Facts and Statistics About South Africa As A Country ... its geography and climate
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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Geography of South Africa ... Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Geographic coordinates: 29 00 S, 24 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 1,219,912 sq km
land: 1,219,912 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward
Island)
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,862 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km,
Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline: 2,798 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny
days, cool nights
Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal
plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m
Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese,
nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper,
vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 12.08%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.13% (2001)
Irrigated land: 13,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: prolonged droughts
Environment - current issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes
requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in
water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural
runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil
erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost
completely surrounds Swaziland
source http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/sf.html
