It is famous for the most extensive areas of indigenous forests in South Africa (a generally forest-poor country). The two major historic groups were the Xhosa and Zulu peoples. The primary sources of South African law are Roman-Dutch mercantile law and personal law with English Common law, as imports of Dutch settlements and British colonialism. Ultimately, FW de Klerk opened bilateral discussions with Nelson Mandela in 1993 for a transition of policies and government. [72] In addition, the current government has struggled to achieve the monetary and fiscal discipline to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth. [71], The government's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies have drawn criticism from Neva Makgetla, lead economist for research and information at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, for focusing "almost exclusively on promoting individual ownership by black people [which] does little to address broader economic disparities, though the rich may become more diverse. South African literature emerged from a unique social and political history. South Africa’s Constitution recognises 11 official languages: Sepedi (also known as Sesotho sa Leboa ), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu. [13] The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White South Africans), Asian (Indian South Africans), and Multiracial (Coloured South Africans) ancestry. 'free citizens'), former company employees who stayed in Dutch territories overseas after serving their contracts. While South Africa has a great wealth of flowering plants, only one percent of South Africa is forest, almost exclusively in the humid coastal plain of KwaZulu-Natal, where there are also areas of Southern Africa mangroves in river mouths. They displaced, conquered and absorbed the original Khoisan speakers, the Khoikhoi and San peoples. [39], In 1652, a century and a half after the discovery of the Cape sea route, Jan van Riebeeck established a victualling station at the Cape of Good Hope, at what would become Cape Town, on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. Drought, increased intensity and frequency of fire, and climbing temperatures are expected to push many rare species towards extinction. [9]:21 The first census in South Africa in 1911 showed that whites made up 22% of the population; this had declined to 16% by 1980. In the most recent election, held on 8 May 2019, the ANC won 57.5% of the vote and 230 seats, while the main opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) won 20.77% of the vote and 84 seats. South Africa has also developed into a major wine producer, with some of the best vineyards lying in valleys around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and Barrydale.[235]. A significant extent of the Bushveld exists in the north-east including Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, as well as in the far north in the Waterberg Biosphere. With the exception of that of Barnard, all of these advancements were recognised with Nobel Prizes. Many peoples have syncretic religious practices combining Christian and indigenous influences. South Africa is a developing country and ranks at 114th on the Human Development Index, the seventh-highest in Africa. The Galjoen,... South Africa's national fish is the Galjoen (Coracinus capensis), which is only found … Since 1961, the long formal name in English has been the "Republic of South Africa" and Republiek van Suid-Afrika in Afrikaans. The powers of provincial governments are limited to topics listed in the Constitution; these topics include such fields as health, education, public housing and transport. As they migrated, these larger Iron Age populations displaced or assimilated earlier peoples. South Africa has a generally temperate climate because it is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides, because it is located in the climatically milder Southern Hemisphere, and because its average elevation rises steadily toward the north (toward the equator) and further inland. [178] Illegal immigrants are involved in informal trading. In the first quarter of 2011, confidence levels for graduate professionals were recorded at a level of 84% in a Professional Provident Society (PPS) survey. [39] Dutch interest was aroused after 1647, when two employees of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) were shipwrecked at the Cape for several months. [104] It has subsequently produced a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, which was received by the convention on 7 June 2006. "[151] Six nuclear devices were completed between 1980 and 1990, but all were dismantled before South Africa signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1991. South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological and human-fossil sites in the world. This name translates to “mother of mankind,” or “the garden of Eden.” Alkebulan is an extremely old word, and its origins are indigenous. Former South African President Jacob Zuma and former Chinese President Hu Jintao upgraded bilateral ties between the two countries on 24 August 2010, when they signed the Beijing Agreement, which elevated South Africa's earlier "strategic partnership" with China to the higher level of "comprehensive strategic partnership" in both economic and political affairs, including the strengthening of exchanges between their respective ruling parties and legislatures. While South Africa's many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population as a whole, the most commonly used language is English. [78] The targets were mainly legal and illegal migrants, and refugees seeking asylum, but a third of the victims were