South Africa is known as one of the most cultural countries in Africa, however, this area of \u200b\u200blocal life is divided into multi-colored halves. Even the earliest South Africans possessed artistic talents, as evidenced by the rock paintings on the walls of the caves. In literature, theater and cinema, the white minority has achieved great success. World famous writers Nadine Gordimer (Nobel laureate 1991), Alan Payton and John Coetzee (2003 Nobel Prize and two more Booker), playwright Aetol Fugard, filmmakers Jamie Weiss, Neil Blomkamp and Gavin Huth, not to mention movie star Charlize Theron. The luminary of adventure prose Wilbur Smith is no less closely associated with South Africa, although he does not belong to its natives. Black citizens are strong in music: they have had their say in a variety of genres, from spirituals to hip-hop, and have won prestigious awards many times.
The names of the microsurgeon Christian Barnard - the author of the first human heart transplant - and a whole galaxy of paleoanthropologists are inscribed in the history of science.
For over 100 years, the natives of South Africa have successfully competed in world-class sporting events. Their greatest successes so far have been achieved in athletics, swimming and rugby. The country hosts Formula 1 races, and in 2010 hosted the world football championship.
Kitchen
Each of the local peoples took part in the setting of the national table. Aboriginal people offer exotics like fried grasshoppers or penguin legs, as well as nutritious corn and millet dishes. English cuisine is represented by steaks, which are cooked in South Africa not only from beef: ostrich and crocodile meat are ordinary meat here. Runaway Huguenots back in the 17th century. brought the traditions of French cuisine to South Africa, and the port cities of the country smell of Asian spices. Once the Dutch brought slaves here from Indonesia, then Indian and Chinese coolies appeared on the Cape. Asians couldn't live without rice, curry and assorted noodles - now all this can be found in restaurants in Cape Town and Durban. The Boer Kitchen preserves the memory of the Great Trek. Constant movement in hot climates required supplies that were not afraid of long storage. This is how the biltong was invented (Biltong) - jerky, flavored with spices. Now it is considered the same symbol of South Africa as Table Mountain or Kruger Park. Having settled on a farm, the boer paid tribute to fresh food, but preferred to cook outdoors. This is why South Africa is so famous for its barbecue - Brawlace. (Braaivleis, or Braai)... In addition to tenderloin, burvars are fried on charcoal (Boerwors), something like our "hunting sausages". The third of the whales on which the Boer cuisine stands is called Potiecos. (Potjekos) - This thick concoction of meat, potatoes and vegetables is cooked in a pot directly on hot coals or on a three-legged stand over the fire.
Society
Twenty years have passed since the fall of apartheid, but the country is still divided along racial lines, and many whites have generally chosen to move abroad. Although N. Mandela, an icon of resistance and a convict with 25 years of experience, was a supporter of reconciliation of the nation, his presidency in South Africa became an analogue of our "dashing 90s". The degree of social tension increases the presence in the country of poor migrants from neighboring states, who took advantage of the weakening of the border regime under the same Mandela. "Natural apartheid" is most visible in cities. And if Cape Town, as a port city, has been cosmopolitan from time immemorial, then Johannesburg is clearly divided into the "white" north and "black" south. The danger of acquaintance with crime in South Africa is greatly exaggerated, but, alas, it exists. Do not walk alone in the evening. If you are modestly dressed, not hung with gold, and not waving your iPad, then the chances of surviving are dramatically increased.
South Africa is a multinational country: there are 11 official languages \u200b\u200bonly! South Africans and their guests are helped by the fact that all residents of the country (except for the very primitive) speak english.
South African National Park Service
The first nature reserve was established in Boer South Africa in 1898. The decree was signed by President Paul Kruger, whose name is now the oldest and largest national park in South Africa. The legal status of protected areas was finalized in 1926, and at the same time an agency appeared in the country responsible for the protection and use of national parks. Now administered by the South African National Park Service (South African National Parks, SANParks, + 27-012-4265000; www.sanparks.org) there are 20 parks with a total area of \u200b\u200bmore than 3 million hectares - from the southernmost African Cape Agulhas to Mapungubwe on the border with Zimbabwe. The oldest conservation organization on the continent is headquartered in Pretoria with offices throughout the country. In some provinces of South Africa, reserves are run by their own services. Thus, the parks Shlushluve-Umfolozi and Isimangalizo are the patrimony of the KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Service (KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Service, + 27-033-845-1000 / 1002; www.kznwildlife.com)and Cape Nature is in charge of the Western Cape.
North South Africa
The best natural spots of the North-East of South Africa are located within the provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. Transport in this part of the country is well established and geared towards travelers from Johannesburg or Pretoria. Nelspruit is well suited as a base for the Kruger Park, and it is more convenient to get to Shlushluwe-Umfolozi and Isimangalizo from Durban. Northern section of the Drakensberg ridge (Drakensberg Mountains) equally well accessible from both Joburg and Durban, while the center of the massif is closer to Durban.
The abbreviation "p." Is used to denote the South African currency - rand. - do not confuse with rubles.
Long and narrow (360 x 65 km) Kruger Park occupies the northeastern corner of South Africa on the border with Mozambique and Zimbabwe. 50 km from the southwest corner of the park is the large city of Nelspruit (Nelspruit)connected to Joburg by highway no. 4. This motorway runs along the entire southern border of the park and ends at the border crossing Ressano Garcia (Ressano Garcia)... In 2009 Nelspruit was renamed Mbombela (Mbombela), but this name does not take root well. Near Joburg Park Station (from King George St.) you can easily find a bus that goes to Nelspruit. Flights are operated as large carriers (Intercape - 2 flights a day from 240 rubles; Greyhound - 3 flights a day, all morning, 260 rubles; Citiliner - from 185 rubles.)as well as local companies - for example, CityBug (www.citybug.co.za; departure from Melville, 4 pm, 360 p.)... The journey takes about 6 hours, so morning flights are preferred. You can also get to Kruger by train: Shosholoza Meyl departs from Joburg three times a week (Mon. Wed, Fri; 18.10, only seats), goes through Pretoria and arrives at Nelspruit at 4 a.m. the next morning (70 p.)... Destination - the town of Komatiport (Komatipoort, 150 rubles, arrives 6.38) on the southern border of the Kruger. It is right next to the Crocodile Bridge park gate (Crocodile Bridge Gate) and two campgrounds. North of Nelspruit is Kruger-Mpumalanga Airport (Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, MQP)where flights fly from Joburg and other major cities in South Africa. South African Airways flies 4 times a day, tickets from 1279 rub.
There are many hotels and travel companies in Nelspruit offering daily trips to the Kruger. It will be even more convenient to spend the night in Hazyview (Hazyview) 50 km to the north: in this town there are no less opportunities to organize a safari, but to the two nearest park gates Pabeni and Numbi (Phabeni Gate, Numbi Gate) only 12-15 km. Main gate Kruger (Kruger Gate) located 47 km east of Hazyview. It will also serve as a base for your trip to the High Veld border. (Drakensberg Escarpment)... Minibuses to Hazyview depart from the bus station, which in Nelspruit is located between the railway station and the Nelspruit Plaza shopping center (corner of Henshall St. and Andrew St.; 1 hour en route, about 20 p.).
South African Airways fly from Kruger Mpumalanga Airport to Durban daily (1-2 trips per day, 1 hour 15 minutes on the way, from 1895 rubles)... There are no direct large buses between Nelspruit and Durban, but CityBug has a shuttle twice a week (www.citybug.co.za; Sonpark BP, Thu and Sun, departures 7:00, arrives 16:00, RUB 560)... There are many buses from Joburg to Durban daily (approx. 5 hours on the way, 400 rubles)and Shosholoza Meyl has three weekly trains in this direction (Mon, Tue and Thu, 6 pm, 8 pm on the way, from 130 rubles)... From 6.00 to midnight from the airport. O. Tambo, planes of different airlines fly to Durban (a total of about 30 flights, 1 hour 10 minutes on the way, from 630 rubles)... Huge Durban is located about 200 km from the Drakensberg Mountains (west of it) and 270 km from Isimangalizo / Shlushluve-Umfolozi (northeast)... To visit these places it is better to use intermediate bases - in the first case it will be Winterton (Winterton, 195 km), in the second - Mtubatuba (Mtubatuba, 250 km)... You can also get to Shlushluve-Umfolozi from Ulundi (Ulundi, 240 km from Durban)where is the airport (Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Airport, ULD, Federal Air operates from Pietermaritzburg, + 27-011-3959000; www.fedair.com, Mon-Fri, 2 flights, RUB 1200)... Ulundi is located 36 km west of the nearest gate of the Umfolozi reserve (Cengeni Gate)... Have Baz Bus (www. bazbus.com) there is a route Pretoria / Joburg - Durban - Joburg / Pretoria with stops in Pietermaritzburg (Pietermaritzburg, southern Drakensberg), Winterton (center of Drakensberg) and Bergville (array north)... Baza buses start at 7.30 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, collecting passengers from the budget hotels in Pretoria and Johannesburg. At 9:15 am, the car goes southeast and reaches the Drakensberg Mountains by noon. The trip ends in Durban at about 19.00 and costs 290 rubles. Buses return on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays (also at 7.30)... You can leave at any point on the route - the price does not change.
East South Africa
The eastern edge of South Africa, from the Elephant Coast in the north to Sunny Beach in the south, is a chain of wide white beaches interrupted by rivers and forests approaching the ocean. Freeways stretch along the sea, to which the centers of civilization - Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth are tied (this is not counting small settlements)... Durban is as good a starting point for a route as Cape Town is a finishing one. Just remember that there are many people who want to relax on the coast, and the peak season falls on the second half of December and the first half of January. The warmest of all is from October to April, while our summer on the coast of South Africa reigns southern winter: the water temperature on the South Coast drops below + 19 ° C, south of East London becomes even colder. Rains, alas, are possible at any time of the year.
Cape Town and surroundings
The inhabited land ends here, but such a “end of the world” cannot be called sad: a blue sea, a bright sun, and under it a beautiful city surrounded by harsh, but no less beautiful mountains.
In South Africa, Cape Town is respectfully called "Mother" (Mother City)... The country's oldest city was founded in 1652 by Jan van Riebeck, the first governor of the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope. At first the town was called Kapstadt and little by little it was overgrown with suburbs. Every Cape Dutchman wanted land, but working on it himself was difficult. Therefore, for the first 150 years of its history, Kapstadt grew at the expense of Asian and African slaves, whose blood was mixed with the blood of the masters and European sailors who dropped anchors at the Table Bay. When Kapstadt became Cape Town (this happened in 1806), the British abolished slavery, after which the merger of races went even faster. By the end of the XIX century. a special type of inhabitant of the Cape colony was formed - a southern, hot and swarthy man. The British, who came to their senses, began to settle the townspeople according to their skin color, justifying these measures by sanitary necessity - in fact, this is how apartheid was invented. Even now the city is considered the capital of the country's white minority, but Cape Towns seem to be unwilling to do so. The South African parliament is sitting in Cape Town, culture is flourishing, and the main event of recent years has been the games of the 2010 World Cup.
The change of seasons on the Cape is the same as elsewhere in South Africa - from May to August it is cool, from September to April it is warm, and in our winter months it is simply hot. The difference between the coastline is that the ocean prevents the air from cooling and heating up too much. Spring is very pleasant - the eve of local winter (not more than +23 ° С and not lower than -15 ° С).
Cape Town is considered more prosperous and safer than all other cities in South Africa, however, it is not recommended to open your mouth on the streets here, especially in the evenings.
The tourist information center operates a couple of blocks from the train station (Cape Town Tourist Information Center, Pinnacle Building, corner of Burg St. and Castle St., 0 + 27-021-4876800; 8.00-18.00, Sat to 14.00, closes 1 hour earlier in Apr-Sep).
Visa
To visit South Africa, Russians need a visa, which, alas, cannot be opened when crossing the border. The South African Embassy is located in Moscow (Granatny lane, 1, bld. 9, 495-9261177; www.saembassy.ru, Mon-Fri 9.00-12.00) and for a single entry tourist visa requires the following:
- Application form completed in English in black ballpoint pen.
- Two passport-size color photographs (3.4 x 4.5 cm) on matte paper.
- A passport that expires at least 30 days after the end of your planned visit. At least 2 pages of the passport must be free of marks.
- Copies of the completed pages of the civil passport.
- An invitation from a South African travel agency with a detailed description of the route or confirmation of payment for the hotel for the entire trip.
- A certificate from work indicating the position, salary and proof of vacation for the duration of the trip.
- Confirmation of solvency: a statement from the bank detailing account transactions (map) for the last 3 months.
- Paid air ticket (There and back again).
- Payment of the consular fee in the amount of 1800 rubles.
If you are planning to enter South Africa from other African countries, you will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
The processing time for a South African visa is 5 working days, it is issued for the duration of the trip.
