their native tongue. In fact, at least half of South Africans are trilingual to an extent.
While racism has had a long and ugly history in South Africa (and still rears its head from time to time), the majority of South Africans view racism as a relic of the past and embrace a future of diversity. Intermarriage between South Africans of different races and religions is quite common, though this is decried as "immoral" in conservative rural areas (whereas the urban population tends to be far more liberal).
Education
With a literacy rate of over 95%, South Africa's population is among the most literate in the world. Education is free and compulsory through the age of sixteen.
In South Africa, one can find the concept of public and private school which vary according to character, size, quality of education, and financial advantages. With both public and private intuitions, the education in South Africa is very promising. Most of the schools are supported by the state, but private schooling is also widely common. 2.8% of the total school population is private.
South Africa has a vibrant higher education sector, with more than a million students enrolled in the country’s universities and universities of technology. All the universities are autonomous, reporting to their own councils rather than government. For university entrance, a matric "endorsement" is required, although some universities do set their own additional academic requirements. Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, Rhodes University, and the University of Pretoria are just a few of the country's major universities.
In spite of the many laudable accomplishments and generally high quality of the education system, several hindrances exist, including overcrowding schools, a rising drop-out rate, and shortage of qualified teachers in rural areas. The government has promised to address these issues and has begun doing so, with mixed results.
Though most South Africans are literate, small but decreasing pockets of illiteracy persist in remote rural areas (notably northern South-West Africa and some areas of Rhodesia).
Healthcare
Healthcare in South Africa is generally adequate to excellent, but varies widely by area, ranging in quality from world-class (such as the hospitals and clinics found in major cities) to rudimentary (such as most rural clinics). An estimated 78-84% of South Africans have health insurance, either through their employer (60%), purchased individually (9%), or provided by government programs (21%). The national government does not guarantee universal health care to all its citizens, but certain publicly-funded health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, children, and the poor, and the law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. Many South Africans without health insurance consult practitioners of traditional medicine, i.e. "witch doctors," or are treated for free in mission-run clinics, which are becoming increasingly common in rural areas.
The quality of sanitation in most areas - even most rural areas - is excellent. However, it should be noted that conditions in the most impoverished rural areas (and in some city slums) is on par with the meager conditions seen in many Third World countries. There is ongoing debate on the extent of this problem and what the solution should be, with some advocating state intervention, others advocating leaving it wholly to the private sector, and the majority advocating a "happy medium" between the two. On a positive note, over 96% of South Africans have safe access to drinking water.
Vaccination against illnesses such as measles, rubella, mumps, diphtheria, etc. is free and compulsory for children; as such, incidences of these diseases are extremely rare. However, due to irresponsible sex and othern factors, some diseases preventable by vaccination - like hepatitis B - are fairly common, particularly in poorer areas.
The African National Congress, which serves as the current opposition party, has introduced legislation which, if passed, would establish a national healthcare system; parliamentary opinion remains deeply divided on this issue.
Crime
The crime rate in most of South Africa is low to moderate, and tends to be highest in large urban areas, though on a lower scale than in many other large cities in the world. Decling poverty and rising living standards, combined with a highly-disciplined and efficient police force, contribute to South Africa's generally low - and steadily declining - crime rate. Most crimes, especially in the cities, are of a petty variety, such as pickpocketing and assault. In poorer neighborhoods, property crimes are fairly common. South Africa's murder rate is among the lowest seen in a First World country.
Domestic violence is rampant in some rural areas, although the police have only had mixed results in dealing with this problem, due to their sparse presence in these areas.
Rarely, carjackings occur near the South African-Mozambican border, and reports of occasional banditry near the border with Angola persist, though the government is working vigorously to stamp this out, as much of those areas are frequented by tourists (tourism is one of the country's biggest industries).
