Afrique_Du_Sud
28 37 '00 "S 24 20' 00" E / -28.6167, 24.3333
| Republiek van Suid-Afrika (af) | |||||
| Republic of South Africa (fr) | |||||
| IRiphabliki yaseMzantsi Afrika (XH) | |||||
| IRiphabliki yaseNingizimu Afrika (zu) | |||||
| IRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika (nbl) | |||||
| Republic of South Africa (en) | |||||
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| National motto : "! ke e: | Xarra ke ( | Xam ) "Unity in Diversity" (literally: "Various people united"). | |||||
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| Official Languages | Afrikaans , English , Ndebele (isiNdebele), Xhosa (isiXhosa), Zulu (isiZulu), Northern Sotho (Sepedi), Southern Sotho (Sesotho), Tswana (Setswana), Siswati (siSwati), Venda (Tshivenda), Tsonga ( Xitsonga). | ||||
| Capital | Pretoria (administrative) Cape Town (legislative) Bloemfontein (judicial) | ||||
| Largest city | Johannesburg | ||||
| Form of State | Republic | ||||
| - President of the Republic | Jacob Zuma | ||||
| Area - Total - Water (%) | Ranked 25 th 1,219,912 km 2 Negligible | ||||
| Population - Total ( 2010 ) - Density | Ranked 27 th 50 million inhabitants. 40.2 inhabitants / km 2 | ||||
| Independence - Creation | United Kingdom 31 May 1910 | ||||
| Demonym | South Africa | ||||
| HDI ( 2009 ) |  0.683 (medium) ( 125th ) | ||||
| Currency | Rand ( ZAR ) | ||||
| Time Zone | UTC 2 | ||||
| National anthem | Nkosi Sikelel'iAfrika / Die Stem | ||||
| Internet domain | . Za | ||||
| Indicative Telephone | +27 | ||||
The South Africa ) divided into 79.4% of blacks, whites 9.2%, 8.8% of Mtis and 2, 6% of Asians . Nation to phenotypes varied, South Africa and Africa is the country with the largest portion of people called " colored " white and Indian. South Africa is often called the " rainbow nation sky ", a concept coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe the diversity of the South African nation which has replaced the concept of plural society previously used in ideology segregation of apartheid ( 1948 - 1991 ).
South Africa is characterized by large mineral wealth ( gold , diamonds , coal , etc..) that made it indispensable to the West during the Cold War and a large population of ethnic European. South Africa is the economic powerhouse of Africa. The economy of South Africa is indeed one of the more highly developed and benefits from modern infrastructure throughout the country.
The name "Republic of South Africa" took the place of the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1961 when the country ceased to be a dominion UK.
Summary |
Geography
The land borders of South Africa reaches 4750 km long ( Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Namibia 855 km, Mozambique 491 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km).
Climate
- Region Cap : Mediterranean climate
- South-east region of Durban : humid subtropical climate
- Atlantic Coast: desert climate
- Plateaus of north: tropical climate
Space Mountain
In the southern part of the country lie the Drakensberg Mountains , which stretch from the KwaZulu-Natal to the Cape Province, is about 1000 km.
The average altitude is 3,000 m, the highest point of this relief being Thabana Ntlenyana , Lesotho, 3482 meters. It's always in this range lies the highest peak in Africa, South Mafadi to 3450 meters.
This massive Drakensberg is rather old with rounded tops, is a green area and living place of the San people. This is also a massive river that Orange takes its source.
In northern countries, is an ancient volcanic area, Pilanesberg. This is a fairly steep on which are craters. The fauna is very rich, mammals, deer, etc..
There is also a typical flora such as Adansonia , teak , ebony , hibiscus , etc..
Finally altitude high enough for this latitude allows skiing during the austral winter. It is not unusual as at June 2007 show large amounts of falling snow (30 cm) in one day.
Plains
The plains are mainly in the north-west and the Orange Free State, which are the cereal granaries of South Africa, through the production of wheat , of corn , of cotton and livestock by of sheep.
Basements are also very rich in gold , with diamonds in uranium and coal , especially in the cities of Kimberley and Bloemfontein.
But the north-west is occupied by the Kalahari Desert , which extends also on the Botswana and Namibia , which has an area of nearly 1 million km. Characterized by its red sand dunes, is a desert semi-arid areas with many savannas and some trees such as acacia and spiny baobabs. We observe many animal migrations.
Coastline
South Africa has 2 898 km of coastline.
Along the frontage of the Atlantic , the coast is rather regular and ribs are 2 798 km . In Namaqualand there is a floral explosion a month where more than 4,000 plant species flower at the same time ( lilies , aloe , protea , etc..) between mid-August and mid-September. This area is very touristy. The area of the Cape of Good Hope is mainly rocky and penguin colonies are located there. It is also the Seal Island (Seal Island) which hosts seals mainly from Antarctica.
Further east, the coast is an alternation of rocky shores and sandy beaches. Some swimming areas are enclosed by shark nets, very numerous along some coasts of South Africa.
The main resorts are east of the country as, East London , Jeffreys Bay , Port Elizabeth , or Durban.