No special vaccinations are required, but you must be vaccinated against yellow fever if you enter South Africa after visiting one of the outbreaks of yellow fever. These include Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. South Africa's closest neighbors are Angola and Zambia. Even if you just went to look at Victoria Falls from the Zambian coast, but received a stamp in your passport, South Africans will require a certificate.
Transport
South Africa is the only African country where transport reaches the level of the best world standards. Main local airports:
- International airport. Oliver Tambo (OR Tambo International Airport, JNB, inquiries + 27-011-9216262, + 27-086-7277888, www.acsa.co.za) in Johannesburg.
- Cape Town International Airport, CPT, inquiries + 27-086-7277888; www.airports.co.za) in the extreme south of the country.
- King Shaka International Airport, DUR, inquiries + 27-032-4366585, + 27-0867277888; www.kingshakainternational.co.za). Also known as La Mercy Airport. Opened in 2010, located 35 km north of Durban, and named after the Zulu king Shaki (Chucky)... Serves domestic lines, as well as flights to Mozambique, Zambia and about. Mauritius. Emirates fly from major international airlines to Durban (from Dubai).
- There are a lot of local airports, airfields and landing sites in the country. South African Airways is the most famous local flyer. (+ 27-011-9785313 6:00 am - 10:00 pm South African time; www.flysaa.com)... It is a national airline with a solid fleet and worldwide geography of flights. Getting from Cape Town to Joburg costs from 1667 rubles. with all fees. This is the highest price, so it makes sense to turn to low-cost airlines;
- Kulula.com (+ 27-0861585-852; www.kulula.com)... The first airline of its kind in South Africa, established in 2001, Connects Johannesburg (OR Tambo and Lanseria), Cape Town, Durban, George (George) and Port Elizabeth. The flight from Joburg to Cape Town costs from 722 rubles.
- Mango (+ 27-01 1-0866100; www.flymango.com)... "Daughter" of SA Airways, flies between Joburg (OR Tambo and Lanseria), Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Durban. The flight from Joburg to Cape Town costs from 997 rubles.
The first rails in African history were laid in 1860 in the Cape Colony. South Africa's main railway line connects Cape Town and Johannesburg, minor lines go from Joburg to Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Comatiport (Komatipoort) and Musin (Musina)... The choice of trains is small, but sufficient, for example:
- Shosholoza Meyl and Premier Classe (as well as the Metroraif trains) owned by the state-owned Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)... Shosholoza Meyl Trains (+ 27-011-7744555, + 27-0860008888, www.shosholozameyl.co.za) comfortable, safe and popular. Rates change throughout the year: cheaper in summer, more expensive in winter. The amount and schedule must be specified upon purchase. Train classes vary - Tourist ("tourist") allows sleeping in a compartment, a Economy ("economic") equipped with seating only. Children are transported for half the price of an adult ticket (in the tourist, the discount is given for children under 10 years old, in the economic one - under 5 years old)... Smoking is prohibited on the trains, luggage is limited to 50 kg. Premier Classe Trains (in Joburg + 27-011-773878, in Cape Town + 27-021-4492252; www.premierclasse.co.za) more comfortable and expensive.
A separate South African theme is luxury "hotels on wheels":
South Africa has a network of suburban rail lines served by cheap Metrorail electric trains (www.metrorail.co.za)... Cape Town and Johannesburg, and to a lesser extent Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London, are enmeshed in a rail web. Metrorail is also divided into classes: there are "superior" trains (MetroPlus) and "business express" (morning and evening)... Conditions on commuter trains vary from city to city - they are relatively safe in Cape Town and other southern cities, while in Durban and especially in Joburg they are notorious. The authorities are working on this problem, but in the meantime, you can use the new Gautrain in Joburg.
The busiest way to travel in South Africa is by bus, but the quality of the roads makes the passenger's lot easier. Leaders are:
The listed companies operate regular flights between the cities of South Africa. In contrast, Baz Bus (+ 27-021-4392323, wwww.bazbus.com) specializes in serving budget tourists. Ticket "in-out" (Hop-on Hop-off) gives the right to go in one direction or another with any number of stops. At the same time, you are dropped off and picked up at the door of a temporary dwelling - among Baz's partners there are 180 cheap hotels in 40 cities of South Africa. "Stopped in and out" from Cape Town to Pretoria costs 2900 rubles. (one way, with a refund 4400 rubles)... You can also buy a travel card (Travel pass) for 7, 14 and 21 days - it costs 1200, 2100 and 2600 rubles, respectively.
Currency
The national currency of South Africa is called the rand (Rand, ZAR) - just not "rand", because the word is not English. The name comes from the Witwatersrand mountains: from gold mined in their depths in the 19th century. the first coins of the Boer republics were minted. The modern rand was introduced in 1961, and money issued since 2005 will certainly fall into your hands - they depict the animals of the Big Five (10 rubles - rhinoceros, 20 rubles - elephant, 50 rubles - lion, 100 rubles - buffalo, 200 rubles - leopard).
There are also 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent coins in circulation, as well as 1, 2 and 5 rand. Due to inflation, coins of 1 and 2 cents have already disappeared, and the next step is 5 cents. There are 5 randoviki depicting Nelson Mandela, released on the 10th anniversary of the first free elections. In South Africa, this is the first case of the appearance of a state official on the money since 1994. In 2012, Mandela's face appeared on "pieces of paper" (animals remained on the reverse of the banknotes).
South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that continues to mint gold coins. They are called Krugerrands (Krugerrand) and are available in 4 denominations of different weights. The most common is 1 troy ounce (33.93 g), there are still 1/2, 1/4 and 1/10 oz. The obverse of the coins depicts the Boer President P. Kruger, after whom they are named. Krugerrands are more expensive souvenirs and a way of investing money than money itself. You can buy coins in special shops SCOINShop (South African Gold Coin Exchange; + 27-0861724653; www.sagoldcoin.co.za), the cost is set in US dollars and depends on the world prices for the "yellow metal".
Regular rand is officially accepted in Swaziland and Lesotho (they form a single currency area with South Africa), and behind the scenes - in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Communication
Mobile communications are excellently developed. Major cellular service providers in South Africa are Vodacom (www.vodacom.co.za), MTN (www.mtn.co.za) and Cell C (www.cell.co.za)using the GSM-900/1800 standard. The tariffs for international calls are about the same for everyone, they do not charge money for incoming calls. If you call infrequently, then 100 rubles. on the account may well be enough for 10 days. International SMS costs from 1.60-1.74 rubles. SIM sales points can be found everywhere, starting from the airport (on a prepaid system from 10 rubles, you can immediately put money into the account and register the number)... If you don't have a phone, you can rent it from an operator (or buy a contract that includes a cheap "pipe"), A foreign phone in South Africa is subject to registration - for this you need to know its IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity, dial * # 06 # and the desired number will appear on the screen).
You can also call abroad from South Africa from an ordinary street payphone (green - using a card purchased in a supermarket, blue with the words "Coin" - using coins)... To go abroad, dial 00 and the country code.
There are many internet cafes in the country (from 25-30 rubles / 1 hour, you can find the point on the website www.internetcafedirectory.co.za), where you can transfer a photo from a USB flash drive to a blank disc and print the required web page. In addition to hotels, there are free Wi-Fi hotspots in restaurants and shopping malls, so you can make Skype calls from your own phone.
Help
The Russian Embassy in South Africa is located in Pretoria, 50 km from Joburg Pretoria 0102, Brooks St., 316, MenloPark; + 27-012-3621337; www.russianembassy.org.za; closed on Russian holidays). Reception is conducted on weekdays from 8.30 to 11.30, if necessary, you can call the consul on duty: + 27-0761514598.
Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Cape Town (Norton Rose House, 8 Riebeek St., 12th Floor, + 27-021-4183656 / 57; Duty Consul + 27-082-3740518; www.russiacapetown.org.za)... Represents the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens in the three Cape provinces of South Africa - Western, Eastern and Northern. Located in the city center, reception from 9:00 to 12:00, except weekends and holidays.
Emergency telephone numbers: police - 1011, from mobile 0 112, medical assistance - 10177, + 27-0831999 (air), + 27-080-0111990. In cities: Johannesburg (center) + 27-011-3755911, Pretoria (24h.) + 27-012-3582111, 012-4277111; Durban + 27-031-3372200 (sea rescuers); Cape Town - + 27-021-4182852 (police), +27-021-4493500 (sea rescuers), +27-021-9489900 (mountain rescuers).
There are about 600 nature reserves in South Africa, but the country is rather big and there is also enough space for hunters. The hunting of large animals has never been prohibited here; moreover, it has been lovingly cultivated. Hunting concessions (Game farms) border on reserves, but their territory is not encroached upon. With a license, you can hunt any wild animals, but there are some restrictions. So, rhinos, large predators and some other species are inaccessible when it comes to healthy animals that are in their natural habitat and do not belong to those specially bred in hunting farms. Even if the predator is a threat, it must be shot by authorized persons. It is allowed to walk a large animal only with non-automatic rifled weapons with a caliber of at least 22, and smooth-bore weapons are allowed only when hunting birds. Pistols, automatic and pneumatic weapons are prohibited. During the hunt, a car can only be used to deliver shooters to the border of the concession, to track down animals, and also in cases where the hunter is sick or over 65 years old. Aircraft, searchlights, dogs, baits, paddocks, traps, poisons and tranquilizers are prohibited. You can shoot from a crossbow in South Africa, but not at animals prohibited for prey. A foreigner wishing to hunt in South Africa must have a license - the organizing company is engaged in its registration in advance (Hunting outfitter)... You will be able to get only those animals and only in the amount indicated in the license. The weapon is allowed to be used again according to the license. The document must be with you during the hunt. Only citizens of South Africa can organize safari for guests of the country, and during the fishing they must be accompanied by a local professional hunter.
Hunting in South Africa is carried out by many companies that are well represented on the Web. The price of the issue is on average about $ 600 per day, excluding the cost of exporting trophies (Trophy fee, from $ 200 per head - this is how much it costs, for example, a baboon or a jackal)... Clients are divided into hunters and observers (Observer)that don't shoot. For the latter, participation in the hunt is half the price.
South Africa.
The name of the country is due to the geographical location of the country.
South Africa area... 1,221,000 km2.
Population of South Africa... 46000 thousand people
Administrative divisions of South Africa... The state is divided into 9 provinces.
Form of government of South Africa... Republic.
Head of State of South Africa... The president.
Supreme Legislature of South Africa... Bicameral Parliament - National Assembly and National Council of Provinces.
Supreme Executive Body of South Africa... Government.
Ethnic composition of South Africa... 77% are Africans, 12% are Europeans and their descendants, 11% are Asians.
South African currency... Rand \u003d 100 cents.
South Africa climate... On the territory of the state, 20 are traced. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Natal province is distinguished by an elevated, which is inherent in a hot tropical. The Cape Town area is characterized by dry, hot summers and mild winters. For the rest of the state, the climate is typical. The climate in South Africa is more than in other countries located at the same latitudes, this is explained by the sufficient height above sea level and the proximity of ocean currents. most falls in the east (1000-2000 mm per year), least of all - by (less than 100 mm).
Flora South Africa... The flora of South Africa is rich - at least 20,000 plant species grow here. From here, many flowers that are now common in were once taken out - among them geranium, gladiolus, daffodil. The Cape Town area is home to over 5,000 plant species that no longer grow in any country in the world. A silvery tree has survived, the flower of which is the national symbol of South Africa. The main part of the country is.
Fauna of South Africa... Among the representatives of the animal world of South Africa - elephant, rhinoceros, zebra, lion, giraffe, cheetah, aardvark, antelope, hyena, golden eagle, tarsier, various species of birds. and lakes. The largest rivers are and. Sights. In Cape Town - the Castle of Good Hope, the South African Museum, where archaeological finds in the vicinity are presented and samples of rock art of the Bushmen.
Useful information for tourists
Gratuities in the restaurant are 10-12% of the total order value (including drinks), porter service is from 2 to 5 rand per piece of luggage, guide-driver is 15-20 rand per person per day of work. No vaccinations are required unless you are planning a trip to the northeastern regions (areas where the anopheles mosquito is spread). Long-sleeved clothing and insecticides are recommended as well as taking antimalarial drugs. Malaria mosquitoes are most active at dusk. Air conditioners and fans also reduce the risk of mosquito bites.
South Africa (South Africa) (Afrikaans Republiek van Suid-Afrika; English Republic of South Africa) is a state located in the southern part of the African continent. In the north it borders with Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, in the northeast with Mozambique and Swaziland. Within the territory of South Africa is the enclave state of Lesotho.
South Africa is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Africa and has the largest proportions of white, Indian and mixed populations on the continent. The country is rich in mineral resources and is also the most economically developed on the continent and has a relatively strong global position.