South African citizens. Gauteng comprises the largest share of the South African popula… [44], The eastward expansion of Dutch colonists ushered in a series of wars with the southwesterly migrating Xhosa tribe, known as the Xhosa Wars, as both sides competed for the pastureland near the Great Fish River, which the colonists required to graze their cattle. The Zulu nation defeated the British at the Battle of Isandlwana. Penny Heyns won Olympic Gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Members of remaining Christian churches accounted for another 36% of the population. According to computer-generated climate modelling produced by the South African National Biodiversity Institute,[114] parts of southern Africa will see an increase in temperature by about 1 °C (1.8 °F) along the coast to more than 4 °C (7.2 °F) in the already hot hinterland such as the Northern Cape in late spring and summertime by 2050. [172] Restrictive labour regulations have contributed to the unemployment malaise. [219], About 20% of the population uses private healthcare. During the 1950s, Drum magazine became a hotbed of political satire, fiction, and essays, giving a voice to urban black culture. The black African population is in the majority (47,4 million) and constitutes approximately 81% of the total South African population. Other sites include Swartkrans, Gondolin Cave, Kromdraai, Coopers Cave and Malapa. [76], In May 2008, riots left over 60 people dead. South African cuisine is heavily meat-based and has spawned the distinctively South African social gathering known as the braai, a variation of the barbecue. [192][193], Statistics South Africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial population groups. In 2015, the Oliver Hermanus film The Endless River became the first South African film selected for the Venice Film Festival. [86] This plateau is surrounded by the Great Escarpment[87] whose eastern, and highest, stretch is known as the Drakensberg. New forms of art evolved in the mines and townships: a dynamic art using everything from plastic strips to bicycle spokes. In 2004, the swimming team of Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens, simultaneously breaking the world record in the 4×100 Freestyle Relay. It has also served in multinational UN Peacekeeping forces such as the UN Force Intervention Brigade for example. between the Outeniqua and Langeberg ranges to the south and the Swartberg range to the north) is known as the Little Karoo,[87] which consists of semi-desert scrubland similar to that of the Great Karoo, except that its northern strip along the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains, has a somewhat higher rainfall and is, therefore, more cultivated than the Great Karoo. Sydney Brenner won most recently, in 2002, for his pioneering work in molecular biology. The land (at approximately 400–500 m above sea level) between two of these ranges of fold mountains in the south (i.e. The high Drakensberg mountains, which form the south-eastern escarpment of the Highveld, offer limited skiing opportunities in winter. [53], Within the country, anti-British policies among white South Africans focused on independence. Zuma asserted that BRICS member countries would also work with each other through the UN, the Group of Twenty (G20) and the India, Brazil South Africa (IBSA) forum.[145]. [52] The Boers' inability to subdue Sekhukhune and the Pedi led to the departure of Burgers in favour of Paul Kruger and the British annexation of the South African Republic (Transvaal) on 12 April 1877 by Theophilus Shepstone, secretary for native affairs of Natal. [168], South Africa is a popular tourist destination, and a substantial amount of revenue comes from tourism. [9] The two next ones are of European origin: Afrikaans (13.5%) developed from Dutch and serves as the first language of most Coloured and White South Africans; English (9.6%) reflects the legacy of British colonialism, and is commonly used in public and commercial life. [216], According to the South African Institute of Race Relations, the life expectancy in 2009 was 71 years for a white South African and 48 years for a black South African. The remaining two languages are Venda and Tsonga. South African popular musicians that have found international success include Johnny Clegg, rap-rave duo Die Antwoord, and rock band Seether. The Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith, signed by Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Harry Schwarz in 1974, enshrined the principles of peaceful transition of power and equality for all, the first of such agreements by black and white political leaders in South Africa. The southernmost group was the Xhosa people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier Khoisan people. Etymology. In Mpumalanga Province, several stone circles have been found along with the stone arrangement that has been named Adam's Calendar, and the ruins are thought to be created by the Bakone, a Northern Sotho people.