Work did by Carolina Amorim and

Filipa Miguel, 7th B

 SOUTH AFRICA
Area: 1.2 million sq. km.
(470,462 sq. mi.).
Cities: Capitals--
administrative, Pretoria;
legislative, Cape Town; judicial,
Bloemfontein. Other
cities:Johannesburg, Durban,
Port Elizabeth.
Terrain: Plateau, savanna,
desert, mountains, coastal
plains.
Climate: moderate;
comparable to southern
California.
SOUTH AFRICA
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--South
African(s).
Population (2010): 49.99 million.
Composition:black 79.4%; white 9.2%;
colored 8.7%; Asian (Indian) 2.7%. (2010 Mid-
Year Population Estimate Report at
Annual population growth rate (2009): 1.2%.
Languages: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele,
isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana,
siSwati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga (all official
languages).
Religions: Predominantly Christian; traditional
African, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish.
Education: Years compulsory--7-15 years of
age for all children. The South African Schools
Act (Act 84), passed by Parliament in 1996,
aims to achieve greater educational
opportunities for black children. This Act
mandated a single syllabus and more equitable
funding for schools.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2010)--47 per
1,000 live births. Life expectancy--55.2 yrs.
women; 53.3 yrs. men. (Health data from 2010
Mid-Year Population Estimate Report.
South Africa, on the
continent's southern tip, is
bordered by the Atlantic
Ocean on the west and by
the Indian Ocean on the
south and east. Its neighbors
are Namibia in the
northwest, Zimbabwe and
Botswana in the north, and
Mozambique and Swaziland
in the northeast. The
kingdom of Lesotho forms an
enclave within the southeast
part of South Africa, which
occupies an area nearly
three times that of California.
The southernmost point of
Africa is Cape Agulhas,
A Cape
located in the Western
Province about 100 mi (161
km) southeast of the Cape of
Good Hope.
WILD LIFE
South Africa has a large variety of wildlife, including snakes, birds,
plains animals, and predators. The country has 299 species of
mammals and 858 species of birds.
 • Whichever classification is used, some 10% of the world's
flowering species are found in South Africa, the only
country in the world with an entire plant kingdom inside its
borders: the Cape Floristic Kingdom, which contains 8
SOUTH AFRICA - PLANTS 600 species, 68% of them endemic. The Cape Peninsula
alone boasts more plant species than the whole of Great
South Africa's large areas of semi-
Britain.
desert scrub and grassland might
suggest a certain poverty of plant
life. Aside from the fact that a tract
of pristine grassland can hold up to
60 grass species, nothing could be
further from the truth.
There are five major habitat types
in South Africa: fynbos, forest,
Karoo, grassland, and savannah.
The country can also be divided
into seven biomes, or ecological life
zones, with distinct environmental
conditions and related sets of plant
and animal life: Nama Karoo,
succulent Karoo, fynbos, forest,
thicket, savanna, and grassland.
 SOUTH AFRICA
CULTURE
• The mingling and melding in South
Africa's urban areas, along with the
suppression of traditional cultures during
the apartheid years, means that the old
ways of life are fading, but traditional
black cultures are still strong in much of
the countryside. Across the different
groups, marriage customs and taboos
differ, but most traditional cultures are
based on beliefs in a masculine deity,
ancestral spirits and supernatural forces.
In general, polygamy is permitted and a
lobolo (dowry) is usually paid. Cattle play
an important part in many cultures, as
symbols of wealth and as sacrificial
animals.
• The art of South Africa's indigenous populations can be
one of the only ways to connect with lost cultures. Rock
and cave paintings by the San, some of which date
back 26,000 years, are a case in point. In other cases,
such as the elaborate 'coded' beadwork of the Zulus,
traditional art has been adapted to survive in different
circumstances. Zulu is one of the strongest surviving
black cultures and massed Zulu singing at Inkatha
Freedom Party demonstrations is a powerful
expression of this ancient culture. The Xhosa also have
a strong presence; they are known as the red people
because of the red-dyed clothing worn by most adults.
The Ndebele are a related group, who live in the north-
western corner of what is now Mpumalanga in strikingly
painted houses.
NELSON MANDELA – SOUTH AFRICA’S HEROE
• Nelson Mandela is one of the world's most revered statesmen,
who led the struggle to replace the apartheid regime of South
Africa with a multi-racial democracy.
• Jailed for 27 years, he emerged to become the country's first black
president and to play a leading role in the drive for peace in other
spheres of conflict. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
• His charisma, self-depreciating sense of humour and lack of
bitterness over his harsh treatment, as well as his amazing life story,
partly explain his extraordinary global appeal.
• Since stepping down as president in 1999, Mr Mandela has become South
Africa's highest-profile ambassador, campaigning against HIV/Aids and
securing his country's right to host the 2010 football World Cup.
NELSON MANDELA – SOUTH AFRICA’S HEROE

• Mr Mandela - diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 - was

also involved in peace negotiations in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Burundi and other African countries.
• He has also encouraged peace efforts in other areas of the
world.
• In 2004, at the age of 85, Mr Mandela retired from public life
to spend more time with his family and friends and engage in
"quiet reflection".
• "Don't call me, I'll call you," he warned anyone thinking of
inviting him to future engagements.
 FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 – SOUTH
AFRICA

The World Cup of 2010, there was also this

beautiful country: South Africa!
Johannesburg was the scene of this event, in
which Spain won the day!
 BEACHES
• South Africa boasts some of the finest beaches in the
world. From the pristine coastal stretch of Cape Vidal in
KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern Cape's famous Wild Coast,
from the penguin colony of Boulders Beach to sun-
drenched Camps Bay in the Western Cape … when it
comes to beaches, we win, hands down.
• Their beaches are much more than a haven for sun-
worshippers and surfers. There's so much to see and do
along our dramatic coastline, including a range of
wonderful multi-day coastal hikes. Here's a quick
rundown on some of the best beaches in South Africa.