Part 686

Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 65% forest and woodland: 3% other: 21%

Irrigated land: 11,280 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage threatens to outpace supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: prolonged droughts international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic note: South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

People ------

Population: 41,743,459 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 36% (male 7,578,639; female 7,428,123) 15-64 years: 60% (male 12,356,753; female 12,516,467) 65 years and over: 4% (male 744,806; female 1,118,671) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.76% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 27.91 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 10.32 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 48.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59.47 years male: 57.21 years female: 61.8 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.43 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: South African(s) adjective: South African

Ethnic divisions: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%

Religions: Christian (most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of blacks), Hindu (60% of Indians), Muslim 2%

Languages: 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 81.8% male: 81.9% female: 81.7%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa conventional short form: South Africa abbreviation: RSA

Data code: SF

Type of government: republic

Capital: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)