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Geography
South Africa is located on the southernmost tip of Africa. It boasts a coastline stretching more than 1,600 miles. The low elevation coastal zone is narrow and gives way to the Great Escarpment that separates the coast from the high inland plateau. Although South Africa is classified as mostly semi-arid, there is a variety of different climates. The country only has two major rivers: the Lipopo and the Orange. In such a dry climate, dams and irrigation become especially important. South Africa's largest dam is the Gariep on the Orange River. The country has three different capital cities, one for each branch of government. Praetoria is the executive branch's capital. Cape Town is the legislative capital. Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. |
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Languages Top six native languages:
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Government and Economy
South Africa's government is a parliamentary republic with three branches of government and an independent judiciary. It's government is significantly different from other Commonwealth nations. All branches of government follow the Constitution, the Supreme law of the land. The economy of South Africa is the second largest in Africa. It is one of the most industrialized countries in Africa. According to the World Bank, South Africa is an upper-middle income economy, however, there is a wide wealth gap in the country.
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Religion
South Africa is a secular state with an extremely diverse religious population. Christianity, especially Protestantism sects is the predominant religion. It is important to note that most of The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
Graph from https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/126445/the-most-popular-religions-in-south-africa/
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Culture
South Africa is well known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. The majority of inhabitants live in poverty and rural areas. These groups keep the traditional culture alive, as compared to the urban, middle and upper classes, have adopted Western culture. Middle class citizens are predominantly white, but post apartheid, is becoming more diverse. Today's government honors traditional aboriginal culture by designating land for them and naming their languages as official languages. |
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Indigenous population
South Africa's indigenous peoples account for approximately 1 percent of the total population. While there are many tribes in South Africa today, the original indigenous people are the San (Bushman) and Nama. Both of these groups are part of the Khoisan groups. Purely indigenous people are very rare as they have been eliminated through smallpox outbreaks and intermarriage with other tribes. These groups speak the Khoisan languages and most of their consonants are click sounds. Today, they are confined to the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where they continue to practice their semi-nomadic lifestyles and cultures (United Nations, 2015).
Tourism
South Africa is a prime tourist destination and the industry makes up a large portion of the country's economy. In 2012, the tourism industry contributed 102 billion ZAR to South Africa's GDP. The country is known as the adventure capital of the world and offers several national parks, diverse cultural heritage, and well known wines. Almost 3.5 million people traveled to South Africa in August 2017 (Statistics South Africa, 2017).
South Africa is a prime tourist destination and the industry makes up a large portion of the country's economy. In 2012, the tourism industry contributed 102 billion ZAR to South Africa's GDP. The country is known as the adventure capital of the world and offers several national parks, diverse cultural heritage, and well known wines. Almost 3.5 million people traveled to South Africa in August 2017 (Statistics South Africa, 2017).
Photos from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-10-foods-try-south-africa