South Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the <a href="/facts/Southern_Africa/Ak6C1vgf">southernmost</a> country in <a href="/facts/Africa/XkqQUP9s">Africa</a>. Its <a href="/facts/Provinces_of_South_Africa/pkfEmsIg">nine provinces</a> are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 miles) of <a href="/facts/Coastline/RBD0wxn3">coastline</a> that stretches along the <a href="/facts/Atlantic_Ocean/EI4uChIb">South Atlantic</a> and <a href="/facts/Indian_Ocean/Kv0crwKG">Indian Ocean</a>; to the north by the neighbouring countries of <a href="/facts/Namibia/ahXuaypy">Namibia</a>, <a href="/facts/Botswana/dGw6g94p">Botswana</a>, and <a href="/facts/Zimbabwe/8Yqt8490">Zimbabwe</a>; to the east and northeast by <a href="/facts/Mozambique/mMWQ80JT">Mozambique</a> and <a href="/facts/Eswatini/Mfz58p4W">Eswatini</a>; and it encloses <a href="/facts/Lesotho/gYSatY8p">Lesotho</a>. Covering an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres (471,445 square miles), the country has <a href="/facts/Demographics_of_South_Africa/9JokdkXV">a population</a> of over 64 million people. <a href="/facts/Pretoria/lv4sXKKA">Pretoria</a> is the administrative capital, while <a href="/facts/Cape_Town/tFrIG1gz">Cape Town</a>, as the seat of <a href="/facts/Parliament_of_South_Africa/YfRbuXla">Parliament</a>, is the legislative capital, and <a href="/facts/Bloemfontein/lJFp8hhL">Bloemfontein</a> is regarded as the judicial capital. The largest, most populous city is <a href="/facts/Johannesburg/DQd9T8FY">Johannesburg</a>, followed by <a href="/facts/Cape_Town/tFrIG1gz">Cape Town</a> and <a href="/facts/Durban/ADRqGHGy">Durban</a>.
<a href="/facts/Cradle_of_Humankind/8ePT2qef">Archaeological findings</a> suggest that various <a href="/facts/Hominid/ILn1SYKB">hominid</a> species existed in South Africa about 2.5 million years ago, and <a href="/facts/Modern_humans/AxD254MP">modern humans</a> inhabited the region over 100,000 years ago. The first known people were the indigenous <a href="/facts/Khoisan/NNEQF8qQ">Khoisan</a>, and <a href="/facts/Bantu_peoples_of_South_Africa/lQyuYqTu">Bantu-speaking peoples</a> from West and Central Africa later <a href="/facts/Bantu_expansion/PoIMh3tz">migrated</a> to the region 2,000 to 1,000 years ago. In the north, the <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Mapungubwe/4lY2JHTH">Kingdom of Mapungubwe</a> formed in the 13th century. In 1652, the Dutch established the first European settlement <a href="/facts/Dutch_Cape_Colony/F9wvTXpj">at Table Bay</a>, and in <a href="/facts/Invasion_of_the_Cape_Colony/fAdVTrUW">1795</a> and <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Blaauwberg/HShF0sTo">1806</a>, the British occupied it. The <a href="/facts/Mfecane/bG8qgq30">Mfecane</a>, a period of significant upheaval, led to the formation of various African kingdoms, including the <a href="/facts/Zulu_Kingdom/H5TaL9G6">Zulu Kingdom</a>. The region was further colonised, and diamonds and gold were <a href="/facts/Mineral_Revolution/BfIqz82j">discovered</a>, bringing a shift towards industrialisation and urbanisation. Following the <a href="/facts/Second_Boer_War/LSEc1IgQ">Second Boer War</a>, the <a href="/facts/Union_of_South_Africa/bwmp5mXt">Union of South Africa</a> was <a href="/facts/South_Africa_Act_1909/vJo9GMm9">created</a> in 1910 after the amalgamation of the <a href="/facts/Cape_Colony/Pcov4AhT">Cape</a>, <a href="/facts/Colony_of_Natal/koILS8IP">Natal</a>, <a href="/facts/Transvaal_Colony/kC7eakJY">Transvaal</a>, and <a href="/facts/Orange_River_Colony/ksmCzucs">Orange River</a> colonies, becoming a <a href="/facts/Republic/vc8D2pA8">republic</a> in <a href="/facts/1960_South_African_republic_referendum/7s5eJ4qm">1961</a>. Though a system of multi-racial franchise had <a href="/facts/Cape_Qualified_Franchise/a3e9PqzG">existed</a> in the Cape, it was gradually eroded, and the vast majority of Black South Africans were not <a href="/facts/Suffrage/HFFSpSCG">enfranchised</a> until 1994.