The most important point in the history and politics of South Africa was the racial conflict between the black majority and the white minority. It reached its culmination after the establishment of the apartheid regime (from Afrikaans apartheid) in 1948, which lasted until the 1990s. The initiator of the introduction of discriminatory laws was the National Party. This policy led to a long and bloody struggle, in which black activists such as Steve Biko, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela played a leading role. Later they were joined by many white and colored (descendants of a mixed population), as well as South Africans of Indian descent. Pressure from the international community also played a role in the collapse of apartheid. As a result, the change in the political system took place relatively peacefully: South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa (and, more broadly, the entire third world), where a coup d'etat has never happened.
“New South Africa” is often called “Rainbow Country”, a term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu (and endorsed by Nelson Mandela) as a metaphor for a new, multicultural and multiethnic society that overcomes divisions dating back to the apartheid era.
South Africa is a country that developed nuclear weapons and subsequently voluntarily renounced them.
Geography
South Africa is located at the southern tip of Africa. The coastline is 2,798 km long. South Africa has an area of \u200b\u200b1,219,090 km² and is the 24th largest country in the world (after Mali). The highest point in South Africa is Mount Njesuti in the Drakensberg Mountains.
South Africa has a variety of climatic zones, from the dry Namib desert to the subtropics in the east near the border with Mozambique and the Indian Ocean coast. In the east, the area rises rapidly to form the Drakensberg Mountains and into a large inland plateau called the veld.
The interior of South Africa is a vast, relatively flat and sparsely populated area known as the Karoo, which dries up as it approaches the Namib Desert. On the contrary, the east coast is perfectly humid and has a climate close to tropical. In the extreme southwest of the country, the climate is extremely Mediterranean-like, with rainy winters and hot, dry summers. There is the famous finbos biome. It is here that South African wine is mainly produced. The region is also known for the constant winds that blow throughout the year. This wind in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Cape of Good Hope is so strong that it caused many inconveniences to sailors and led to shipwrecks. Further to the east, precipitation falls more evenly, so this region is better equipped with vegetation. It is known as the "Path of the Gardens".
The Free State Region is a particularly flat area located in the heart of a high plateau. North of the Vaal Veld River is better humidified and not exposed to too high temperatures. Johannesburg, located in the center of the veldt at an altitude of 1740 meters, receives 760 mm of precipitation per year. In these places, winters are cold, although snow rarely falls.
To the north of Johannesburg, the high plateau of the veld passes into the bushveld, a region of dry mixed forests lying relatively low above sea level. To the east of the high veldt, the low veldt, which is characterized by high temperatures, descends to the Indian Ocean; intensive farming is carried out in this region. From the southeast, the veld is bounded by the high Drakensberg Mountains, where you can even go skiing. It is often believed that the coldest place in the country is Sutherland in the west of the Roggeveld Ridge, where in winter the temperature can reach -15 °, but in fact the lowest temperatures are recorded in Baffelsfontein (Eastern Cape) - -18.6 °. The highest temperatures are found inland, with 51.7 ° C recorded in the Kalahari near Upington in 1948.
Official titles
Due to the fact that 11 languages \u200b\u200bare recognized as state languages \u200b\u200bin South Africa (the third country in terms of the number of languages \u200b\u200bafter India and Bolivia), South Africa has 11 official names:
- Republiek van Suid-Afrika (Afrikaans)
- Republic of South Africa (English)
- IRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika (South Ndebele)
- IRiphabliki yaseMzantsi Afrika (braid)
- IRiphabliki yaseNingizimu Afrika (Zulu)
- Rephaboliki ya Afrika-Borwa (North Soto)
- Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa (Sesotho)
- Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa (tswana)
- IRiphabhulikhi ye Ningizimu Afrika (Swazi)
- Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe (Venda)
- Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga (Tsonga)
History
Man appeared on the territory of the country in ancient times (as evidenced by the finds in caves near Sterkfontein, Kromdray and Makapanshat); however, there is very little reliable information about the early history of this region. Before the arrival of the Bantu tribes (they reached the Limpopo River in the north of the country in the middle of the 1st millennium AD), this territory was inhabited by nomadic cattle-breeding tribes Koi-Koi (Hottentots) and gatherers-Bushmen (San). Bantu farmers moved southwestward, destroying or assimilating the local population. Archaeological evidence of their presence in the current province of KwaZulu-Natal dates back to around 1050. By the time the Europeans arrived, the area of \u200b\u200bthe Cape of Good Hope was inhabited by the Koi-koi, and the Bantu (Kosa tribes) had already reached the banks of the Great Fish River.
The first written mention of the permanent settlement of Europeans dates back to April 6, 1652, when Jan van Riebeck, on behalf of the Dutch East India Company, founded a settlement on the "Cape of Storms", later called "Good Hope" (now Cape Town). In the 17th and 18th centuries, colonists from the Netherlands arrived in South Africa, as well as French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in their homeland, and settlers from Germany. In the 1770s. the colonists encountered the scythe advancing from the northeast. A series of clashes ensued, known as the border ("kaffir") wars, mainly caused by the claims of white settlers on African lands. Slaves from other Dutch possessions, in particular from Indonesia and from Madagascar, were also brought to the Cape Colony. Many slaves, as well as the autochthonous population of the Cape, mingled with the white colonists. Their descendants are called "Cape Colored" and now account for up to 50% of the population in the Western Cape.
British colonization
Great Britain first gained dominance over the Cape Colony in 1795, during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: then the Netherlands fell under the rule of Napoleon, and the British, fearing that the French would gain control of this strategically important region, sent an army to Kapstad under the command of General James Henry Craig to seize the colony on behalf of Stadtholder William V. The governor of Kapstad did not receive any instructions, however, agreed to obey the British. In 1803, the Peace of Amiens was concluded, under which the Batavian Republic (that is, the Netherlands, as they began to be called after the French conquest) left the Cape Colony for itself. After the resumption of war in 1805, the British decided to seize the colony again, and as a result of the battle on the slopes of Table Mountain in 1806, British troops under the command of David Byrd entered the Kapstad fort.
The British strengthened their presence on the eastern border of the Cape Colony, fighting the scythe by building forts along the banks of the Great Fish River. To strengthen its power in these places, the British crown encouraged the arrival of settlers from the metropolis.
In 1806, under pressure from various forces within the country, the British Parliament banned slavery, and in 1833 this provision was extended to the colonies. Constant clashes at the borders, the abolition of slavery and other disagreements with the British forced many peasants of Dutch origin (called Boers, from the Dutch. Boer peasant) to go to the so-called Great Track inland, to the high plateau-veld. There, they encountered the Ndebele chiefdom, led by Mzilikazi, a former associate of Chaka, who fled to the west during the so-called Mfekane - the migration of peoples caused by internecine wars in Southeast Africa (modern province of KwaZulu-Natal). In the end, the Boers established their states, the Orange Republic and the Transvaal, in continental South Africa.
Anglo-Boer Wars
The discovery of rich diamond deposits (1867) and gold (1886) on the Witwatersrand led to the economic growth of the colony and an increase in capital outflow to Europe, a sharp increase in immigration to the Boer republics and a deterioration in the situation of the natives. These events, provoked and encouraged by the British government, eventually led to a conflict between the British and the Boers. In 1880-1881, the first Anglo-Boer war took place, during which the Boers were able to defend their independence largely due to Britain's disinterest in dragging it into a protracted colonial war, since the territories of the Orange Republic and the Transvaal were not of significant strategic interest at that time despite the discovery by that time of a diamond deposit in the Kimberley area. The "gold rush" in the rand (Johannesburg area) began after the first Boer War. It should also be noted that the British colonial troops were few in number during that period. So, the annexation of the Transvaal by Great Britain in 1877, which was the direct cause of the war, was carried out by an English detachment of only 25 people without a single shot. At the same time, the British established themselves in Natal and Zululand, winning the war against the Zulu. In 1899-1902, the second Boer War took place, in which the Boers, despite initial successes, still lost to the better trained and equipped British, who had an overwhelming numerical advantage. After the defeat of their semi-regular troops, the Boers, under the command of Christian De Wet, turned to guerrilla warfare tactics that the British fought by establishing a network of blockhouses, as well as collecting Boer women and children in concentration camps. Under the terms of the Fereniching treaty, the British agreed to pay the $ 3 million debt of the Boer governments. In addition, blacks were still denied the right to vote (except in the Cape Colony).
The war was reflected in the famous works of world literature - in the novel by L. Bussenar "Captain Rip the Head", where the Boers were presented as victims of the violent colonization policy of Great Britain, and in the historical work of A. Conan Doyle "The War in South Africa", which more defends the politics of the British (despite the author's efforts to be impartial, the book was used by the British government for propaganda purposes).
Creation of the Union of South Africa
After four years of negotiations, on May 31, 1910, the Union of South Africa was formed, which included the British Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal. He became the dominion of the British Empire. In 1914, South Africa entered the First World War. In 1934, the United Party was formed, which united the South African Party (pro-British) and the National Party (Boer). In 1939, it collapsed due to disagreements over whether South Africa should follow Great Britain into World War II - the right-wing National Party sympathized with the Third Reich and advocated sharp racial segregation.
South African independence
In 1961, the Union of South Africa became an independent republic (Republic of South Africa) that seceded from the Commonwealth of Nations, led by Great Britain. The withdrawal was also due to the rejection of the apartheid policy in South Africa by other members of the Commonwealth (South Africa's membership in the Commonwealth was restored in June 1994).
Apartheid and its aftermath
In 1948, the National Party won the general election and passed some very strict laws restricting the rights of the black population: the ultimate goal of this policy was to create a "South Africa for whites", while the blacks were supposed to be completely deprived of South African citizenship. During apartheid, blacks were effectively deprived of the following rights:
- The right to South African citizenship (in most cases this has become a privilege)
- The right to vote and be elected
- The right to freedom of movement (blacks were forbidden to go outside after sunset, and also to appear in "white" areas without special permission from the authorities, that is, in fact, they were forbidden to visit large cities, since they were in "white" areas)
- The right to mixed marriages
- The right to medical care (this right was not formally taken away from them, but they were prohibited from using medicine "for whites", while medicine "for blacks" was completely undeveloped, and in some areas it was completely absent)
- The right to cultural and entertainment leisure (the main cinemas and other entertainment establishments were in the "white" areas)
- The right to education (the main educational institutions were in the "white" areas)
- The right to be recruited (employers have been formally assigned the right to apply racial discrimination in recruiting)
Despite the end of apartheid, millions of black South Africans still live in poverty. This is due to the fact that, due to historical reasons in terms of education, social responsibility and labor productivity, the majority of indigenous black Africans at the current stage are objectively unable to meet the standards of a developed post-industrial society. The level of street crime is extremely high, including the percentage of serious crimes, however, the authorities refuse to give in to the wishes of society and introduce the death penalty. True, the social housing program has borne some fruit, improving the living conditions of many citizens, which has led to an increase in tax collection.
At the beginning of the XXI century, the problem of illegal migration also became very acute in South Africa. After the abolition of apartheid and a significant weakening of control on external borders, a stream of illegal immigrants poured into the country from Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique and other East African countries. In total in South Africa (at the beginning of 2008), according to various experts, from 3 to 5 million illegal migrants. The massive influx of foreigners is causing discontent among South African citizens. The claims against migrants are mainly that they take away jobs from the citizens of the country, agreeing to work for lower wages, and also commit various crimes.
In May 2008, massive South African protests against migrants took place in Johannesburg and Durban. Groups of the local population armed with truncheons, stones and cold weapons beat and killed migrants. During the week of riots in Johannesburg alone, more than 20 people were killed and thousands left their homes. The migrants were forced to hide from angry local residents in police stations, mosques and churches. The local police practically completely lost control over the situation and was forced to turn to the president of the country with a request to involve the army to restore order. On May 22, 2008, South African President Thabo Mbeki authorized the use of troops to suppress unrest in the country. For the first time since the abolition of apartheid, the South African army was used against the citizens of their own state.
Population
In terms of population, South Africa is in 25th place in the world - 49.1 million people live in the country (estimate as of July 2010).
Over the past two decades, the country's population has remained almost unchanged (a slight decrease), due to the high infection with HIV, as well as the decline in the number of whites.
Average life expectancy is 50 years for men, 48 years for women.
Ethno-racial composition (2001 census):
- black - 79%
- white - 9.6%
- colored (mostly mulattoes) - 8.9%
- indians and Asians - 2.5%
The religious composition of the population is rather motley - there is no absolute religious majority in the country, and adherents of various religions and worldviews live: adherents of the Zion churches (10%), Pentecostals (7.5%), Catholics (6.5%), Methodists (6.8 %), Dutch reformists (6.7%), Anglicans (3.8%), other Christians (36%), Muslims (1.3%), adherents of other religions (2.3%), undecided (1.4 %), atheists (15.1%). (2001 data).
