South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, is renowned for its varied topography, great natural beauty, and cultural diversity. All of these elements have made the country a favored destination for travelers since the legal ending of apartheid in 1994.
South Africa is a stunning country in Southern Africa with a population of over 64 million people in 470,693 square miles.
A Brief History
South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological and human-fossil sites in the world. Archaeologists have recovered extensive fossil remains from a series of caves in Gauteng Province. The area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been branded "the Cradle of Humankind".
These finds suggest that various hominid species existed in South Africa from about three million years ago, starting with Australopithecus africanus, followed by Australopithecus sediba, Homo ergaster, Homo erectus, Homo rhodesiensis, Homo helmei, Homo naledi and modern humans (Homo sapiens). Modern humans have inhabited Southern Africa for at least 170,000 years.
About 24,000 years ago, tribes of hunter-gatherers known as the San, or Bushmen, began moving into South Africa. Many San still live, much as their ancestors did, around the Kalahari Desert in the northwest.
Read also: History of the Rainbow Nation's Flag
In 1487, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias led the first European voyage to land in southern Africa. In 1595, the Dutch made their first contact with the coast of Southern Africa.
In 1652, the Dutch established the first European settlement at Table Bay, Dutch Cape Colony. Its invasion in 1795 and the Battle of Blaauwberg in 1806 led to British occupation.
In 1806, wars in Europe left the British in control of the Cape Town colony. During the early 19th century, many Dutch settlers departed from the Cape Colony, where they had been subjected to British control, in a series of migrant groups who came to be known as Voortrekkers, meaning "pathfinders" or "pioneers". They migrated to the future Natal, Free State, and Transvaal regions.
In 1910, the British united four colonies in the region and created South Africa. The South Africa Act 1909 granted nominal independence while creating the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910. 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.
They established laws that separated whites from black South Africans, a practice of segregation called apartheid, which led to decades of conflict. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation.
Read also: Exploring South African Flag Size
In 1963, Nelson Mandela, head of the anti-apartheid African National Congress, was given a life sentence in jail for "terrorist" activities.
Eventually forced to confront the untenable nature of ethnic separatism in a multicultural land, the South African government of F.W. de Klerk (1989-94) began to repeal apartheid laws.
In 1990, after 27 years behind bars, Mandela was freed by President F.W. de Klerk. That process in turn set in motion a transition toward universal suffrage and a true electoral democracy, which culminated in the 1994 election of a government led by the Black majority under the leadership of the long-imprisoned dissident Nelson Mandela.
South Africa held its first universal elections in 1994, which the ANC won by an overwhelming majority. It has been in power ever since.
Today, South Africa is a multiracial democracy that has been working to fulfill Mandela’s dream of equality and reconciliation.
Read also: The UoSA Flag: A Historical Overview
As this transition attests, the country has made remarkable progress in establishing social equity in a short period of time.
APARTHEID 46 YEARS IN 90 SECONDS - BBC NEWS
Geography and Landscape
Most of South Africa's landscape is made up of high, flat areas called plateaus. These lands are covered with rolling grasslands, called highveld, and tree-dotted plains called bushveld.
To the east, south, and west of the plateau lands is a mountainous region called the Great Escarpment. The eastern range, called the Drakensberg, or Dragon's Mountain, is filled with jagged peaks, some more than 11,400 feet (3,475 meters) high.
Interestingly, South Africa has another country within its borders. Nestled in the Drakensberg is the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho. Much of South Africa's water comes from the snowcapped peaks of this tiny, landlocked nation.
South Africa is bordered by Namibia to the northwest, by Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, and by Mozambique and Swaziland to the northeast and east. Lesotho, an independent country, is an enclave in the eastern part of the republic, entirely surrounded by South African territory.
South Africa’s coastlines border the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.
People and Culture
Many different peoples make up South Africa, each with their own language and history. The country has 11 official languages, and many more unofficial languages. This colorful mix of cultures gives South Africa its nickname "rainbow nation."
South Africans are passionate about music, often using song and dance to express social and political ideas. They’re also known worldwide for their skill in sports, including rugby, cricket, golf, and soccer. In 2010, South Africa became the first African nation to host the World Cup.
Cities and Capitals
South Africa has three cities that serve as capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). Johannesburg, the largest urban area in the country and a center of commerce, lies at the heart of the populous Gauteng province. Durban, a port on the Indian Ocean, is a major industrial center.
Johannesburg is South Africa's most populous city.
Wildlife and Nature
From aardvarks to zebras, South Africa is full of wildlife. The country takes up only about one percent of Earth's land surface, but is home to almost 10 percent of the world's known bird, fish, and plant species and about 6 percent of its mammal and reptile species.
The seas around South Africa are also crowded with wildlife. About 2,000 marine species visit South African waters at some point during the year. There's also a world-famous sardine run off the east coast each June that draws thousands of hungry sharks, dolphins, and birds.
South Africa works to preserve its wildlife with dozens of protected land and marine areas, including the famous Kruger National Park in the north, as well as nearly 9,000 privately-owned game reserves throughout the country.
Economy
Today South Africa enjoys a relatively stable mixed economy that draws on its fertile agricultural lands, abundant mineral resources, tourist attractions, and highly evolved intellectual capital.
Challenges
Greater political equality and economic stability, however, do not necessarily mean social tranquility. South African society at the start of the 21st century continued to face steep challenges: rising crime rates, ethnic tensions, great disparities in housing and educational opportunities, and the AIDS pandemic.
Key Facts About South Africa
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Area | 1,221,037 square kilometers (471,445 square miles) |
| Population | Over 64 million |
| Official Languages | 11 (including Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, and English) |
| Currency | Rand (ZAR) |
| Capitals | Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) |
| Most Populous City | Johannesburg |
| Famous Landmarks | Table Mountain, Drakensberg range, Blyde River Canyon, Cape of Good Hope |
Popular articles:
tags: #Africa