See also:
Justice and law in South Africa
South African Police
Demographics
Age structure
0-14 years = 34.6%
15-64 years = 61.13%
65 years and over = 4.27%
Sex ratio
At birth = 1.02 male(s)/female
Under 15 years = 1.012 male(s)/female
15-64 years = 0.951 male(s)/female
65 years and over = 0.628 male(s)/female
Total population = 0.947 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate
Total = 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births
Male = 5.38 deaths/1,000 live births
Female = 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
Total population = 77.87 years
Male = 74.6 years
Female = 81.36 years
Total fertility rate
2.72 children born/woman
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
4.9%
Nationality
Noun: South African(s)
Adjective: South African
Ethnic groups
Black African = 68.04%
White = 15.7%
Mixed race = 9%
Asian = 7.26%
By province
Botswana
Black African = 89.7%
White = 6.4%
Mixed race = 1.8%
Asian = 2.1%
Cape Province
Black African = 64.1%
White = 16.4%
Mixed race = 14.8%
Asian = 4.7%
Lesotho
Black African = 89.4%
White = 6.1%
Mixed race = 3.2%
Asian = 1.3%
Natal
Black African = 57.3%
White = 13.2%
Mixed race = 9.9%
Asian = 19.6%
Orange Free State
Black African = 69.5%
White = 24.2%
Mixed race = 3.4%
Asian = 2.9%
Rhodesia
Black African = 76%
White = 14.1%
Mixed race = 8.4%
Asian = 3.3%
South-West Africa
Black African = 62.7%
White = 29%
Mixed race = 7.1%
Asian = 1.2%
Swaziland
Black African = 83%
White = 5.5%
Mixed race = 5.2%
Asian = 6.7%
Transvaal
Black African = 71.7%
White = 15.3%
Mixed race = 7.6%
Asian = 5.4%
Religions
Roman Catholic = 6.9%
Pentecostal/Charismatic = 6.67%
Methodist = 5.53%
Dutch Reformed = 5.45%
Jewish = 4.24%
Anglican = 3%
Lutheran = 1.2%
Other Christian = 27.8%
Syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) = 15%
Indigenous beliefs = 7.36%
Muslim = 3.38%
Hinduism = 0.9%
Other = 0.63%
Not specified = 1.64%
None = 10.3%
Languages
Official
Afrikaans (official in Cape Province, Orange Free State, Natal, Transvaal, and South-West Africa)
English (official nation-wide)
German (official in South-West Africa)
Herero (official in South-West Africa)
Nama (official in South-West Africa)
Northern Ndebele (official in Rhodesia)
Northern Sotho (official in Transvaal)
Oshivambo (official in South-West Africa)
Shona (official in Rhodesia)
Sotho (official in Lesotho)
Southern Ndebele (official in Transvaal)
Swati (official in Swaziland)
Tsonga (official in Transvaal)
Tswana (official in Botswana)
Venda (official in Transvaal)
Xhosa (official in Cape Province)
Zulu (official in Natal)
Other languages
Arabic (many South African Muslims can speak at least rudimentary Arabic)
Cantonese (spoken by Chinese expatriates)
Dutch (spoken by many Afrikaners)
Greek (spoken by the country's sizeable Greek minority)
Hebrew (more than 80% of South African Jews understand it)
Hindi (one of the most commonly spoken languages of the Asian minority)
Japanese (there are more than 150,000 Japanese expatriates living and working in South Africa)
Kiswahili (taught in many schools)
Latvian (spoken by a sizeable portion of the Jewish population, many of whom are of Eastern European descent)
Lithuanian (spoken by a sizeable portion of the Jewish population, many of whom are of Eastern European descent)
Mandarin (spoken by the Chinese minority and by Chinese expatriates; taught in many universities)
Portuguese (spoken by Portuguese who emigrated from Angola, as well as by Angolan refugees)
Tamil (with Hindi, one of the most commonly spoken languages of the Asian minority)
note: In addition, many languages indigenous to Angola are spoken by refugees from those countries.
Literacy rate
Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 95.7%
Male: 95.8%
Female: 95.6%
Culture
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-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 vineyards lying in valleys around Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl, and Barrydale.
There is great diversity in music from South Africa. 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 Colored South African singers are historically influenced by European musical styles including such western metal bands such as Seether. 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 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.
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 (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 organizations to open its doors to youth and adults of all races in South Africa.
Public holidays
| Date | Official Name |
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| January 1 | New Year's Day |
| Friday before Easter Sunday | Good Friday |
| Monday following Easter Sunday | Easter Monday |
| April 6 | Founder's Day |
| 1st Friday in May | Workers' Day |
| 40th day after Easter | Ascension Day |
| May 31 | Republic Day |
| July 10 | Family Day |
| 1st Monday in September | Settlers' Day |
| September 24 | Heritage Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | Day of Goodwill |