[34][35]. [105] The country is ranked sixth out of the world's seventeen megadiverse countries. ", "Microfungi occurring on Proteaceae in the fynbos. [180], The Human Rights Watch reported on 26 August 2019 about foreign national truck drivers being subjected to deadly attacks carried out by South African truck drivers. It also hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2007 World Twenty20 Championship. Encyclopædia Britannica (1975); Micropaedia Vol. Winters in South Africa occur between June and August. André Brink was the first Afrikaner writer to be banned by the government after he released the novel A Dry White Season. [148] In recent years, the SANDF has become a major peacekeeping force in Africa,[149] and has been involved in operations in Lesotho, the DRC,[149] and Burundi,[149] amongst others. [137] The incidence of child and infant rape is among the highest in the world, largely as a result of the virgin cleansing myth, and a number of high-profile cases (sometimes as young as eight months)[137] have outraged the nation. The Afrikaans for "South Africa" is "Suid-Afrika" so SA would be more logical. The little rain that falls tends to fall in winter,[95] which results in one of the world's most spectacular displays of flowers carpeting huge stretches of veld in spring (August–September). These languages include English, Afrikaans, the Nguni languages (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, and Swazi), as well as the Sotho-Tswana languages, which include Tswana, Sotho and Pedi. [179] Many immigrants to South Africa continue to live in poor conditions, and the immigration policy has become increasingly restrictive since the year 1994. Some of these SOEs have not been profitable, such as SAA, which has required bailouts totaling R30 billion ($2.08 billion) over the 20 years preceding 2015. [47] The new colonists were induced to settle for a variety of reasons, namely to increase the size of the European workforce and to bolster frontier regions against Xhosa incursions.[47]. The United Nations (UN) Human Development Index (HDI) of South Africa fell from 1995 to 2005, while it was steadily rising until the mid-1990s,[73] before recovering its 1995 peak in 2013. South Africa is currently building the Karoo Array Telescope as a pathfinder for the €1.5 billion Square Kilometre Array project. [49][50] An offshoot of the Zulu, the Matabele people created a larger empire that included large parts of the highveld under their king Mzilikazi. The plays of Athol Fugard have been regularly premiered in fringe theatres in South Africa, London (Royal Court Theatre) and New York. [221] The rest pay for private care out-of-pocket or through in-hospital-only plans. Queen Elizabeth II lost the title Queen of South Africa, and the last Governor-General, Charles Robberts Swart, became State President. The Dutch-influenced folk art of the Afrikaner trekboers and the urban white artists, earnestly following changing European traditions from the 1850s onwards, also contributed to this eclectic mix which continues to evolve today. Other sites include Swartkrans, Gondolin Cave, Kromdraai, Coopers Cave and Malapa. [118] There have been a number of incidents of political repression as well as threats of future repression in violation of the constitution, leading some analysts and civil society organisations to conclude that there is or could be a new climate of political repression,[119][120] or a decline in political tolerance. p. 113. Taking Canada's Indian Act as a framework,[61] the nationalist government classified all peoples into three races and developed rights and limitations for each. South Africa is the southernmost country on the African continent.It has a long history of conflict and human rights issues, but it has always been one of the most economically prosperous nations in southern Africa due to its coastal location and the presence of gold, diamonds, and natural resources. At 1,219,912 km2 (471,011 sq mi),[83] South Africa is the 24th-largest country in the world. The number is surpassed only by India. Each of the nine provinces is governed by a unicameral legislature, which is elected every five years by party-list proportional representation. During the 20th century, the black majority sought to claim more rights from the dominant white minority, which played a large role in the country's recent history and politics. ", "Sack SA Health Minister – world's AIDS experts", "Situation Analysis. These healers use a combination of ancestral spiritual beliefs and a belief in the spiritual and medicinal properties of local fauna and flora, commonly known as muti ('medicine'), to facilitate healing in clients. [185], The eastern parts of South Africa suffer from periodic droughts linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon. South Africa is a nation of about 55 million (2016) people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions. [209][210], South Africa is also home to a substantial Jewish population, descended from European Jews who arrived as a minority among other European settlers. In 1990, the National Party government took the first step towards dismantling discrimination when it lifted the ban on the ANC and other political organisations. This intensified British efforts to gain control over the indigenous peoples. Public universities in South Africa are divided into three types: traditional universities, which offer theoretically-oriented university degrees; universities of technology (formerly called technikons), which offer vocationally-oriented diplomas and degrees; and comprehensive universities, which offer both types of qualification. [188] South Africa is home to an estimated five million illegal immigrants, including some three million Zimbabweans. [59], The Natives' Land Act of 1913 severely restricted the ownership of land by blacks; at that stage they controlled only seven percent of the country. There are several animal species that are among the world’s tallest, fastest or even tiniest animals such as the majestic giraffe, the speedy cheetah or the tiny pygmy shrew.. Several animal species are endangered such as the African wild dogs, the oribi or the rhino which is hunted for its horn. Before its independence in 1990, the area was known first as German South-West Africa (Deutsch-Südwestafrika), then as South-West Africa, reflecting the colonial occupation by the Germans and the South Africans. The district municipalities are further subdivided into 205 local municipalities. Nandipha: Nandipha or simply Nandi means “Gift Of God”. [97] The Prince Edward Islands have colder average annual temperatures, but Buffelsfontein has colder extremes. In the first two decades of the 19th century, the Zulu people grew in power and expanded their territory under their leader, Shaka. 