Official Name: Republic of South Africa

Alternate Names: South Africa

Former Names: Union of South Africa

Capital City: Pretoria

Flag: The Sotuh African flag has an upper band of red and lower band of blue with a black triangle at the hoist. Separating these three colors is a green sideways Y with a band of gold between the black triangle an green Y and a band of gold between the red and the Y and also between the blue and Y.

Date of Independence: May 31, 1910

National Anthem: Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

Population: 49,052,489

Size/Area: 1,219,912 sq km - slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land Locked: No

Coastline: 2,798 km

Bordering Countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe

Administrative Divisions: 9 provinces - Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape

Major Cities: Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg

Languages: English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Pedi (Sotho Nord), Sotho (Sotho Sud), Swati (Swazi), Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Religions: Zion Christian (11.1%), Pentecostal/Charismatic (8.2%), Catholic (7.1%), Methodist (6.8%), Dutch Reformed (6.7%), Anglican (3.8%), Muslim (1.5%), other Christian (36%), other (2.3%), unspecified (1.4%), none (15.1%)

Major Holidays: New Year's Day, Human Rights Day (Mar 21), Good Friday, Family Day (Monday after Easter Sunday), Freedom Day (Apr 27), Workers Day (May 1), Youth Day (June 16), 9 August National Women's Day (Aug 9), Heritage Day (Sept 24), Day of Reconciliation (Dec 16), 25 December Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill (Dec 26)

Currency: Rand

Currency Code: ZAR

Highest Point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Bordering Bodies of Water: Atlantic Ocean

Climate: Most Sotuh Africa has warm, sunny days and cool nights. Rainfall generally occurs from November through March.

Major Industries: mining (platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

Major Agricultural Products: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

Natural Resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

Time Zone: UTC +2

Tribes of Africa eBook


This eBook is the most complete listing of African tribes available on the internet. The first section of this book is the tribes sorted alphabetically by country. The second section is the tribes sorted alphabetically by tribe name.