“I have such a deep affection for South Africa because of the spirit of the people. Its the land that most stimulates and inspires me. Its like no place I have ever been.”
-Oprah Winfrey
The people
Affectionately called
The Rainbow Nation (coined by Desmond Tutu)
Not 1, not 2, but… 11 Official languages
- Afrikaans
- English
- Xhosa
- Zulu
- Southern Ndebele & Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, & Venda
Ethnic groups
- 79.4% Black
- 9.2% White
- 8.9% Coloured
- 2.5% Asian
Population
2008 estimate 47.9 million
The culture
Religion
According to the latest 2001 national census, Christians accounted for 79.7% of the population. Islam accounted for 1.5% of the population, Hinduism about 1.3%, and Judaism 0.2%. The rest were “unidentified” – whatever that means.
African indigenous churches were the largest of the Christian groups. It was believed that many of these persons who claimed no affiliation with any organized religion adhered to traditional indigenous religions. Many peoples have syncretic religious practices combining Christian and indigenous influences.
Government
Constitutional democracy since 1994
Currency
ZAR or South African Rand
Drives
On the left side of the road
The landscape
Land size
South Africa is the 25th-largest country in the world (after Mali).
It is comparable in size to Colombia.
Climate
The climatic zones vary, from the extreme desert of the southern Namib in the farthest northwest to the lush subtropical climate in the east along the Mozambique border and the Indian ocean.
Creation
Its the only place on earth where a great white shark jumps out of the water! Home to lions, penguins, elephants, cape buffalo, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, and anything your safari or underwater heart desires.
