Facts and Statistics About South Africa As A Country ... Communications
Background: After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.
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Communications South Africa Telephones - main lines in use: 4.844 million (2002), Telephones - mobile cellular: 16.86 million (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment: the system is the best
developed and most modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables,
microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone
communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are
Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and
Pretoria
international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave
1 (1998)
Radios: 17 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations: 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 6 million (2000)
Internet country code: .za
Internet hosts: 288,633 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 150 (2001)
Internet users: 3.1 million (2002)
Transportation South Africa
Railways: total: 22,298 km
narrow gauge: 21,984 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 314 km
0.610-m gauge
note: includes a 2,228 km commuter rail system (2003)
Highways: total: 362,099 km
paved: 73,506 km (including 2,032 km of expressways)
unpaved: 288,593 km (2000)
Pipelines: condensate 100 km; gas 1,052 km; oil 847 km; refined products
1,354 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port
Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha
Merchant marine: total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 31,505 GRT/37,091
DWT
by type: container 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2
registered in other countries: 7 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Denmark 1, Netherlands 1
Airports: 728 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 144
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 51
914 to 1,523 m: 67
under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 584
1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 300
under 914 m: 250 (2004 est.)
source http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/sf.html