Demography
One of the central problems is the massive spread of HIV infection (mainly among the black population), in which South Africa ranks first in the world (according to UN data published in 2003 and 2007), while South Africa is at fourth place (after Swaziland, Botswana and Lesotho). In total, about 5.7 million people are infected with HIV, which is 18.1% of the country's adult population (in 2007). Because of AIDS, the death rate in South Africa has long exceeded the birth rate (in 2010, the population decline was -0.05%, with an average fertility of 2.33 births per woman).
The number of whites in the country is gradually decreasing due to their emigration to North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand - in 1985-2005 about 0.9 million whites left South Africa, mainly under the age of 40 and their children. The share of the black population in South Africa is growing due to the influx of black emigrants from Zimbabwe.
Standard of living
The average income of the population is approaching the lower limit of the average world income. However, on the whole, the economic situation of society is extremely unstable. For a long time, the apartheid regime that reigned here and the preceding colonialism were reflected in the social and property stratification of society. About 15% of the population lives in the best conditions, while about 50% (mostly black) live in dire poverty, which may well be compared with the situation in the world's poorest countries. Not all residents have electricity and water supply, and poor sanitary conditions in many settlements contribute to the spread of various diseases. Such stark contrasts tend to strain the social environment. South Africa has a fairly high crime rate. It is mainly present in poor areas. The average life expectancy in the country is only 49 years (2008), but it has grown significantly since 2000, when it was 43 years. An unusual fact is that women have a shorter average life span than men.
State structure
South Africa is now a unitary state. The country's territory is divided into 9 provinces.
Until 1994, South Africa was a federation and was divided into 4 provinces: Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. This division reflected well the colonial past of South Africa.
In addition, from 1951 to 1994, the so-called bantustans existed in South Africa - autonomies reserved for the residence of certain nationalities. Outside the Bantustans, the rights of the black population were significantly limited. Four of them received "independence" (in this regard, their residents were deprived of South African citizenship), which, however, was not recognized by any state, except South Africa:
- Bophutatswana (tswana) - "independence" from December 6, 1977
- Transkei (spit) - "independence" from October 26, 1976
- Siskey (spit) - "independence" from December 4, 1981
- Venda (Venda) - "independence" from September 13, 1979
Pretoria is officially considered the "main" capital of South Africa, since the country's government is located there. The other two branches of government are located in the other two largest cities: the Parliament in Cape Town, the Supreme Court in Bloemfontein. They are also considered capitals. This is due to the fact that initially South Africa was a confederate state, and in this regard, with the formation of the Union of South Africa (from the British possessions with the capital in Cape Town, the Orange Free State with the capital in Bloemfontein and the South African Republic (Transvaal) with the capital in Pretoria) the authorities were evenly distributed over the capitals of the states included in it.
It is sometimes claimed that Pretoria was renamed Tshwana. This is not true: Tshwane is the name of a city municipality, an administrative unit below the province (in this case, the province of Gauteng). The municipality of Tshvane includes the cities of Pretoria, Centurion (formerly Verwoerdburg), Soshanguwe and a number of smaller regions.
Political regime
South Africa is a parliamentary republic. The president should rely on the support of parliament in almost all his decisions on most issues. A citizen of South Africa over 30 years old can become a presidential candidate.
South Africa has a bicameral parliament, consisting of the National Council of Provinces (upper house - 90 members) and the National Assembly (400 members). Members of the lower house are elected according to a proportional voting system: half of the deputies go on national lists, half on provincial lists. Each province, regardless of population, sends ten members to the National Council of Provinces. Elections are held every five years. The government is formed in the lower house, and the leader of the party that has received the majority in it becomes president (now Jacob Zuma holds this post). South Africa's current ruling party is the African National Congress, which received 65.9% of the vote in the 2009 general election and 66.3% of the vote in the 2006 municipal election. Its main rival is the Democratic Alliance party (16.7% in 2009; 14.8% in 2006). The leader of the Democratic Alliance is Helen Zille. The new National Party, the successor to the National Party, under which the apartheid system operated, was rapidly losing weight after 1994 and on April 9, 2005, it merged with the ANC. Also represented in parliament are the Freedom Inkata Party (4.6%), representing mainly Zulu voters, and the People's Congress (7.4%).
Right
The legal system of South Africa has absorbed the elements of three legal families distinguished today: Romano-Germanic, Anglo-Saxon and traditional. In general, Romano-Germanic law prevails in modern South Africa, that is, the rule of law over all legal decisions and a clear division of law into private and public is observed. The country has a Constitution adopted in 1996. It protects and guarantees all internationally recognized human rights. But South African law has not always been humane and tolerant. For a long time it was reinforced by discrimination against the black population, which was called "apartheid". As a result of the collapse of the political basis of apartheid and subsequent long processes in the 1990s, the South African legal system was completely revised, and all discrimination on the basis of race was excluded from it. In 1994, the Constitutional Court was established in the country.
Criminal law
The Republic of South Africa is one of the few countries where criminal law is based on the English model. It is not codified. The judicial system consists of the following instances: the Supreme Court of Appeal, high courts and magistrates' courts. The Supreme Court of Appeal is the main court in South Africa for criminal matters. It is located in Bloemfontein, the "judicial capital" of the country. Under the apartheid regime, there were separate local courts for the black population (“chief courts”), in which the judges were also predominantly black. At the same time, in the general court system, the overwhelming majority of judges were white. Particularly harsh penalties were provided for opponents of the political regime - up to the death penalty. It was allowed to detain people for 5 days without trial or investigation. After the fall of apartheid, many norms were revised. In 1994, the Internal Security Act was abolished, and in 1995 - the death penalty. Physical punishment of minors is still officially applied - in the form of flogging. With the revision of the legal system in the 90s, homosexual marriage was legalized in the country, making it the only country of its kind in Africa.
Economy and national economy
South Africa is the most developed on the African continent and at the same time the only country that does not belong to the Third World. GDP for 2008 amounted to $ 491 billion (26th in the world). GDP growth was at the level of 5%, in 2008 - 3%. The country is still not among the developed countries of the world, despite the fact that its market is actively expanding. In purchasing power parity it ranks 78th in the world according to the IMF (Russia 53rd), according to the World Bank 65th, according to the CIA 85th. Possesses a huge reserve of natural resources. Telecommunications, power engineering, and the financial sector are widely developed.
Currency: South African rand, equal to 100 cents. The coins are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents, 1, 2, 5 rands, banknotes - 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 rands.
Main imports: oil, foodstuffs, chemical products; exports: diamonds, gold, platinum, machinery, automobiles, equipment. Imports ($ 91 billion in 2008) exceed exports ($ 86 billion in 2008).
It is a member of the international organization of the ACP countries.
Work force
Of South Africa's 49 million people, only 18 million are able to work. Unemployed - 23% (in 2008).
65% of the working population is employed in the service sector, 26% in industry, 9% in agriculture (in 2008).
Extractive industry
South Africa owes its rapid development to the richness of natural resources. The mining industry accounts for about 52% of exports. Manganese, platinum group metals, gold, chromites, aluminoglucates, vanadium and zirconium are widely mined. Coal mining is very developed - in the use of coal for the production of electricity, South Africa ranks third in the world (due to the lack of oil, about 80% of South Africa's energy resources are based on the use of coal). In addition, reserves of diamonds, asbestos, nickel, lead, uranium and other important minerals are concentrated in the country.
Agriculture
Since most of the country has an arid climate, only 15% of its area is suitable for agriculture. However, it can be said that, unlike most other countries in Africa, where soil erosion occurs, this 15% is used wisely - for the purpose of soil protection and efficient agriculture, the advanced agricultural achievements of South Africa and the leading countries of the world are used. This has led to amazing results: South Africa fully meets domestic food needs, and is also one of the leading (and in some respects leading) suppliers of agricultural products - the country exports about 140 types of fruits.
Winemaking
In South Africa, there are three zones for winemaking. The Northwest (North Cape) and the East Coast (KwaZulu-Natal) are not considered sources of the best wines, as they have a very hot and dry climate. But Southwest South Africa (Western Cape) has a wonderful climate for winemaking.
Livestock
Meat and dairy production is concentrated in the north and east of the Free State province, in the interior of Hoteng province and in the southern part of Mpumalanga province. In the Northern and Eastern Cape, meat breeds are widespread. The arid territories of the Northern and Eastern Cape, the Free State and Mpumalanga have sheep breeding areas. Astrakhan skins are supplied to the world market.
Goats are bred in large numbers, mostly - 75% - Angora, whose wool is highly valued in the West (up to 50% of the world production of mohair is in South Africa). The other most common breed is the Boer goat, which is bred for meat. In terms of sheared goat hair (92 thousand tons per year), South Africa ranks 4th in the world.
Compared to such predominantly extensive subsectors as cattle and sheep breeding, poultry and pig breeding are more intensive and are common on farms near major cities - Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
In recent years - mainly in the province of the Free State - ostrich farming has been actively developing. Export from South Africa of meat, skin and feathers of this bird is gradually increasing.
Fishing
In terms of fish catch (about 1 million tons per year), South Africa takes the leading place in Africa. The main fishing objects are sardines, herring, hake, anchovy, sea bass, mackerel, cod, Cape salmon, mackerel, monkfish. In addition, shrimp, lobster, tuna, lobster, oysters, octopus, sharks, whose fins are in demand in the countries of Southeast Asia, as well as the Cape seal are caught. Fishing occurs mainly off the western coast of South Africa, washed by the Benguela Ocean Current, in a fishing area 200 nautical miles wide. About 40% of the catch comes from freshwater fish caught in the rivers Elands, Limpopo and others, as well as by breeding in artificial reservoirs.
Forestry
The main zone is the southern part of the KwaZulu-Natal province. Natural forests occupy 180 thousand hectares, that is, only 0.14% of the country's territory. Most of the commercial timber comes from plantations, which account for only 1% of the territory of South Africa. About half of the forest plantations are planted with pine, 40% with eucalyptus and 10% with mimosa. Yellow and ebony trees, Cape laurel, Assegai and Kamassi are also grown. Trees reach a marketable condition on average in 20 years - in contrast to trees growing in the Northern Hemisphere, where this process lasts from 80 to 100 years. The annual volume of timber supplied to the market is 17 million cubic meters. More than 240 woodworking and timber processing enterprises operate in South Africa.
Agriculture accounts for 35-40% of all exports and accounts for 5% of South Africa's GDP.
State economic policy
It is generally accepted that the main policy of the state is aimed at stabilizing the economy. According to statistics from The Heritage Foundation, the republic is in 57th position in the world in terms of economic freedom. South Africa has a relatively high income tax (up to 40% depending on the level of income).
Culture
South African culture is traditionally diverse. First of all, it is a combination of two cultures: traditional and modern.
Many indigenous peoples such as the Bantu, Bushmen and Gottengots contributed to it. Protea flower is the national symbol of South Africa.
Sport
South Africa has repeatedly held the South African Grand Prix: in the period 1934-1939 with the participation of the world's leading racers of the pre-war period, and from 1962 to 1993 already in the framework of the Formula 1 World Championship. World-class races have been held on the East London and Kyalami circuits. South African Jody Scheckter in 1979, playing for the Ferrari team, became the first and only Formula 1 world champion from Africa. And his compatriot Desiree Wilson at the wheel of Williams in 1980 became the first and only woman in history to win a Formula 1 race. True, the stage, held at the Brands Hatch track, was held within the framework of the British Formula 1 Championship.
Rugby and football are very popular sports in the country. So, in 2007, the national team of South Africa in rugby union (Sprinbox) became a two-time winner of the World Cup, beating the England national team with a score of 15: 6 in the final [source].
In 2010, South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup.
SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC
state in southern Africa. On May 31, 1910, the Union of South Africa was created, which included the self-governing English colonies (Cape, Natal) and the Boer republics (the Orange Free State and the Transvaal). On May 31, 1961, the country was proclaimed a republic, and on April 27, 1994, democracy triumphed in South Africa.
South African Republic. The capital is Pretoria. Population - 47.5 million people (1997). The population density is 39 people per 1 sq. km. Urban population - 62%, rural - 38%. Area - 1 223 404 sq. km. The highest point is Mount Engesuti (3446 m). Main languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Khosa (11 official languages \u200b\u200bin total). The main religion is Protestantism. Administrative division - 9 provinces. Currency: rand \u003d 100 cents. National holiday: Constitution Day - April 27. National Anthems: God Bless Africa and The Call of South Africa.
The territory of South Africa is located in tropical and subtropical zones. In the west, the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the south and east - by the Indian Ocean. In the northwest it borders on Namibia, which South Africa ruled in 1920-1966 under the mandate of the League of Nations. South Africa retained control over Namibia until 1990, when it gained independence. In the north, South Africa borders with Botswana, in the northeast with - Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland. The independent state of Lesotho is located on the territory of South Africa. On December 24, 1947 and January 4, 1948, Great Britain transferred its rights to the Marion and Prince Edward Islands in Antarctica to South Africa.
