south africa fast facts

Official Name: Republic of South Africa

Population: 47,556,900

Capital City: Pretoria (1.5 million), Cape Town (3.2 million) is the legislative centre, and Bloemfontein (350,000) is the judicial centre.

Government: Republic & Independent member of the British Commonwealth

Government Leader: President Thabo Mbeki (Head of State)

Languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu - all (official)

Official Currency: Rand (ZAR)

National Day: 27 April; Freedom Day

Population Mix: African (77%), White (11%), Coloured (9%), Other (3%)

Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2

Daylight Saving: Not in use

Religions: Christian (68%), others

Land Area: 1,221,040 sq km (471,443 sq miles)

Latitude/Longitude: 25? 73'S, 28? 22'E

Heighest Point: Njesuthi (11,181 ft.) (3,408 m)

featured destinations

Eastern Cape
eastern cape travel guide The Eastern Cape is a place of unspoilt natural beauty, from the Tsitsikamma Forest, to the southern Drakensberg and the arid Great Karoo this is a place naturally, South Africa's best! From the beautiful coastline, to some of the best game reserves in the wor... more info on Eastern Cape

Drakensberg
drakensberg travel guide The Drakensberg Mountains or Ukhahlamba (The Barrier of Spears) is a 200 kilometer long mountainous wonderland and a UNESCO world heritage site. From the massive basalt cliffs of its northern reaches to the soaring sandstone buttresses in the south, the Drakensberg offers a m... more info on Drakensberg

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