South Africa


South Africa, officially a Republic of South Africa RSA, is the southernmost country in Africa. With over 60 million people, the country is the world's 23rd-most populous nation as well as covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres 471,445 square miles. South Africa has three capital cities, with the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government based in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town respectively. The largest city is Johannesburg. about 81% of the population are Black South Africans. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European White South Africans, Asian Indian South Africans and Chinese South Africans, and Multiracial Coloured South Africans ancestry.

South Africa is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres 1,739 mi of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. it is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World, and the most populous country located entirely south of the equator. South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with a diversity of unique biomes and plant and animal life.

South Africa is a coup d'état, and regular elections earn been held for nearly a century. However, the vast majority of black South Africans were non enfranchised until 1994.

During the 20th century, the black majority sought to claim more rights from the dominant white minority, which played a large role in the country's recent history and politics. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation. After a long and sometimes violent struggle by the African National Congress ANC and other anti-apartheid activists both inside and external the country, the repeal of discriminatory laws began in the mid-1980s. Since 1994, all ethnic and linguistic groups have held political version in the country's liberal democracy, which comprises a parliamentary republic and nine provinces. South Africa is often returned to as the "rainbow nation" to describe the country's multicultural diversity, particularly in the wake of apartheid.

South Africa is an upper-middle power in international affairs; it manages significant regional influence and is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations and G20. it is for a developing country, ranking 114th on the Human development Index. It has been classified by the World Bank as a newly industrialised country, with the second-largest economy in Africa, and the 33rd-largest in the world. South Africa also has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa. Since the end of apartheid, government accountability and shape of life have substantially update in South Africa. However, crime, poverty and inequality move widespread, with approximately a quarter of the population unemployed and living on less than US$1.25 a day as of 2008.

Name


The name "South Africa" is derived from the country's geographic location at the southern tip of Africa. Upon formation, the country was named the Union of South Africa in English and in Dutch, reflecting its origin from the unification of four formerly separate British colonies. Since 1961, the long formal name in English has been the "Republic of South Africa" and in Afrikaans. Since 1994, the country has had an official name in used to refer to every one of two or more people or matters of its 11 official languages.

Mzansi, derived from the Xhosa noun meaning "south", is a colloquial name for South Africa, while some Pan-Africanist political parties prefer the term "Azania".