The capital of the country is Pretoria. Before the regime of multiracial democracy was established in South Africa in 1994, its territory was administratively divided into four provinces - Cape, Transvaal, Natal and Orange. In 1994, the Cape and Transvaal were split into seven new provinces, and Natal was renamed KwaZulu-Natal. In 1995, the Orange Province became the Free State. According to the 1996 census, the population of nine provinces of South Africa was (in thousands of people): East Cape - 6302.5, Free State - 2633.5, Gauteng - 7348.4, KwaZulu-Natal - 8417.0, Mpumalanga - 2800 , 7, North-Cape - 840.3, North - 4 929.4, North-West - 3354.8 and West-Cape - 3956.8 people.
Features of the relief. The central plateau has a saucer shape and is mainly composed of almost horizontal sedimentary rocks. Its central part is located at an altitude of approx. 600 m above sea level, and the edges are raised by more than 1500 m.The surface of the plateau is mostly gently undulating, above it in many places flat-topped hills with steep slopes, called table mountains, and bizarre outliers dotted with boulders, called spears (translated - "heads"). The plateau is almost entirely drained by two rivers. The Orange River (with the Vaal tributary) flows westward through the North Cape province and further along the border with Namibia rushes into the Atlantic Ocean. The Limpopo River flows northeast along the borders with Botswana and Zimbabwe and then flows through Mozambique into the Indian Ocean. With the exception of these rivers and some of their tributaries, most of the rivers on the plateau run only during the wet season. In the west and northwest, some rivers are lost in shallow basins that remain dry for most of the year and only fill up during the rainy season.
The Great Ledge is a 2,250 km long mountain arc that rises above the coastal lowlands of South Africa. Each part has its own name here. The Kamisberch and Bockkefeldberg mountains in Namaqualand stand out; the Rochhefeldberg and Comsberg mountains near Sutherland; the Nyuwefeldberg range near Beaufort West; the Cowfeldberg mountains (2,130 m) and the Snuberge (2504 m) mountains above the Graff Reinet; and the Stormberg mountains north of Queenstown. The Great Ledge reaches its highest heights in the Drakensberg Mountains near the eastern border of Lesotho, where in several places there are elevations above 3350 m located in Lesotho. In this area, the Great Ledge is a system of jagged buttresses and deep amphitheaters that form one of the most picturesque landscapes in South Africa.
Namaqualand is a very dry area in the west of the North Cape and Western Cape provinces. This flat plate descends from the Great Ledge towards the Atlantic Ocean. Above its surface, granite outliers and isolated, low, but dissected mountain ranges often rise. In the coastal parts, the platform is covered with a thick cover of pebbles.
Cape and South Coastal Areas. As noted above, these areas are similar in relief. Linear mountain ranges are distinguished here, composed mainly of sedimentary rocks and extending in a latitudinal direction through the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, with the ridges interspersed with longitudinal valleys. The ridges themselves are narrow and highly dissected, with numerous peaks rising above 1830 m above sea level. The flat bottoms of many valleys are lined with thick layers of alluvium, formed as a result of the destruction of the surrounding mountains. Between the mountains and the foot of the Big Ledge there is a territory called the Big Karu, which is a series of wide flat-bottomed interconnected basins, confined to heights of 600-900 m above sea level. and having flow through narrow gorges towards the ocean.
The Southeast Coastal Region is located between the Great Ledge and the Indian Ocean. Its surface is a complex combination of rounded hills. In many places, the hills come directly to the coast, where steep ledges and small beaches alternate. The coastal plain is developed only in the far north, near the border with Mozambique.
Transvaal Low Weld. The hills of the southeastern coast continue further north into the Transvaal Low Velda. Low undulating hills prevail, overgrown with sparse trees and bushes, as well as grass. The vast bottoms of the valleys of large rivers are flattened out.
Climate. General characteristics. In winter (July) the center of the high pressure area is located above the Central Plateau. It is cold there at this time of the year, and the winds blowing from there contribute to the establishment of dry, cold, cloudless weather in many parts of South Africa. However, in the extreme south (Cape and Southern coastal regions), winter is a season of frequent cold torrential rains, and there the sky is almost constantly covered with clouds.
In summer (January) the center of low pressure is above the Central Plateau. Moist air from the Indian Ocean is drawn in there. At the same time, moisture-carrying winds contribute to rainfall in the southeastern and eastern parts of the Great Ledge and on the Central Plateau. However, dry and hot weather sets in in the Cape region in summer.
Precipitation totals decrease westward from 1,900 mm on the eastern slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains to less than 25 mm on the Namaqualand coastline. The rough terrain of the Cape and Southern coastal regions exhibits large local differences in precipitation.
Temperatures in South Africa decrease from east to west. Under the influence of the cold Benguela Current, following along the west coast, temperatures drop dramatically. The average annual temperature in Port Nollot is 14 ° C, but on the east coast, under the influence of the warm Indian Ocean, temperatures are high, and in Durban, the average annual temperature is 22 ° C. On the other hand, the temperature difference between the northern and southern regions is small, as the altitudes increase towards north. The southern tip of the mainland (Cape Agulhas) and Johannesburg (located 1450 km north, but at an altitude of 1740 m above sea level) have an average annual temperature of approx. 16 ° C.
The central plateau is distinguished by a sharply continental climate with pronounced contrasts of daily and annual temperatures. In summer, the weather is hot, with dazzling sunshine and occasional heavy thunderstorms. Kimberley, located at an altitude of 1220 m above sea level, has an average maximum temperature of 32 ° C in January, and an average minimum temperature of 17 ° C. On the other hand, pleasant warm weather during the day is pleasant in winter (average maximum temperature in July 19 ° C) due to bright sunlight, but the nights are cold (minimum temperature in July 2 ° C). Winters are very dry, with almost no precipitation in June, July and August.
Namaqualand is a very dry area: the amount of precipitation ranges from a maximum value of 200 mm in the mountains of the interior regions to a minimum value of less than 25 mm on the coast. On the coast, the weather is cool and temperatures are fairly constant. Outside the zone of influence of the coastal breeze, temperatures in summer increase strongly.
The Cape region has the same fertile climate as the Mediterranean coast of Europe and southern California. It is rainy in winter and dry in summer. Precipitation occurs in May - September. On the coast, they usually fall in the form of rain, but in the higher mountains (for example, Table Mountain near Cape Town), it sometimes snows. Their number varies greatly depending on the nature of the relief. Cape Town has an average annual rainfall of 630 mm, while some high mountains usually get 2540 mm. Temperatures in Cape Town vary greatly throughout the year. In July (winter) the average minimum temperature is 9 ° С, and the average maximum temperature is 17 ° С; in January (summer) the average minimum temperature is 16 ° C, and the average maximum temperature is 27 ° C. However, there are large temperature contrasts within the area, depending on the exposure to moderating ocean influences; in the inner valleys, summers are hotter and winters colder than on the coast.
The southern coastal region receives as much precipitation in winter as the Cape region, and in summer - as much as the South-Eastern coastal region.
The southeastern coastal region receives most of the rainfall during the summer months, but not a single month is truly dry here. In Durban, 1140 mm of liquid precipitation falls per year, with an average of 150 mm in March, and only 40 mm in July. In summer, the weather is very warm, humid with an average maximum temperature of 28 ° C and an average minimum of 21 ° C in January. Winters are mild and pleasant with an average maximum temperature of 22 ° C and an average minimum of 13 ° C in July.
The Transvaal Low Weld receives a large amount of precipitation in summer, in some places up to 2030 mm. Winters are dry and sunny. High temperatures prevail all year round.
Vegetation. Most of the Central Plateau is a low-grass steppe, or grassy veld. However, vast areas of this once fertile steppe have been disrupted by severe overgrazing for more than a century, as well as severe erosion caused by ill-conceived grain cultivation. The subsequent degradation of agriculture in this area was accompanied by the penetration of economically low-value plants into the herbaceous veld.
In the semi-desert North Cape province, a type of vegetation is widespread, which is usually called "karu". It is characterized by a sparse low grass cover, as well as low shrubs and numerous succulent plants. It is usually believed that this territory used to have a denser vegetation cover, mainly of cereals, and its current state is due to pasture digression.
A thicket of sparse trees and an abundance of grass, known as bushveld, occupies the northwestern part of the Central Plateau and continues eastward in a crescent-shaped area across the Transvaal Low Weld to northern KwaZulu-Natal. The main components of bushveld are shrubby and woody forms of acacias, giant baobabs and mopane. Much of the arid Northwest Province is covered with thorny shrubs (mostly acacia species), grasses and freestanding trees. This area is known as the Bushveld Kalahari.
The general aridity of Namaqualand predetermines the development of desert vegetation types, but due to frequent fogs, numerous succulents, especially mesembryanthemums, are widespread here.
The Cape region is dominated by shrub vegetation known as finbos or macchia, which is very similar to the maquis of southern France and the chaparral of southern California. This area is distinguished by a complex floristic composition with a wide variety of species. The majority of plants are well adapted to survive the long hot dry summers. These plants have hard leathery leaves and resinous sap. Cereals and bulbous plants are also common. Numerous calla lilies grow in the wild.
In their natural state, the southern and southeastern coastal areas were covered with dense subtropical forests. The main tree species were lego-carpels used in construction and the furniture industry, olembicate, also used to make furniture, and iron wood for multi-purpose purposes. With the advent of black pastoralists and black and white farmers, over the past two centuries, almost all forests have been cleared or burned down to arable land. However, remnants of primary forests have been preserved in some places on steep slopes and especially near Knysna. In some places, plantations of acacia, pine and eucalyptus (consisting of introduced species) were planted. At low altitudes, thickets of bushes are now preserved, which suffer greatly from overgrazing. At high altitudes, tall grasses are common. Immediately near the coast, there are dense forests of low-growing trees (less than 9 m high), in addition, palms, bananas, obovate mimuzops are distinguished, and in the drainage zone at the mouths of rivers - mangroves.
Soils. There are three large soil regions: Vostochny, east of 26 ° E; Coastal, coinciding with the Cape and Southern Coastal Areas noted above; and the Western Region, west of 26 ° E. The eastern region is characterized by a humid warm climate with heavy summer rains. Signs of laterites are clearly expressed in the soils: lack of soluble salts, especially calcium, due to leaching; low humus content; the concentration of iron and aluminum oxides and, in general, the clay structure. Exceptions to this general rule are some fertile black soils of the northern Transvaal, less leached soils of the Transvaal Low Velda and podzolic soils developed under conditions of local waterlogging in the Drakensberg Mountains and in the coastal strip of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Cape and Southern coastal regions have rather marginal acidic soils, mainly on shale and sandstone. However, the bottoms of some large valleys are lined with fertile loams on which some of the country's most fertile soils are formed.
Most of the plateau west of 26 ° E it has a semiarid and arid climate. Similar conditions are common to the south, in the Karoo, and west, on the coast. The soils of these arid regions are similar to the desert soils in other areas: there are many soluble salts and little humus, cementation of the upper horizons is observed - where calcium carbonate precipitates during evaporation.
Fauna. Before the advent of Europeans, the fauna of South Africa was fabulously rich. However, over the past two centuries of intensive hunting, the diversity of the animal world has greatly diminished. Some species were knocked out, and most of the large animals moved to the mountainous and desert regions of the northern Transvaal, in particular to the territory of the Kruger National Park.
Previously, elephants lived throughout the country, with the exception of Namaqualand; nowadays, the pitiful remains of their herds live only in Knysna Forest and the scrublands of Addo National Park in the southeast of the country (near Port Elizabeth), although large populations can be found in Kruger National Park. White rhinos, once abundant in the interior regions of the country, are now represented by only a few individuals in one of the KwaZulu-Natal reserves. Lions, widespread in the past, can only be found in the Kruger National Park and along the border with Botswana. A huge number of antelopes and zebras once grazed on the graslands of the Central Plateau, but today tiny herds of antelopes are found only along the border with Botswana and in the eastern part of the northern Transvaal, and zebras are almost extinct. The Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park in the North Cape provides refuge for a number of animals, including the springbok antelope, cheetah, and hyena. Baboons, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs and several species of small felines are still plentiful in the rugged mountainous areas, and monkeys inhabit the forests of KwaZulu-Natal. Leopards, once numerous, were threatened by the mid-1970s.
Penguins live on the islets off the west coast, washed by cold waters. Parrots and hornbills are found along the warm eastern coastline. Ostriches were common and of great commercial importance half a century ago; they have now moved to the sparsely populated hinterland.
Reptiles are numerous. Crocodiles are found in coastal rivers in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, and there are many venomous snakes including African vipers, cobras, tree snakes and mambas.
POPULATION
According to the 1996 census, 40.6 million people lived in South Africa: Africans - 77%, whites - 11%, mestizo (descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans and Africans, the so-called "colored") - 9%, immigrants from Asia, in mostly Indians, - approx. 3%.
