Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a Governor-General Prime minister: Stephen Harper
Population
48,601,098
34,568,211
Life Expectancy
49.480 years
81.570 years
Capital City
Pretoria (administrative capital)
Ottawa
Largest city
Cape Town (population: 3,433,440)
Toronto (population: 4,612,190)
Human Development Index
0.67
0.967
GDP per capita
$11,300 US
$41,500 US
Literacy Rate
86.4%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
4.9
8.7
Percentage of Women in Parliament
33.9%
24.9%
Wealthiest Citizens
Nicky Oppenheimer & family ($5.0bn US)
David Thomson & family ($13.0bn US)
Unemployment Rate
22.700%
7.300%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
republic
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation
Independence date
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)
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK)
Religions
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)
Languages
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)
English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%
Exports
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
rand (ZAR) per US dollar - 7.9576 (2008 est.), 7.05 (2007), 6.7649 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar - 1.0364 (2008 est.), 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.700%
1.100%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
18
Location
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
Area
1,219,090 km sq
9,984,670 km sq
Coastline
2,798 km
202,080 km
Climate
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
