Page 31 - Issue 9

Country Profile

South Africa, City of Johannesburg

The rainbow nation

outh Africa is the southernmost countries has painted the country in bad Asian heritage.
Scountry on the African Continent. The light. The country still experiences wide The country’s colonial past means that
country has a population of population economic disparities between whites Afrikaans and English is widely spoken
at 58, 78 million. Approximately 51,2% and blacks, a challenge that the country compared with the rest of the continent.
(approximately 30 million) of the continues to grapple with 26years of South Africa has a rich cultural legacy,
population is female. black rule. with tribal traditions mixing with the
South Africa is a multi-ethnic, South Africa is one of the most more Westernised population. This
constitutional democracy which geographically varied countries on the melting pot of cultures has created a
comprises a parliamentary republic and continent, with a coastline that stretches fascinating range of languages, music,
nine provinces. South Africa is governed 1,600 miles, vast desert plains and cuisine, religion and art in one country.
from three official capitals, Pretoria, mountainous terrain. It is the world’s South Africa’s many nationalities and
Bloemfontein and Cape Town. Despite leader in mining and minerals and cultures are reflected in its cuisine,
not being a capital city, Johannesburg, has nearly 90% of the platinum metals which has African, Asian and European
situated in the inland province of and 41% of the gold on earth. South influences. Main Languages: Afrikaans,
Gauteng, is the country’s largest city Africa is also home to four of the five English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi,
and has a population of almost 4.5 fastest land animals in the world – the Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu.
million people. South Africa has a cheetah, wildebeest, lion and Thomson’s Main Religions: Christianity, Islam,
turbulent history, but since 1994, has gazelle and the country’s wildlife attracts Hinduism, Judaism, Indigenous
been governed by the African National millions of tourists each year. religions.
Congress (ANC) which scored its 5 South Africa is often referred to as the South Africa is Parliamentary
th
election victory in 2014, and as a result, ‘Rainbow Nation’ – a term coined by Democracy with strong political parties.
the lives of many citizens have improved Archbishop Desmond Tutu – because of The ruling party ANC is the ruling
significantly. its cultural and racial diversity. Over 70% party. The African National Congress
However, despite having one of the largest of South Africans identify themselves as (ANC) is the current governing party of
economies in the African continent, black African, descended from tribal the Republic of South Africa. The ANC
the country continues to experience cultures from all over the African was founded in 1912 in Bloemfontein
poverty, crime, unemployment. The continent. The rest of the population is and is the oldest liberation movement in
recent episodes of xenophobic attracts made up of Afrikaners (descended from Africa. The Currency of South Africa is
on foreigners, largely from African Dutch settlers) and those of Indian and the Rand (ZAR).

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