Eternal president: Kim Il-sung (deceased) Chairman, National Defence Commission: Kim Jong-il
Population
48,810,427
24,589,122
Life Expectancy
49.410 years
69.200 years
Capital City
Pretoria (administrative capital)
Largest city
Cape Town (population: 3,433,440)
Pyongyang (population: 3,222,000)
Human Development Index
0.67
0
GDP per capita
$11,100 US
Literacy Rate
86.4%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
4.9
NA
Percentage of Women in Parliament
33.9%
20.1%
Wealthiest Citizens
Nicky Oppenheimer & family ($5.0bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
24.900%
Death Penalty
Abolished
NA
Political System
republic
Communist state one-man dictatorship
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)
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)
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
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)
Korean
Exports
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
External Debt
$46,070,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
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
1.700%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
6
Location
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Area
1,219,090 km sq
120,538 km sq
Coastline
2,798 km
2,495 km
Climate
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
