SOUTH AFRICA

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$765.6 billion (2017 est.)

Provinces

Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

Languages

English, Afrikaans, Ndeble, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Dam

Gariep Dam on the Orange River.

Highest Point

Injesuthi (in Drakensberg Mountains, in KwaZulu-Natal Province, bordering Lesotho).

Deserts

Kalahari Desert extends into Namibia

Lakes

Lake St. Lucia - in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. It is the largest estuarine lake in South Africa. Lake Sibayi - part of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO WHS. Kosi Lake - part of Simangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Peaks

Mafadi, Njesuthi, Ntheleli, Lithobolong, Trojan Wall

Independence

May 31st, 1910 from United Kingdom

Capital

Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative)

Official Name

Republic of South Africa

South Africa completely surrounds which 2 countries

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini.

Waterfalls

Tugela Falls- On the Tugela River, 2nd tallest waterfall in the world, after Angel Falls, Venezuela. It is located in the Drakensberg Mountains of Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Augrabies Falls on the Orange River.

Coastal Features

Wreck Point, Cliff Point, North Point, St. Helena Bay, Saldanha Bay, Dasseneiland, Robben Island, Cape of Good Hope, False Bay, Table Bay, Cape Hangklip, Walker Bay, Danger Point, Quoin Point, Cape Agulhas, Struis Bay, Mossel Bay - famous for its shark attacks, Cape St. Blaize, Cape Seal, Cape St. Francis, Cape Recife, St. Francis Bay, Algoa Bay, Mhlatuze Lagoon

Former Name

Zuid-Afrika.

Ethnic Groups

black, white, mixed Indians

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Plateau

Central Plateau

Religions

Christianity, animist

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

1. Cape Floral Region - Has 20% of the Africa's flora --Near Cape Town --The Cape Floral Region has been recognised as one of the most special places for plants in the world in terms of diversity, density and number of endemic species. The property is a highly distinctive phytogeographic unit which is regarded as one of the six Floral Kingdoms of the world and is by far the smallest and relatively the most diverse. 2. Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa The Taung Skull Fossil Site, part of the extension to the site inscribed in 1999, is the place where in 1924 the celebrated Taung Skull - a specimen of the species Australopithecus africanus - was found. Makapan Valley, also in the site, features in its many archaeological caves traces of human occupation and evolution dating back some 3.3 million years. Rising star Cave system in Makapan valley Is the cradle of human kind 3. iSimangalisco Wetland Park-- in Kwazulu Natal Province. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is one of the outstanding natural wetland and coastal sites of Africa. iSimangaliso contains four Ramsar sites [St. Lucia Lake System (ii) Turtle Beaches/Coral Reefs of Tongaland) (iii) Kosi Bay Lake System (and (iv) Lake Sibaya that recognize the ecological functions of wetlands as well as their importance as resources of economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value.

Physcial Regions

1. Great Karoo -The Great Karoo straddles the 30° S parallel on the west of the continent, in a similar position to other semi-desert areas on earth, north and south of the equator. 2. Little Karoo - The Little Karoo is separated from the Great Karoo by the Swartberg Mountain range. 3. Bushveld, - The Bushveld, is a basin characterized by open grasslands with scattered trees and bushes. The Bushveld has extensive deposits of platinum and chromium and significant reserves of copper, fluorspar, gold, nickel, and iron. 4. Highveld - The Highveld is the portion of the South African inland plateau which has an altitude above roughly 1500 m, but below 2100 m, thus excluding the Lesotho mountain regions to the south-east of the Highveld. It is home to some of the country's most important commercial farming areas, as well as its largest concentration of metropolitan centers. 5.Lowveld - The South African portion of the coastal strip between the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, Drakensberg and the ocean, together with the Limpopo River valley, is called the Lowveld. These lowlands, below about 1,640 ft altitude, form South Africa's northern border with Botswana and Zimbabwe

