South Africa’s Former Name
Dutch traders founded the country in 1652 on their route to the Far East. Before attaining independence, South Africa was known as the ‘Union of South Africa Republic’ (Central Intelligence Agency, 2004).
History of the Country
The Sans and the Khoikhoi, also known as the “Bushmen”, were the earliest people in South Africa. Their primary economic activity was hunting and mining (History and Heritage 2014). In 1910, the British government intruded into the land and forged a regime with a British governor and the Queen. Consequently, the country was split into four states: the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State, the Transvaal Republic, and, at long last, the Colony of Natal. The country did its first multi-racial elections in 1994, which paved the way for the majority rule under the ANC government (Central Intelligence Agency, 2004).
Continent where located
Africa
Name of the capital and the largest city
Capital-Pretoria
Largest City-Johannesburg
Size of the country
1,219,090 sq. km
The climate of the country
Semi-arid, subtropical along the east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Environmental issues in the country
Lack of important arterial rivers, water and air pollution, soil erosion and desertification.
The population size of the country
48,375,645 Million peolpe
Sex ratio of males to females in the country
0.99 male(s)/female
Age groups and age distribution among the country’s population
0-14 – 28.3%,
15-24 – 20.2%,
25-54 – 38.2%,
55-64 – 7.1%,
65 and over – 6.2%
Population growth of the country
Annual Growth Rate in Country: -0.48%
Birth Growth Rate in Country: 18.94/1000
Fertility Growth Rate in Country: 2.23 children born/woman
Net Migration Rate in Country: -6.27 /1000 population
The death rate in the country
Number of Deaths Per Thousand in Country – 17.49 deaths/1,000 population
Infant Mortality Rate in Country – 41.61/1000 live births
Life expectancy rate in the country (in years)
Life Expectancy at Birth in Country
Male – 60.97
Female – 67.93
Life expectancy for the total population of the country – 49.56 years
Life Expectancy for Males in Country – 50.52 years
Life Expectancy for Females in Country – 48.58 years
Ethnic groups in the country (actual number and population percentage)
Number of racial groups in the country
4
Name and size of racial groups in the Country
80.7% Black
8.8% Coloured
7.9% White
2.6% Asian
Religious groups in the country (population)
Protestants, Muslims, Catholics, and others
Names and Size of Religious Groups in Country
The major religious groups are Protestants – 36.6%, Muslims – 1.5%, Catholics – 7.1%, and others – 2.5%.
Languages spoken in the country
Zulu, isxhosa, Afrikaans, English, Sepedi, Sotwana, Sesotho, and Sitsonga.
Percentage of the population speaking each language
Zulu – 22.7%, Xhosa – 16%, Afrikaans – 13.5%, English – 6.5%, Sepedi – 9.1%, Sotwana – 8%, Sesotho – 7.6%, Sitsonga – 4.5%,
References
History and Heritage 2014. A Short History of South Africa, Viewed on September 30th 2014, <http://www.Southafrica.info/about/history/history.htm#.VCqCxlcr_Fx>
Central Intelligence Agency. (2014). South Africa. The World Factbook. Viewed on 30th September 2014, <http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-Factbook/geos/sf.html>