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. Notable white South African authors include Alan Paton, who published the novel Cry, the Beloved Country in 1948. The remaining two languages are Venda and Tsonga. These languages include English, Afrikaans, the Nguni languages (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, and Swazi), as well as the Sotho-Tswana languages, which include Tswana, Sotho and Pedi. South Africa's official Coronavirus (Covid-19)online news and information portal. See also about African names. The fynbos biome, which makes up the majority of the area and plant life in the Cape floristic region, one of the six floral kingdoms, is located in a small region of the Western Cape and contains more than 9,000 of those species, making it among the richest regions on earth in terms of plant diversity. Chad, landlocked state in north-central Africa. According to the 2011 census, the three most spoken first languages are Zulu (22.7%), Xhosa (16.0%), and Afrikaans (13.5%). No President may serve more than two terms in office. [80] Competition over jobs, business opportunities, public services and housing has led to tension between refugees and host communities. [45] The Boers formed loose militias, which they termed commandos, and forged alliances with Khoisan peoples to repel Xhosa raids. The judicial system consists of the magistrates' courts, which hear lesser criminal cases and smaller civil cases; the High Court, which has divisions that serve as the courts of general jurisdiction for specific areas; the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the Constitutional Court, which is the highest court. [132], South Africa has a high rape rate, with 43,195 rapes reported in 2014/15, and an unknown number of sexual assaults going unreported. [171] Other problems include state ownership and interference, which impose high barriers to entry in many areas. Vegetation becomes even more sparse towards the northwest due to low rainfall. There are eleven official names of South Africa,[1] one in each of its eleven official languages. It also has a relatively high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita compared to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa (US$11,750 at purchasing power parity as of 2012). The South African black majority still has a substantial number of rural inhabitants who lead largely impoverished lives. The extreme southwest has a climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean Sea with wet winters and hot, dry summers, hosting the famous fynbos biome of shrubland and thicket. Most South Africans can speak more than one language. [42] Dutch traders also brought thousands of enslaved people to the fledgling colony from Indonesia, Madagascar, and parts of eastern Africa. Most foreign embassies are located in Pretoria. Helen Hemingway Benton Publishers, Chicago. With over 59 million people, it is the world's 23rd-most populous nation and covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres (471,445 square miles). The coldest place on mainland South Africa is Buffelsfontein in the Eastern Cape, where a temperature of −20.1 °C (−4.2 °F) was recorded in 2013. See also You need to have in mind the huge variety of places you can find. (1984). Breyten Breytenbach was jailed for his involvement with the guerrilla movement against apartheid. Raymond Dart identified the first hominin fossil discovered in Africa, the Taung Child (found near Taung) in 1924. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation. Despite government efforts to encourage entrepreneurship in biotechnology, information technology and other high technology fields, no other notable groundbreaking companies have been founded in South Africa. [89] This is hotter, drier and less intensely cultivated than the Highveld above the escarpment. [77] In a 2006 survey, the South African Migration Project concluded that South Africans are more opposed to immigration than any other national group. South Africa has played a key role as a mediator in African conflicts over the last decade, such as in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Comoros, and Zimbabwe. About fifty-seven million people live there. [45] Vrijburgers who became independent farmers on the frontier were known as Boers, with some adopting semi-nomadic lifestyles being denoted as trekboers. South Africa - South Africa - Languages: The Black African population is heterogeneous, falling mainly into four linguistic categories. Table Mountain, one of the iconic landmarks of South Africa, is one of the oldest mountains in the … In 1878 and 1879 three British attacks were successfully repelled until Garnet Wolseley defeated Sekhukhune in November 1879 with an army of 2,000 British soldiers, Boers and 10,000 Swazis. The capital is N’Djamena. Raymond Dartidentified the first hominin fossil dis… Despite opposition both within and outside the country, the government legislated for a continuation of apartheid. III, p. 655. [43] Some of the earliest mixed race communities in the country were formed between vrijburgers, enslaved people, and indigenous peoples. There are several species of water-storing succulents, like aloes and euphorbias, in the very hot and dry Namaqualand area. The executive, legislature and judiciary are all subject to the supremacy of the Constitution, and the superior courts have the power to strike down executive actions and acts of Parliament if they are unconstitutional. The country is a middle power in international affairs; it maintains significant regional influence and is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations and G20. Mzansi, derived from the Xhosa noun uMzantsi meaning "south", is a colloquial name for South Africa,[25][26] while some Pan-Africanist political parties prefer the term "Azania".