The main ethnic groups of the black population are Zulu, Kosa, Swazi, Tswana, Suto, Venda, Ndebele, Pedi, and Tsonga. About 59% of whites speak Afrikaans, 39% English. Afrikaners are the descendants of the Dutch, French Protestants (Huguenots) and German settlers who began settling in South Africa in 1652. After Great Britain took possession of the Cape Colony in 1820, the influx of immigrants from England increased. The ancestors of the colored people were the indigenous people of southern Africa - the Hottentots (Koikoin) and Bushmen (San), as well as Malay slaves from the Netherlands East Indies and the first European settlers. The Asian population is mainly the descendants of Asians recruited to work on the sugar plantations of Natal, mainly Indians, who began to arrive in South Africa in 1860, as well as merchants, mainly from Bombay, who appeared there later. In South Africa, 11 languages \u200b\u200bare considered official.
Demographic statistics. Older births, deaths and vital statistics did not include Africans, who made up more than three-quarters of the country's population, and therefore cannot be considered reliable. The white minority government and some statistical organizations published separate figures for white, colored and Asian populations. The most objective are the results of the 1996 census, when the population of villages and temporary settlements was taken into account for the first time.
Africans. In the period 1948-1991, the African population of South Africa was subjected to systematic oppression and repression by the ruling minority. Many Africans have maintained their ethnic identity. This primarily applies to the Zulu people, whose ruler retains significant influence. Tensions between some ethnic groups in the African population and political rivalries on the eve of the April 1994 elections resulted in numerous armed clashes. After the formation of the new government, passions have subsided somewhat, but tension in interethnic relations remains.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, about half of the African population lived in ten Bantustans, which were created by the white minority government to strip Africans of South African citizenship. Each Bantustan was inhabited by one or several ethnic groups, headed by a leader, whose candidacy was approved by the South African government. The white minority government recognized four Bantustans (Bophuthatswana, Siskei, Transkei and Venda) as independent states, but none of them received international recognition. Economically, the Bantustans were underdeveloped and were intended to regulate the influx of black workers into the white-controlled South African economy. When the country became a multiracial democracy in 1994, all bantustans were eliminated. According to 1996 data, the African population predominated in seven provinces out of nine, and in four it was over 90%.
During apartheid times, many Africans could only live separately from whites, in special settlements - townships. Africans who worked as domestic servants for whites, in gold and diamond mines, and in the steel industry, were migrant workers, their families remained in the villages. In the mining industry, they worked on a contract basis and lived in special compounds near their place of work.
The forced migration of first black men and then women to look for work in "white" areas and large cities had a detrimental effect not only on the traditional way of life, but also on family relations. The population of the Bantustans was predominantly women, children and the elderly, since most men between the ages of 16 and 60 worked to provide for their families or save money for a wedding. A significant part of the funds needed to provide a living wage for the inhabitants of the Bantustans came from the migrant workers.
From the moment the Union of South Africa was created in 1910 until 1994, the white population was the politically dominant group and still maintains a dominant position in the economy. The white population of South Africa consists of two main groups.
Afrikaners, also called Boers (Dutch. "Peasants"), are numerically predominant among whites everywhere, except in some areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Most of them are in the provinces of Gauteng and Western Cape. In 1991 most Afrikaners lived in cities. The profitability of Boer farms declined, especially in the 1920s, and many Boers were forced to move permanently to the cities. With unemployment rising in the 1930s, the government and white trade unions reserved jobs for them in certain sectors of the economy.
Afrikaners constitute a tightly knit community. Almost all of them are followers of the Netherlands Reformed Church, which until 1990, when apartheid was anathematized, justified the idea of \u200b\u200bwhite supremacy and the practice of racial discrimination. Afrikaans speak the Afrikaans language, which is based on the Dutch language.
Anglo-Africans. Compared to Afrikaners, the English-speaking white population lives more compactly. In parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the East Cape, Anglo-Africans are engaged in agriculture, but most of them live in cities. In addition to a small (100,000 people) but influential Jewish community, English-speaking whites belong to the Anglican, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches. Some Anglo-Africans remain fond of Britain, but most regard South Africa as their homeland. This white group includes all recent settlers who do not speak Dutch.
Asian population. Asians are intermediate between blacks and whites. Most Asians live in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and the suburbs of Johannesburg. Part of the Asian population still works in the sugar plantations in KwaZulu-Natal or in the industrial enterprises and institutions of Durban, the main seaport of the province, while the other part is successful traders and owners of large real estate. Under the Group Stratification Act, which was repealed in 1991, many property owners were not allowed to live in their own homes. The first campaigns of civil disobedience were carried out to improve the situation of the Asian population in the country. For a long time, the South African Indian Congress and the Natal Indian Congress have worked closely with the African National Congress.
Cities and urban areas. Africans make up the majority of the population in many major cities and urban areas. Prior to 1994, black townspeople were not counted in censuses and were not included in statistical reports, as the white minority government viewed them as residents of the Bantustans, and not the urban areas where they actually lived. Black or colored townships located on the outskirts of large cities, even if they were larger in area and population than the city itself, were often not included in the list of settlements. According to the 1991 census and other sources, which contain reliable data on the size of the urban African population, the largest cities in South Africa are (in thousand people): Cape Town - 854.6 (with suburbs 1.9 million), Durban - 715.7 (1 74 million), Johannesburg - 712.5 (4 million), Soweto - 596.6, Pretoria - 525.6 (1.1 million), Port Elizabeth - 303.3 (810), Umlazi - 299 , 3, Idhai - 257.0, Mdanzane - 242.8, Deepmedou - 241.1, Likoa - 217.6, Tembisa - 209.2, Katlehong - 201.8, Evaton - 201.0, Rudeport-Marebourg - 162 6, Kwamashu - 156.7, Pietermaritzburg - 156.5 (265), Mamelodi - 154.8, Daviton - 151.7, Soshanguwe - 146.3, Jermiston - 134.0, Bloemfontein - 126.9 (280, 0), Alexandra - 124.6, Boxburg - 119.9, Carltonville - 118.7 (175.0), Bochabelo 117.9, Benoni - 113.5, Kempton Park - 106.6, East London - 102 , 3 (365.0) and Ntuzuma - 102.3.
See further
SOUTH AFRICA. STATE ORDER AND POLITICS
SOUTH AFRICA. ECONOMY
SOUTH AFRICA. EDUCATION AND CULTURE
SOUTH AFRICA. HISTORY
SOUTH AFRICA. HISTORY since 1949
LITERATURE
Morett F. Equatorial, East and South Africa. M., 1951 Moiseeva G.M. South Africa: economic and geographical characteristics. M., 1966 Davidson A.B. South Africa. The Rise of the Forces of Protest, 1870-1924. M., 1972 Vyatkina R.R. Creation of the Union of South Africa (1902-1910). M., 1976 Gorodnov V.P. Black residents of the "white" city. The life and struggle of the African ghetto. M., 1983
Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .
Synonyms:General information about South Africa
The official name is the Republic of South Africa (South Africa).
Located in southern Africa. The area is 1219.9 thousand km2. The population is 43.7 million people. (2002, estimate). State languages \u200b\u200b- 11 languages. The capital is Pretoria (800 thousand people, 2001). State holiday - Freedom Day on April 27 (since 1994). The monetary unit is rand.
Member of 52 international organizations, including the UN (since 1946), AU (since 2000), SADC (since 1994).
Geography of South Africa
Located between 16 ° 24 ′ and 31 ° E and 22 ° and 34 ° 42 ′ South; in the south it is washed by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. In the west, the cold Benguela Current approaches the shores, and in the east - the warm Mozambique Current. The coastline is not cut, but there are very convenient bays. It shares borders with Namibia to the northwest, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, Mozambique and Swaziland to the northeast. Inside South Africa there is an enclave - the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Most of the territory is a hilly plateau, bordered in the east by the Drakensberg Mountains up to 3000 m, and in the south by the Cape Mountains up to 2000 m. The highest point is Mount Niesuti (3408 m) in the Drakensberg Mountains. In the northwest, the plateau drops and becomes the low-lying Kalahari desert. The Drakensberg Mountains drop abruptly towards the Indian Ocean (Great Ledge). Between
them and the ocean stretches the coastal lowland, which in the south passes into the Great Karoo depression, separating the Drakensberg Mountains from the Cape.
The main rivers of South Africa originate in the Drakensberg Mountains. The longest is the Orange River (1860 km long, and 2200 km with the Vaal tributary), which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It is not navigable, its mouth sometimes dries up. The rivers flowing into the Indian Ocean are not very long, but full-flowing. The largest of them are Tugela, Great Fish, Limpopo tributaries. Limpopo itself flows along the border with Zimbabwe.
The soils are diverse and mostly fertile: red-brown, black, gray-brown, sandy, alluvial, etc.
Vegetation north of 32 ° S latitude - different types of savannas (shrub, steppe, desertified). Gallery tropical forests have been preserved along the river banks. In the south of the country there are subtropical forests and evergreen shrubs, and in the northwest there is desert flora. Plant species are diverse: baobabs, acacia, ironwood, aromatic tree, boxwood, etc. Eucalyptus and American pine prevail in artificial plantings.
Animal world. Large animals are almost exterminated, South African endemics have disappeared from the face of the earth - the black-maned lion and the quagga zebra. Typically African fauna has survived only in nature reserves, the largest of which is the Kruger National Park. The world of insects (termites, tsetse flies) and birds is very diverse (swallows from Russia winter here).
The bowels are exceptionally rich in minerals. South Africa ranks 1st in the world in terms of reserves (t,% of world reserves): manganese ore (12.2 billion, 82%), chromite (3.3 billion, 56%), platinum and platinoids (31 thousand, 69 %), gold (33.7 thousand, 40%), vanadium ore (14 million, 29%), aluminosilicates (37%), fluorite (47.5 million), corundum (104 million), asbestos (4.3 mln), some rare earth elements, as well as 1st place in Africa in terms of coal reserves (115 billion tons), uranium oxide, iron ore (9.5 billion tons), titanium (40 million tons), antimony (297 thousand tons ), lead (8.5 million tons), zinc (15.4 million tons), nickel (5.9 million tons), apatite (160 million tons). There are significant deposits of diamonds (125 million carats of gem-quality diamonds), copper, tin, magnesite, silver, aluminum and other minerals. A natural gas field has been discovered on the shelf. South Africa has practically everything except oil.
The climate is subtropical and only in the extreme north is tropical. Average temperatures in summer months are + 18 ° - 27 ° С, and in winter + 7 ° -15 ° С. Temperature contrasts are explained by the difference in latitude, the influence of warm and cold ocean currents, and the difference in altitude above sea level. Precipitation is unevenly distributed. In deserts, no more than 100 mm falls per year, and on the coastal strip of the Indian Ocean up to 2000 mm.
Population of South Africa
In 1984-2002, the population increased by 30%. Population growth rates in the 1980s accounted for 2.9%, but then began to gradually decline, and in the end. 1990s fell sharply; in 2002, experts estimated them at 0.02 to 1.04% due to the AIDS pandemic. The birth rate is 20.63%, the mortality rate is 18.86%, the infant mortality rate is 61.78 people. per 1000 newborns (2002).
Average life expectancy (2002) is 45.43 years (women - 45.68, men - 45.19). Age and sex structure (2002): 0-14 years - 31.6% (6,943,761 men and 6,849,745 women), 15-64 years old - 63.4% (13,377,011 and 14,300,850, respectively), 65 years and older - 5% (816,222 and 1,360,069). In 2002, 50% of the population lived in cities and towns. The literacy of the population is 85.5%. The retirement age is 65.
South Africa is a multiracial state. The four main races are African (77%), whites (10.7%), Asians (2.6%), Coycoins - Bushmen and Hottentots (several thousand). In addition, a special ethnic group is made up of mestizos - “colored” (8.8%). Africans are divided into many ethnic communities, the largest of which are: Zulu, Kosa, Soto, Tswana, Swazi, Ndebele, Pedi, Tsonga, Venda. The two main ethnic groups of Europeans are Afrikaners (descendants of immigrants from Holland and France) and the English-speaking population. The main population of Asian origin is Indians, but there are also Malays and Chinese. The most common languages \u200b\u200bare English, Afrikaans (the language of Afrikaners) and the languages \u200b\u200bof the aforementioned African ethnic groups.
More than 80% of the population is Christian. Other religions are Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and traditional African religions.
History of the Republic of South Africa
Archeology testifies to the settlement of southern Africa since the Paleolithic. In the beginning. 1st millennium AD throughout the territory of South Africa lived the peoples of the Koiko race - the Bushmen and Hottentots. In the 1st millennium A.D. the Bantu tribes invaded from the north. Waves of migratory flows followed one another, and by the 17th century. in southern Africa, the ancestors of the present language families Suto and Nguni already lived. Colonization of the country by Europeans began in 1652. The Dutch East India Company established a settlement on the Cape of Good Hope, which eventually became Cape Town. Gradually expanding the boundaries of the colony, called the Cape, the Dutch seized the lands of the Hottentots, creating slave farms. Already in the 18th century. the Dutch, mixed with emigrants from other European countries, began to call themselves Boers, and in the 20th century. - Afrikaners. In the 1770s. the Boers carried out the annexation of the lands of the Kosa tribes ("Kaffir wars").
