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)
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
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)
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)
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)
Tongan, English
Exports
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops
External Debt
$46,070,000,000 $
$104,600,000 US
Exchange Rate
rand (ZAR) per US dollar - 7.9576 (2008 est.), 7.05 (2007), 6.7649 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.0277 (2006), 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.700%
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Area
1,219,090 km sq
747 km sq
Coastline
2,798 km
419 km
Climate
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
