Plan your trip to South Africa with our South Africa travel guide information
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South Africa - Travel guideSouth Africa - Country backgroundAfter 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. |
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South Africa General Information |
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| Country full name : | conventional long form: Republic of South Africa conventional short form: South Africa former: Union of South Africa abbreviation: RSA |
| Capital : | Pretoria |
| Religions : | Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, other Christian 36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census) |
| Languages : | Zulu (official) |
| Location : | Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa |
| Geographic coordinates : | 29 00 S, 24 00 E |
| Area : | total: 1,219,912 sq km land: 1,219,912 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island) |
| Climate : | mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights |
| Population : | 44,187,637 (July 2006 est.) |
| Nationality : | noun: South African(s) adjective: South African |
| Ethnic groups : | black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census) |
| Government type : | republic |
| Administrative divisions: | 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape |
| Legal system : | based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law |
| Suffrage : | 18 years of age; universal |
| Internet code : | .za |
| Calling code : | +27 |
| Time zone : | GMT/UTC +4 |
| Electricity : | 220/230V 50Hz |
| National holiday : | Freedom Day, 27 April (1994) |
| Interesting link : | South Africa travel guide - Lonely Planet South Africa travel guide - Wikitravel Tourism Office of South Africa |
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South Africa Travel Guide Information