During the Napoleonic Wars, the Cape Colony passed into the hands of the British. The British authorities continued their colonial expansion. The threat of an invasion by Europeans stimulated the unification of small tribes in the territories adjacent to the Cape Colony. The most powerful of them was the Zulu state, created in 1816 by the leader Chaka.
In the 1830s. complicated relations between the authorities of the Cape Colony and the Boers. In 1834, a law was passed abolishing slavery, which supported the Boer economy. They began to gather in armed detachments and leave the colony, seizing the land of African tribes. Particularly strong resistance was put up by the Zulu, but in 1838 they were defeated, and the Boer Republic of Natal was founded on part of the Zulu territory. Great Britain feared that the Boers would reach the Indian Ocean and annexed Natal in 1843. The Boers, who settled north of the Cape Colony, were outside British rule. In the 1850s. they created two republics - the Orange Free State and the South African Republic of the Transvaal. Recognizing the Boer states, Great Britain directed efforts to conquer the African peoples. To the end. 19th century the entire territory of present-day South Africa was under the rule of the British crown, and the Boer republics were surrounded on all sides by English possessions. Their independence was ended during the Boer War of 1899-1902.
In 1910, Great Britain united the Cape Colony and Natal with the former Boer republics into the Union of South Africa (SAS), which was granted dominion rights. Public life in the dominion was based on the principles of racism. Africans were denied political and social rights. In 1912, they formed an organization that soon became the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC). He set as his goal the fight against racial discrimination, for the equality of the indigenous population.
In World War I, South Africa sided with Great Britain and, after its end, received a League of Nations mandate to govern German South-West Africa (Namibia). The period between the two world wars is characterized by legislation that increased social discrimination against non-whites.
In World War II, South Africa took part on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition. The changes that took place in the world after the war did not affect the internal politics of the South African ruling circles. In 1948, the National Party came to power, proclaiming racism the official ideology of the state, which became known as apartheid. The ultimate goal of apartheid was proclaimed the territorial division of the population of South Africa into racial groups, in which 87% of the country's entire territory would go to the white minority, and only 13% to the Africans. Colored and Indians were given reservations within the "white" South Africa. In translating the doctrine of apartheid into practice, the authorities methodically implemented policies aimed at increasing the oppression of the non-white population. A pass system was introduced to control the movement of Africans. The non-white population waged an active struggle against apartheid, organizing strikes, demonstrations, civil disobedience campaigns, burning of passes, etc. In 1955, the ANC and progressive organizations of colored Indian and white people convened the Congress of the Peoples, which adopted the Freedom Charter, a program for the struggle for a democratic South Africa.
The authorities brutally suppressed the protest movement. In 1950 the Communist Party was banned, and in 1960 - the ANC and other organizations objectionable to the regime. ANC leader Nelson Mandela and several of his associates were sentenced to life in prison. Deprived of the possibilities of legal forms of resistance, the ANC and the revived Communist Party went underground, and in 1961 they began an armed struggle, creating the militant organization Umkonto we sizwe (Spear of the Nation). In the same year, South Africa left the British Commonwealth and declared itself a Republic (South Africa). The tense situation in the country in June 1976 caused an African uprising in Soweto, a suburb of Johannesburg, which spread to other cities. A state of emergency was declared, but the unrest continued for almost a year.
After the events in Soweto, Western countries introduced the first serious sanctions against South Africa. Internal and external pressures caused a government crisis, and the government embarked on cautious reforms - segregation in transport and sports was abolished, and African trade unions were legalized. At the same time, the power structures received great power. A new constitution was adopted that made South Africa a presidential republic and provided for a three-chamber parliament for whites, people of color and Indians. Africans, as before, were barred from parliamentary elections. Demonstrations, supported by strikes, began against the new Constitution. The usual slogans were: "Down with apartheid!" and "Freedom to Nelson Mandela!"
In March 1985, the police shot at a peaceful demonstration. This caused a general strike, which grew into a new African uprising, which engulfed almost all cities in South Africa. Despite the repression (about 25 thousand people were imprisoned in prisons), the government could not cope with the unrest until the end. 1986.
The apartheid crisis has become apparent to many white South African citizens. In July 1987, the first meeting of prominent businessmen and liberal politicians of South Africa with representatives of the ANC took place in Dakar, at which the possibility of a political solution to South African problems was discussed. Despite government opposition, such contacts continued. In 1989, F. de Klerk became the president of South Africa, who entered into formal negotiations with the ANC on the future state structure of South Africa, to which all political parties were later involved. In 1990, Mandela was released after 27 years in prison, and in 1992 the ban on the activities of the ANC and other organizations was lifted.
The multiparty constitutional conference opened on December 20, 1991. The search for a compromise ended with the signing in July 1993 of a draft interim Constitution for a five-year transitional period, and the country was to be governed by a government of national unity, formed from representatives of the main parties that entered parliament. Within five years, it was necessary to develop a permanent Constitution.
The draft interim Constitution was approved by the South African Parliament. In April 1994, the first general elections were held, in which the ANC received 65% of the vote, the National Party 20% and the Inkatha Freedom Party 10%. At a parliamentary meeting, Mandela was elected President of South Africa, who formed the Government of National Unity (PNU) from representatives of the three main parties, but soon the National Party left the government. In 1997, a new South African Constitution came into effect, preserving the democratic principles of the provisional Constitution.
The GNU developed a socio-economic program to increase economic growth and improve the situation of the poorest. It achieved stable economic growth of 2-3% per year (in the last years of apartheid, growth was almost zero), but some of the program's goals turned out to be unrealistic (massive construction of cheap housing, reduction of unemployment).
Despite this, the ANC won the 1999 parliamentary elections again, receiving 266 out of 400 seats. The new ANC leader Thabo Mbeki became the President of South Africa (Mandela refused to run for a second presidential term). It continues the course of the previous government, although reality forces us to make some adjustments. He broadened the social and political base of his government to include representatives of all racial and ethnic groups, as well as those political parties that were previously rivals of the ANC. Particular attention is paid to the fight against poverty and reforms towards economic liberalization.
State structure and political system of the Republic of South Africa
South Africa is a parliamentary republic. The Constitution of 1997 is in effect. Administratively, South Africa is divided into 9 provinces (Eastern Cape, Central Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northwest). Major cities: Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban.
The head of state is the president, who is elected by the National Assembly for a term of 5 years. The highest legislative body is parliament, which includes
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces. The National Assembly consists of 400 deputies, elected by proportional representation. Each provincial legislature appoints 6 deputies and nominates to the National Assembly 4 more deputies to the National Council of Provinces (NPC). Thus, the NRS includes 90 deputies (10 from each province). Parliament is elected for 5 years.
Provincial legislatures are elected by the people. The legislature elects the provincial prime minister, who forms the government.
The highest body of executive power is the government headed by the president. The head of state and government is President T. Mbeki. Speaker of the National Assembly - T. Makvetla.
An outstanding statesman - Nelson Mandela, who dedicated his life to the fight against racism in South Africa, the 1st president of democratic South Africa, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
There are approx. 20 parties, 13 are represented in parliament. Most influential: African National Congress, Democratic Party, Inkatha Freedom Party, New National Party, United Democratic Movement.
Leading business organizations: Johannesburg Stock Exchange, South African Business Chamber, Independent Development Trust, South African Foundation.
Community organizations: Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Newspaper Association of South Africa; media independent of the government.
Domestic policy is aimed at maintaining social and political stability. Particular attention is paid to the fight against crime, which has taken on dangerous proportions. Recent statistics indicate a decrease in criminal tensions in the country. Another problem for the government is growing corruption. On some aspects of domestic policy (such as privatization), tensions have arisen between the government and the ANC's main political allies, the Communist Party and trade unions. The most difficult problem for South Africa remains the elimination of the gap, fraught with a social explosion, between the living standards of whites and Africans. The government has not yet achieved a significant change in the situation, although some progress in this direction is evident, for example, the growth of the African "middle class".
Foreign policy is aimed at developing friendly relations with all countries, but above all with neighboring states and Africa as a whole. Good relations have been established between South Africa and the Russian Federation, rooted in the long-standing ties of the USSR with the liberation movement. Mandela and Mbeki paid official visits to Moscow. South Africa has achieved better relations with Western countries, primarily with the United States and Great Britain, although the US ruling circles are irritated by the friendly ties between South Africa and countries such as Cuba and Libya. Thanks to Mandela, the international prestige of South Africa has grown. In recent years, Mandela and Mbeki have been elected as chairpersons of such organizations as the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth, and the African Union. South Africa has become a venue for major international conferences, including at the level of heads of state.
In Africa, South Africa supported the process of democratization and respect for human rights. In 1995, Mandela condemned the execution of nine opposition leaders in Nigeria, and in 1998 South African troops entered Lesotho to restore constitutional order after a military coup. South Africa acted as a peacekeeper in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. President Mbeki was one of the few African leaders to criticize, albeit mildly, the takeover of white farms in Zimbabwe; he voted to expel Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth for a year, but opposed the imposition of international sanctions.
The Armed Forces include the Ground Forces (42,500), the Navy (5200), the Air Force (9600), and the Medical Service (5300). In total, 63,400 people served in 2000. Defense spending (2001) US $ 1.79 billion (1.6% of GDP)
Diplomatic relations between South Africa and the Russian Federation were established in 1992.
Economy of South Africa
South Africa is the most developed state in Africa, but by world standards it is a middle-income country with a GDP of 412 billion US dollars, i.e. $ 9,400 per capita (2001) GDP growth in 2001 was 2.8%, and in 2002 - 3%. The economically active population is 17 million people. (2000, estimate). According to official data, unemployment is 26% (2001), and according to unofficial data - 37%. Inflation 5.8% (2001) Distribution of GDP by sectors of the economy (2001): agriculture 3%, industry 31%, services 66%. GDP by employment: agriculture 8%, industry 13.3%, services 78.7%.
Manufacturing is the largest productive sector of the national economy (18% of GDP). In 2000-02, the cost of its products increased by an average of 3.7% per year. The largest industry is ferrous metallurgy. Five mills, the largest of which is in Saldanha Bay with a cost of 1.6 billion US dollars and a capacity of 1.2 million tonnes of steel per year, were fully operational at the beginning. 2003, owned by ISKOR Corporation. It is currently fully privatized. Having left ISKOR, the state did not completely withdraw from the ferrous metallurgy, participating in new mixed enterprises. In 2000, it, together with a Swiss firm, began construction of a $ 1.5 billion rolling and electroplating plant in Saldanha Bay. South African steel is one of the cheapest in the world, but in 1999 South Africa introduced anti-dumping duties on rolled products from the Russian Federation.
Another important mining-related manufacturing industry is the production of gold and platinum bars in refineries. Non-ferrous metallurgy is represented by factories for the production of almost all non-ferrous metals - from copper, antimony, chromium to rare earth elements. If the production of some metals, such as copper, in the 1990s. decreased to 100.5 thousand tons due to the oversaturation of the world market, the production of others, in particular aluminum, grew. Now its production is approx. 700 thousand tons at a low cost price (selling price - $ 750 per 1 ton). In the end. 2002 an agreement was reached in principle to build a large aluminum smelter with a French firm worth $ 1.6 billion. South Africa holds the 1st place in the world for the production of ferrochromium alloys (220 tons, 2000). Three manganese plants are also of global importance.
Most of the metals are exported, but its consumption in the country is growing as a result of the creation of the metalworking, electrical, and automotive industries. Already more than 50% of parts, incl. motors, at Japanese and German car assembly plants, are made in South Africa. In 2000, 266 thousand cars and 130.6 thousand trucks rolled off the conveyors.
The collapse of apartheid gave impetus to the development of the oldest manufacturing industry - food and beverage production, especially fruit juices, wine (187 hl, 2000) and beer. In 2002, SAB-Miller became the 2nd largest beer company in the world thanks to its expansion into 11 African countries, India, the USA and other countries, incl. in the Russian Federation, where her brand of beer "Zolotaya Bochka" is known.
The textile, clothing, footwear industry in 2002 accounted for 7.9% of the total value of the manufacturing industry. The garment industry provides 90% of the domestic market and, in addition, the products are exported. However, the shoe industry is experiencing difficulties due to the smuggling of shoes from China and Southeast Asia, going through the countries that are part of the South African customs union, and through Mozambique.
The next in importance was the chemical industry - a relatively new industry, except for the production of explosives for mining. In terms of employment (135 thousand people), it has overtaken light industry. The range of products is very wide: fertilizers, oil products, acids, paints, artificial fibers, rubber products, plastics, etc. In South Africa, technology was invented and three plants for the production of gasoline from coal were built.
