| Land area (sq. km) |
1,214,470.00 |
WDI |
| Arable land (% of land area) |
12.15 |
WDI |
| Population, total |
45,509,236.00 |
WDI |
| Population growth (annual %) |
(0.70) |
WDI |
| Population density (people per sq. km) |
37.47 |
WDI |
| Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) |
82.40 |
WDI/UN/UNICEF |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) |
44.64 |
WDI |
| Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) |
54.00 |
WDI |
| Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population)** |
50.0 (2000 est.) |
WDI/CIA/UNICEF |
| Urban population (% of total) |
58.82 |
WDI |
| Ethnic breakdown |
black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census) |
CIA |
| Religious breakdown |
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, other Christian 36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census) |
CIA |
| Language |
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) |
CIA |
| Capital City |
Pretoria (Administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital) |
CIA |
| Character of government |
Republic ; Administrative Division: 9 provinces; Independence day: 31 May 1910 (from UK); |
CIA* |
| Current President/Prime Minister |
President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999) |
CIA* |
| Executive branch description |
President is both the chief of state and head of government ; cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president ; elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term) |
CIA* |
| Legislative branch description |
bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of members are selected by each of the nine provincial legislature for five years term) |
CIA* |
| Judicial branch description |
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts |
CIA |
| Women in national parliament (% of total) |
30.00 |
WDI |
| Foreign aid per capita (current US$) |
13.56 |
WDI |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflow (BoP, current US$ bn) ** |
0.58 |
WDI |
| GDP growth (annual %) |
4.47 |
WDI |
| GDP per capita (constant 2000 US$) |
3,346.05 |
WDI |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) |
1.39 |
WDI |
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
1.41 |
WDI/CIA/WRI |
| Military expenditure (% of central government expenditure) |
4.84 |
WDI/WRI/Dept of State/UNICEF |
| Health expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
3.24 (2003) |
WDI/WRI |
| Education expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
5.37 |
WDI/WRI |
| Main export |
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment |
CIA |
| Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) |
26.20 |
WDI/CIA |
| External debt, total (DOD, current US$) |
28,499,900,416.00 |
WDI/CIA |
| Currency |
Rand (ZAR) |
CIA |
| Local Currency Rate, per US$ |
6.46 |
CIA |
| Internet users (per 1,000 people) |
78.36 |
WDI/Comp Industry Almanac |
| Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people) |
428.48 |
WDI |
| Personal computers (per 1,000 people) |
82.18 |
WDI |
| Telephone mainlines (per 1,000 people) |
105.20 (2003) |
WDI |