Largest Cities

1. Johannesburg - Capital of Gauteng province, seat of constitution and court of South Africa, in the Highveld, part of the city is located in Witwatersrand Mountains on the Jukskei and Klip Rivers. It is served by the O. R. Tambo International Airport, Africa's busiest airport. A separate city from the late 1970s until the 1990s, Soweto is now part of Johannesburg. 2. Cape Town: the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament it is also the legislative capital of the country and is located on the shore of Table Bay. Table Mountain, with Devil's Peak and Lion's Head on either side, together form a dramatic mountainous backdrop enclosing the central area of Cape Town. trees planted in its streets, parks and gardens. 3. Durban - aka eThekwini - Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa and the largest city of the Kwazulu Natal province- one of the biggest cities of Africa on the Indian Ocean, and has the 'Golden Mile' a major tourist attraction. The Golden Mile is the popular stretch of beachfront in the city of Durban, South Africa, including the promenade that runs along with it. It also has the uShaka Marine World. It is the largest Indian city outside India. (Largest city on Indian Ocean is Mumbai, 2nd largest is Karachi and 3rd largest is Chennai, India). (Largest City in Africa on the Indian Ocean is Dar-e-Salaam.)

National Parks

1. Kruger NP is the first NP in South Africa and the NP covers a greater area than Israel. 2. The Garden Route National Park is a national park in the Garden Route region of South Africa. 3. The Karoo NP in Western Cape. 4. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - in Botswana and S Africa. 5. Namaqua NP in Northern Cape, S Africa.

Rivers

1. Orange River: The Orange River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Namibia and between South Africa and Lesotho. 2. Limpopo - Boundary with Botswana and Zimbabwe. Limpopo River, rises as the Krokodil (Crocodile) River in the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and confluences with the Marico River to become the Limpopo River. Turning northeastward, the river forms the border with Botswana and Zimbabwe and then receives the Shashe river and flows to Mozambique, the mouth is in the town of Xai-Xai in the Indian Ocean. In the northeastern corner of South Africa, the river borders the Kruger National Park. 3. Vaal - Tributary of Orange River: is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The Vaal River forms the border between Mpumalanga Province, Gauteng Province and North West Province on its north bank, and the Free State Province on its south.

Lowest Point

Atlantic Ocean

Political Regions

Bushmanland -. Bushmanland was a bantustan in South-West Africa (present-day Namibia), intended by the apartheid government to be a self-governing homeland for the San people (the Bushmen). Despite this, a government was not established in the region. Bushmanland, like other homelands in South West Africa, was abolished in May 1989 at the start of the transition to independence. Namaqualand- This is the arid region northwards from approximately the 31°S line of latitude of South Africa, partly above and partly below the Great Escarpment. The region extends into Namibia, north of the Orange River, where it is known as "Great Namaqualand", or "Namaland". The South African portion of Namaqualand is known as "Little Namaqualand", and falls within the Northern Cape Province Stellaland - Today it is part of Botswana and South Africa. Zululand - The area is currently part of the Republic of South Africa as KwaZulu-Natal, one of the country's nine provinces, and a large portion of the territory is made up of wildlife reserves and a major contributing source of income is derived from tourism - the area is known for its beautiful savanna covered hills and stunning views.

Capes

Cape Agulhas, Cape of Good Hope

Other Facts

South Africa is a country with diverse populations and eleven official languages, including the Dutch associated Afrikaans. Robben Island - Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his prison life here. Pollsmoor Prison - Nelson Mandela spent 7 years Victor Verster Prison - Mandela spent 2 years It's the 7th largest producer of gold in the world, and the 4th largest exporter of gold after Switzerland, China, USA. It is the largest producer and exporter of manganese in the world. It is the 2nd largest producer of titanium after Australia. South Africa is extremely rich in mining and minerals and considered the world's leader with nearly 90% of all the platinum metals on earth and around 41% of all the world's Gold! The South African Rovos Rail is considered the most luxurious train in the world.

CURRENCY

South African Rand

Mountains

Soutpansberg Mountains, Langberg Mountains, Drakensberg Mountains (includes Njesuthi and Giants Castle), Roggeveld Mountains -located in the Northern Cape,

most populous, least populous, largest area and smallest provinces

The 3 most populous provinces are 1. Gauteng 2. Kwazulu natal 3. Western Cape The least populous province is Northern Cape. By size, these are the 3 largest provinces: 1. Northern Cape 2. Eastern Cape 3. Free State By area the 3 smallest are 1. Gauteng 2. Mpumalanga 3. Kwazulu Natal

Flag

The flag of South Africa was adopted on 27 April 1994, at the beginning of South Africa's 1994 general election, to replace the flag that had been used since 1928.

Which is South Africa's only active volcano.

The volcano forming Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands, which last erupted in 2004, is South Africa's only active volcano.