[27]. [80] While xenophobia in South Africa is still a problem, recent violence has not been as widespread as initially feared. For centuries South Africa’s official languages were European – … [45], Great Britain occupied Cape Town between 1795 and 1803 to prevent it from falling under the control of the French First Republic, which had invaded the Low Countries. [211], The adult literacy rate in 2007 was 88.7%. Religious Demography", "In South Africa, many blacks convert to Islam / The Christian Science Monitor", "Muslims say their faith growing fast in Africa", "National adult literacy rates (15+), youth literacy rates (15–24) and elderly literacy rates (65+)", "Peoples Budget Coalition Comments on the 2011/12 Budget", "Motsoaledi to reform private health care", "What does the demand for healthcare look like in SA? The fourth chapter of the Constitution of South Africa, states that "The seat of Parliament is Cape Town, but an Act of Parliament enacted in accordance with section 76(1) and (5) may determine that the seat of Parliament is elsewhere. Many of the unofficial languages of the San and Khoekhoe peoples contain regional dialects stretching northwards into Namibia and Botswana, and elsewhere. [109] The country's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan does not mention fungi (including lichen-forming fungi). The coastal belt, below the Great Escarpment, moving clockwise from the northeast, consists of the Limpopo Lowveld, which merges into the Mpumalanga Lowveld, below the Mpumalanga Drakensberg (the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment). By the early 17th century, Portugal's maritime power was starting to decline, and English and Dutch merchants competed to oust Lisbon from its lucrative monopoly on the spice trade. These systems have been widely criticised due to their large capital and operating costs. [151] In 2017, South Africa signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.[153]. [46] Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, it was formally ceded to Great Britain and became an integral part of the British Empire. [112] South Africa is one of the worst affected countries in the world when it comes to invasion by alien species with many (e.g., black wattle, Port Jackson willow, Hakea, Lantana and Jacaranda) posing a significant threat to the native biodiversity and the already scarce water resources. The region further north is known as Namaqualand,[96] which becomes more and more arid as one approaches the Orange River. [41][42] In time, the Cape became home to a large population of vrijlieden, also known as vrijburgers (lit. It has been in power ever since. This relatively well-watered area is home to a great proportion of the country's commercial farmlands and contains its largest conurbation (Gauteng). Readers Digest Association, Cape Town, Atlas of Southern Africa. [67][68], In the late 1970s, South Africa initiated a programme of nuclear weapons development. Even so, these numbers make the Jewish community in South Africa the twelfth largest in the world. South Africa has many major ports including Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth that allow ships and other boats to pass through, some carrying passengers and some carrying petroleum tankers. Linathi: The name is derived from “Linathi igama le Nkosi”, meaning the name of the Lord is with us. [223], A 2008 study revealed that HIV/AIDS infection in South Africa is distinctly divided along racial lines: 13.6% of blacks are HIV-positive, whereas only 0.3% of whites have the virus. The Union was a dominion that included the former territories of the Cape, Transvaal and Natal colonies, as well as the Orange Free State republic. These measures were later extended to international sanctions and the divestment of holdings by foreign investors. [209] South African Muslims describe their faith as the fastest-growing religion of conversion in the country, with the number of black Muslims growing sixfold, from 12,000 in 1991 to 74,700 in 2004. The climatic zones range from the extreme desert of the southern Namib in the farthest northwest to the lush subtropical climate in the east along the border with Mozambique and the Indian Ocean. The sailors were able to survive by obtaining fresh water and meat from the natives. p. 19. The legally institutionalised segregation became known as apartheid. There are eleven official names of South Africa, one in each of its eleven official languages. These countries have formed a currency union which makes the Rand legal tender in the mentioned countries. There are even smaller reserves of forests that are out of the reach of fire, known as montane forests. South Africa first won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which it hosted. [227], After the 2009 general elections, former president Jacob Zuma appointed Dr Aaron Motsoaledi as the new health minister and committed his government to increasing funding for and widening the scope of HIV treatment,[228] and by 2015, South Africa had made significant progress, with the widespread availability of antiretroviral drugs resulted in an increase in life expectancy from 52.1 years to 62.5 years.[229].
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