31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared) 27 April 1994 (majority rule)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
Languages
Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)
Exports
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
External Debt
$5,491,000,000 $
$46,070,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.253 (2008 est.), 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004)
rand (ZAR) per US dollar - 7.9576 (2008 est.), 7.05 (2007), 6.7649 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.300%
1.700%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
1
Location
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Area
1,098,581 km sq
1,219,090 km sq
Coastline
0 km
2,798 km
Climate
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