Among other branches of the manufacturing industry, production (2000, million tons) should be noted: cellulose - 1.37, paper and cardboard - 2.02, cement - 8.7, sugar - 1.15.
The mining industry remains an important industry, especially as a source of foreign exchange, although its share in GDP declined to 7.5% by 2002. 1st place in terms of the cost of production is gold. In 1970, its production was a record - more than 1000 tons, but since the 1980s. began to decline constantly and in 2001 it was below 500 tons (20% of world production and 50% of South African mineral exports). The main reason is the fall in world prices. In 1999, it dropped to $ 252.9 an ounce, while the cost of gold in South Africa - St. $ 300. As a result, most of the mines were closed. The rise in prices after the Iraqi crisis is stimulating an increase in gold production.
The favorable situation on the world market contributes to an increase in the production of platinum and platinoids (220 tons in 2000) and other metals. In 2000, ore production was (in terms of metal content, thousand tons): nickel - 38, zinc - 70, vanadium - 17, antimony - 6, cobalt - 0.3, lead concentrate - 81. Iron ore production - 33.1 million t, copper ore (by metal content) - 0.14, chrome ore - 7.1, manganese ore - 3.2, silver ore - 0.15, coal - 225, uranium - 1 million tons. Diamond mining - 10 million carats. Many other minerals are also mined.
Agriculture is a successfully developing sector of the economy, but its share in GDP is constantly decreasing. 12.13% of the territory is suitable for arable land. There is much more area for pastures, the slopes of mountains and hills are used for vineyards and forest plantations. Due to frequent droughts, yield fluctuations are very significant, for example, for corn from 2.9 to 13.6 million tons. There are two agricultural sectors: natural, in which most of the production is consumed by producers themselves, and commercial. The main grain crop in both sectors is corn. In 2001, the harvest of grain was (million tons): corn - 8; wheat - 2.3; sorghum - 0.2; barley - 0.1. Yields are low by international standards. Harvesting corn per hectare, for example, is 38% of the corresponding figure in the United States.
Along with grains, South Africa provides itself with all the main food products, and exports a significant amount of sugar (cane), vegetables, fruits and berries in a very wide range - from plums, apples and strawberries to bananas, avocados, mangoes, citrus fruits. In 2001, the harvest of the most significant crops was (thousand tons): sugar cane - 22,000, potatoes - 1681, grapes - 1332, oranges - 1086, sunflower seeds - 677, peanuts - 204, tobacco - 30, apples - 561, tomatoes - 489, pineapple - 137, cotton - 32.
In animal husbandry, the indicators of recent years have been stable both in terms of livestock numbers and volume of production. The main export commodity is sheep and goat (mohair) wool. In 2001, the livestock (million): cattle - 13.5, sheep - 28.8, goats - 6.8, pigs - 1.6, chickens - 62. In recent years, ostrich breeding has been developing.
Fishing is a rapidly growing industry, the catch of fish reached 2000 600 thousand tons. In addition, marine crustaceans and molluscs are caught and artificially raised. The volume of fish caught in inland waters is insignificant, but crocodiles are caught in the rivers for the leather industry (26 926, 1999).
A dense transport network has been created in South Africa. All railways and almost all motorways belong to the state. The length of the main railways is 20,384 km, and taking into account the access roads to industrial facilities - 31,400 km (2000). 9,900 km of roads are electrified. Over the past two decades, investments in the development of railway transport were directed mainly towards the expansion of railway terminals in ports - the construction of warehouses, access roads to them. In 1999, for the first time in 15 years, the government decided to build a new railway line. Annual traffic volume - approx. 2 billion passenger-km and about 110 billion t-km. The length of highways is more than 500 thousand km, of which 20.3% are paved (2001). Road transport accounts for 80% of all freight traffic in the country. The number of cars - 1.5 million units.
There is no river navigation, but sea transport plays a vital role in foreign trade. Seven major ports - Durban, Cape Town, East London, Richards Bay, Port Elizabeth, Saldanha Bay and Mossel Bay - are equipped with the latest equipment, specialized in certain cargoes (containers, coal, ore) and are among the most profitable in the world. Cargo turnover in 2002 amounted to 110 million tons. The merchant fleet includes 197 vessels with a total displacement of 381.9 tons (2001).
Civil aviation serves 546 cities in South Africa. There are 143 airports with paved runways. Major air travel is operated by the state-owned South African Airways (CAA), which is currently undergoing privatization. In addition to it, there are 3 more large ("Comair", "Express" CA and "Airlink" CA) and 16 small local airlines. Air transport connects South Africa with countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, America and Australia. 7 million passengers and 2 billion ton-kilometers of cargo are transported annually.
The country has three large pipelines: 931 km (crude oil), 1748 km (oil products), 322 km (gas).
The communication lines are the most modern. Communication with the outside world is carried out via two underwater cables and via three Intersolt satellites. Long-distance telephone calls are provided by the cable network and via satellites. The number of fixed telephones is more than 5 million, mobile phones - 7.06 million (2001). A project to expand the telephone network with 12 million new telephones at a cost of R 6 billion was developed and launched. There are over 350 radio stations and over 550 television stations in the country, 145 of which are relayed by other television stations. The number of radio receivers - 17 million (2001), televisions - 6 million (2000). Internet users 3.068 million (2002)
20 coal-fired power plants, one nuclear and several small hydropower plants are owned by the state-owned company ESCOM. Their total capacity is 39,154 MW. South Africa is the center of the unified energy system of southern Africa, from Zambia to Namibia; it supplies energy to neighboring countries and in turn receives it from Mozambique and Zambia. A $ 3.77 billion project is underway to transfer water from the Lesotho Mountains to South Africa, which includes a 77 m3 / s water pipeline and a cascade of hydroelectric power plants. Completion of construction in 2017, but the first phase of the project has already been completed.
Trade provides employment for a significant part of the population. In 2001, out of 10.8 million jobs, trade and restaurants accounted for 2.4 million. In reality, at least 2 million more people are employed in trade. These are street vendors, they do not pay taxes and therefore are counted by statistics as unemployed.
Tourism is a rapidly growing industry. In 2000, the country was visited by 6 million tourists (this number does not include foreigners who arrived for work).
The economic and social policies of the government are very closely related. Efforts in the economy are aimed at achieving an annual 5% growth, at least, which would make it possible to channel part of the GDP growth towards poverty alleviation. 50% of the population is below the poverty line (2000). These are mainly Africans, whose incomes in general are several times (and in rural areas by an order of magnitude) lower than those of whites. Their hopes for a speedy improvement in their situation after the overthrow of the white racist power did not come true, and in order to avoid a social explosion, the government was forced to allocate significant budgetary funds not to the production, but to the social sphere, to fight poverty in Africans. Programs are underway for electrification, water supply to African regions, and construction of houses for the poor. The social component of government policy is aimed at stabilizing the situation in the country, but at the same time it is a brake on economic growth. Eight years of democratic South Africa have shown that it cannot achieve 5% growth through domestic savings. Foreign investment is needed, but the hopes for an influx after apartheid have not materialized. One of the aspects of the economic reforms carried out by the government is the creation of favorable conditions for foreign capital, however, South Africa, most likely, will not receive large private investments in the coming years, because external capital sees it as a country with a high potential for socio-political destabilization due to the abyss between the living standards of whites and blacks. As for financing from other states and international organizations, South Africa has not received a single large loan from the World Bank. The IMF declares that it is ready to contribute to the development of South Africa, but Pretoria refuses the offered loans, considering the terms of their provision unacceptable. Among the recommendations of the IMF - privatization, termination of state aid to unprofitable enterprises, reduction of government spending. The paradox is that, while rejecting the IMF's conditions, the government follows them in its policy. Privatization is being carried out, albeit slowly, the first government development program has been replaced by the second, in which the ambitious figures of aid to the poor have disappeared, although the authorities have not abandoned the principles of their social policy. However, reforms towards economic liberalization, especially privatization, lead to the loss of jobs in the public sector and generate resistance from trade unions and the Communist Party - the main political allies of the ruling ANC party. The government is forced to take this into account, especially since the opponents of reforms reinforce their position with strikes. The achievement of domestic policy is, although slow, but stable economic growth, some improvement in social infrastructure in African regions.
Namaqualand, South Africa - 'Finger and Thumb' Succulent Plant - Image by © Frans Lanting / Corbis
Cape Town, South Africa - Cape Town and Harbor Under Full Moon - Image by © Jon Hicks / Corbis
The South African Reserve Bank (South African Reserve Bank) issues the rand, determines its exchange rate, credit policy, sets the discount rate, issues licenses to private banks, and controls foreign trade operations. In recent years, some restrictions on the export of foreign currency have been lifted, and gold miners, who were obliged to hand over the mined gold to South Africa, received the right to independently enter the foreign market. Commercial operations are carried out by private banks, incl. foreign. South Africa is united with Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland by a common currency agreement in the so-called. rand zone. This means that there is a need for coordinated action by the central banks of these countries, but in practice, the general financial policy is determined in Pretoria.
State budget (2002/03, US $ billion): revenues 22.6, expenditures (including capital budget) 24.7. Taxes provide 75% of budget revenues. To combat poverty, a “temporary” tax on income of individuals and legal entities has been in effect for several years if they exceed RR 50,000 per year. At the same time, from 2000, the corporate income tax was reduced from 40 to 35%, but the tax on dividends was increased from 15 to 25%. A feature of the state budget is that 46% of its expenses are transfers to the provinces for use for social needs. The second largest expenditure item in the 2001/02 budget was public debt service (20.2%). In the 2002/03 budget, it dropped to 15.7%. In recent years, the budget deficit is planned at 2.1% of GDP, but the budget execution showed 1.4-1.5%. External public debt - $ 25.5 billion (2001).
Living standards in South Africa are higher than in most African countries, but the distribution of national income is extremely uneven. Since 1993, no data has been published on its distribution by racial group, but the income of the majority of whites is still several times higher than that of the overwhelming number of Africans. In 2000, 50% of the population was below the poverty line. These are primarily rural residents and the unemployed in cities. The situation of other strata of urban residents has improved in recent years. Wages in the public and private sectors are indexed in line with inflation, and the cost of living index in 2000-02 did not exceed it, amounting to 5-6% per year. Minimum wages have been set for different industries. In the mining industry, it is $ 200 a month for surface workers. In addition, the miners' union has achieved a 25% increase in wages for low-paid workers. Many unions and employers have negotiated agreements to link wages to productivity gains. The abolition of the apartheid laws to exclude Africans from skilled work opened up the opportunity for them to engage in private business and thus improve their living standards. Already, Africans have pushed whites out of the taxi service and African millionaires have appeared in business. The policy of Africanization not only changed the racial makeup of the state apparatus, but also changed the administration of large private companies. The improvement in the life of the working population is evidenced by the increase in sales of durable goods and the growth of deposits in banks (in 2000-01 by 20% per year). Bank deposits exceed the amount of money in the hands of the population by 11 times. We can talk about the emergence of an African "middle class".
The dependence of the South African economy on foreign trade is very significant. In 2001, South Africa had a positive trade balance. Exports amounted to US $ 32.3 billion, and imports - US $ 28.1 billion. The main export items are gold, diamonds, platinum, other minerals, machinery and equipment, food and beverages. Main imports: vehicles, cars, oil, chemical products, food. Main trading partners: EU, USA, Japan, Holland, Saudi Arabia. South Africa is a member of the South African Customs Union, which also includes Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. The South African balance of payments has been reduced in recent years with a surplus ($ 2.16 billion, 2001).
Science and culture of the Republic of South Africa
According to UNESCO, 18.2% of the adult population is illiterate. School education is compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 16. In 1996, 94% of all children (93% of boys and 95% of girls) attended primary schools, and 51% (46 and 57%) attended secondary schools. Scientific work is carried out in universities and research institutes. In 2000, there were 22 universities and 15 technical universities (“technikons”) in the country. In 2002, a reform of the university system began, as a result of which some universities will be closed, but new ones will open. Scientific institutes conduct research in many areas: astronomy, physics, biology, medicine, social sciences. Research is coordinated to some extent by the South African Academy of Arts and Sciences, but the institutions are administratively independent from it. South Africa is the first country to receive a heart transplant.
From the end. 19th century created an extensive South African literature in English, Afrikaans and African languages. The names of such writers as O. Schreiner, B. Vilakazi, A. Jordan, P. Abrahams, Breitenbach and others are known throughout the world. N. Gordiner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The architecture of South African cities is very diverse. Local architects have introduced originality into European styles - neo-Gothic, neoclassicism, creating the "Cape" architecture. In the end. 20th century in large cities, many administrative buildings have been erected with a complex planning solution in the style of the most avant-garde trends. The development of painting and music is characterized by the revival of the traditional African heritage and the combination of elements of African and European art. South African church choral singing has gained worldwide fame.