The <a href="/facts/National_Party_(South_Africa)/eYc5s5ot">National Party</a> imposed <a href="/facts/Apartheid/8x87W8ex">apartheid</a> in 1948, institutionalising previous <a href="/facts/Racial_segregation/c7QArpIR">racial segregation</a>. After a <a href="/facts/Internal_resistance_to_apartheid/kC7fR5FL">largely non-violent struggle</a> by the <a href="/facts/African_National_Congress/0WHYmTgy">African National Congress</a> and other anti-apartheid activists both inside and outside the country, the repeal of discriminatory laws began in the mid-1980s. <a href="/facts/Universal_suffrage/QXTRB4Lh">Universal</a> <a href="/facts/Elections_in_South_Africa/09E9gLpF">elections</a> <a href="/facts/1994_South_African_general_election/zEtzvfdL">took place in 1994</a>, following which all racial groups have held political representation in the country's <a href="/facts/Liberal_democracy/5blgnbkS">liberal democracy</a>, which comprises a <a href="/facts/Parliamentary_republic/W8AubFBo">parliamentary republic</a> and nine provinces.
South African society encompasses a variety of <a href="/facts/Culture_of_South_Africa/dEVKhxCH">cultures</a>, <a href="/facts/Languages_of_South_Africa/UyAauxup">languages</a>, and <a href="/facts/Religion_in_South_Africa/XCTFjG79">religions</a>; the country is often called the "<a href="/facts/Rainbow_nation/VR4DMLKm">rainbow nation</a>" to describe its multiracial, multicultural diversity, especially in the wake of apartheid. Recognised as a <a href="/facts/Middle_power/ku44qNYY">middle power</a> in international affairs, South Africa maintains significant <a href="/facts/Regional_power/5sEzSjCx">regional influence</a> and is a member of <a href="/facts/BRICS%252B/FzdNoxGQ">BRICS+</a>, the <a href="/facts/African_Union/Pz1DVnDN">African Union</a>, <a href="/facts/Southern_African_Development_Community/xKfEt3Hb">SADC</a>, <a href="/facts/Southern_African_Customs_Union/LYagbx7w">SACU</a>, the <a href="/facts/Commonwealth_of_Nations/TcIRQnNq">Commonwealth of Nations</a>, and the <a href="/facts/G20/pFut6kJQ">G20</a>. A <a href="/facts/Developing_country/eTfS4kxl">developing</a>, <a href="/facts/Newly_industrialized_country/FoGN9n5F">newly industrialised country</a>, it has the <a href="/facts/List_of_African_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)/nX3S8qhf">largest</a> economy in Africa by nominal GDP, is tied with <a href="/facts/Ethiopia/LVujNp5v">Ethiopia</a> for the most <a href="/facts/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Africa/a6t45Tgo">UNESCO World Heritage Sites</a> in Africa, and is a <a href="/facts/Biodiversity_hotspot/rGVdhvvG">biodiversity hotspot</a> with unique <a href="/facts/Biomes/cl4X36GB">biomes</a>, plant, and animal life. Since the end of apartheid, government accountability and <a href="/facts/Quality_of_life/37ljmgAH">quality of life</a> have substantially improved for non-white citizens. However, <a href="/facts/Crime_in_South_Africa/6yRsGcgJ">crime</a>, violence, <a href="/facts/Poverty_in_South_Africa/gMlK3ReP">poverty</a>, and <a href="/facts/Inequality_in_post-apartheid_South_Africa/228jc9jV">inequality</a> remain widespread, with about 32% of the population unemployed as of 2024, while some 56% lived below the poverty line. Having the highest <a href="/facts/Gini_coefficient/HledImpA">Gini coefficient</a> of 0.63, South Africa is considered one of the most economically unequal countries in the world.

South Africa open-in-new

South Africa