South Africa, located at the southern tip of Africa, covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometers (471,445 square miles) and has a population of over 63 million people, making it the 6th most populous country in Africa. The name "South Africa" is derived from the country's geographic location.
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.
The first known people were the indigenous Khoisan, and Bantu-speaking peoples who migrated, in waves, from west and central Africa to the region 2,000 to 1,000 years ago. Settlements of Bantu-speaking peoples, who were iron-using agriculturists and herdsmen, were present south of the Limpopo River (now the northern border with Botswana and Zimbabwe) by the 4th or 5th century AD. As they migrated, these larger Iron Age populations displaced or assimilated earlier peoples.
In 1652, the Dutch established the first European settlement at Table Bay, forming the Dutch Cape Colony. Its invasion in 1795 and the Battle of Blaauwberg in 1806 led to British occupation. The region was further colonised, and the Mineral Revolution saw a shift towards industrialisation and urbanisation. Following the Second Boer War, the Union of South Africa was created in 1910 after the amalgamation of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River colonies, becoming a republic after the 1961 referendum.
The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation. After a largely non-violent struggle by the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid activists both inside and outside the country, the repeal of discriminatory laws began in the mid-1980s. South Africa held its first universal elections in 1994, which the ANC won by an overwhelming majority. It has been in power ever since.
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Demographics and Ethnic Distribution
South Africa's demographics are complex, shaped by its history of colonialism and apartheid. The population is diverse, with several distinct ethnic groups.
All South Africans concentrate in Gauteng, the economic heart of the country. Coloured and white South Africans both make up around 9% of the population, according to the 2011 census. For generations white South Africans enjoyed better educational and economic opportunities than any other population group. They were also never subject to any law that restricted where they were allowed to live.
Coloured people are descended from the Khoi and San, from slaves brought to the Cape Colony from 1658 onwards, and from a mixture of all the people of the Cape - African, European and more - before racial classification was a thing.
A map showing population density in South Africa.
Indian South Africans, by contrast, are the smallest minority - just 2.5% of the population. They are concentrated in the city of Durban, and to a lesser extent in Cape Town and the urban areas of Gauteng. The first Indians were brought to Cape Town as slaves in 1684, during the Dutch colonial era.
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Why South Africa is still so segregated
Here is a table summarizing the approximate population distribution by race in South Africa:
| Race Group | Approximate Percentage of Population | Geographic Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| Black Africans | ~80% | Various regions, including Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape |
| White South Africans | ~9% | Historically more concentrated in urban areas, but now dispersed |
| Coloured | ~9% | Western Cape and Northern Cape |
| Indian South Africans | ~2.5% | Primarily in Durban, with smaller populations in Cape Town and Gauteng |
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in South Africa can be found at the World Bank DataBank. This site uses cookies to optimize functionality and give you the best possible experience.
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