This profile is taken from the SADC website.

BRIEF HISTORY
After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the black people. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in a majority rule. South Africa is also a member of ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC.

GEOGRAPHY
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa.

CLIMATE
Mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights.

TERRAIN
Vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain.

NATURAL RESOURCES
Gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas.

POPULATION
44,187,637

ETHNIC GROUPS
Black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census).

NATIONALITY
Noun: South African(s)
Adjective: South African

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).

COUNTRY NAME
Conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
Conventional short form: South Africa
Former: Union of South Africa
Abbreviation: RSA

GOVERNMENT TYPE
Republic

CAPITAL CITY
Pretoria (administrative capital). Recently renamed Tswane.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape.

INDEPENDENCE
31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum

NATIONAL HOLIDAY
Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

CONSTITUTION
10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 4 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

LEGAL SYSTEM
Based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009)
Election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
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 the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note - following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February 1997, the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution
elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
Election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%; seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other 21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party – NA

JUDICIAL BRANCH
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Court.

POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS
African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE, president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI, president]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Anthony LEON, president]; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER, president]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO, president]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

FLAG DESCRIPTION
Two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes.

ECONOMY BRIEF
South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to lower South Africa's high unemployment rate, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. South African economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to increase job growth and household income.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products.

INDUSTRIES
Mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair.

EXPORT COMMODITIES
Gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment.

IMPORT COMMODITIES
Machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs.

CURRENCY CODE
South African rand (ZAR).

INTERNET COUNTRY CODE
.za