There are also marine protected areas within national parks as the Reserve Phinda located onshore and offshore, where you can practice scuba diving.
Nature
South Africa has with its variety of landscapes, flora and fauna very diverse. The deserts , savannas, arid savannah wetlands, forests, fynbos , mountains and coastlines offer many ecological niches for many plant and animal species. Very large populations of marine mammals live in the first coast, including Atlantic, including the whales , the dolphins , and pilot whales and very large colonies of pinnipeds.
South Africa is one of 17 mega-diverse country , a country whose biodiversity is the largest in the world. And yes it is the nature ...
Geography administrative
There are three official capitals: Administrative Pretoria , legislative Cape , judicial Bloemfontein. Johannesburg , the richest city in the country and home to the award, is generally regarded as its economic capital.
In April 1994 , the 4 provinces and 10 Bantustans that were geographically and politically in South Africa have been dissolved to form nine new provinces included:
- Western Cape (Western Cape): south-west of the former Cape Province and the two islands of the archipelago of the Prince Edward Island
- Cap-du-Nord (Northern Cape): north of the former Cape Province
- Eastern Cape (Eastern Cape): Independent Bantustans of Transkei , the Ciskei and southeast of the former Cape Province,
- KwaZulu-Natal : Natal and Zululand
- Free State (Free State): Orange Free State and some homelands integrated
- Northwest (North West): Former West Transvaal, Northern Cape Province and Bantustan of Bophuthatswana
- Gauteng : Pretoria-Witwatersrand-old Vereeniging in the center of the Transvaal
- Mpumalanga : former Eastern Transvaal Region
- Limpopo (province) : ancient region of Northern Transvaal, called the Northern Province between 1995 and 2002
History
The Khoisan , gathering the Khoikhoi and the Bushmen are the first known inhabitants of South Africa (- 40 000 years BC).
The first peoples of Bantu languages emigrate from the Niger Delta around the year 500 AD and reached the present province of KwaZulu-Natal. It's the tenth century that tribes Bantu ( Xhosa ) settled in the region of the Fish River ( Transkei ).
In 1488 began the European history of South Africa when the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias reached the Cape of Storms ( Cape of Good Hope ) followed in 1497 by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama , which runs along the coast of Natal.
The final settlement of Europeans in South Africa date from 1652 with the establishment, on behalf of the Dutch East India Company , a refueling station in Cape Town led by the Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck.
In 1657 , several employees of the company are allowed to settle permanently in Cape Town as slaves were deported to Batavia and Madagascar to alleviate the shortage of manpower on site. In 1688 , two hundred Huguenots join the 800 French-administered trading post and base of Franschhoek. In 1691 , the Cape Colony is established.
It was only in 1770 that are recounted first contacts between Bantu and Boers (farmers free of Franco-Dutch origin) to the height of the Great Fish River (900 km east of the city mother). Conflictual relations are rapidly and in 1779 began the first of nine Kaffir wars (1779-1878).
In 1806 , the Dutch finally give way instead to the British become the new colonial power.
From 1818 to 1825 , when Mfecane , the King of the Zulus , Shaka , expands his empire over eastern South Africa at the cost of bloody conquest of other tribal peoples.
In 1835 , the Boers left the Cape Colony to the interior areas of South Africa to escape British rule. It's the Great Trek , sprinkled with tragedies and battles ( Battle of Blood River against the Zulus in 1838 ). Two independent Boer republics are ultimately founded and recognized by Great Britain : the South African Republic of Transvaal ( 1852 ) and the Orange Free State ( 1854 ).
In 1866 , the Cape Colony also extends its territory and annex the British Kaffraria when the first diamonds were discovered in Kimberley , and deposits of gold in the Witwatersrand in the Transvaal.
In 1879 , during the Anglo-Zulu War , the British suffered a historic defeat at the Battle of Isandhlwana before finally triumphing in Zululand.
After the annexation of other tribal territories, the Second Boer War ( 1899 - in 1902 ) and the annexation of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State spends British rule throughout South Africa, at a price of internment and death of thousands of Boer civilians in concentration camps.
In 1910 , the dominion of the Union of South Africa is founded from the merger of the Cape Colony (which Griqualand , the Transkei , the Stellaland and British Bechuanaland) of Natal (Zululand which), the Transvaal and Orange. The South Africa Act establishes a parliamentary democracy on the Westminster model with considerable autonomy and a sovereign parliament. The procedure for granting the right to vote , however, differ among the four new provinces (if the electorate is predominantly white , the provinces of Natal and Cape grant conditional census the right to vote to people of color called "civilized"). Boer General Louis Botha was the first prime minister of South Africa.
In 1912 , a Bantu political party, the African National Congress (ANC) is founded in Bloemfontein , demanding greater participation of black people in national affairs. The following year, the "Native Land Act" was adopted. Based on the reserve system established during the colonial era and the Boer republics, it divides the territory between the South African Native Land (7% and 13% of the land) and land for whites and government (87 % of territory).
In 1915 , engaged in the First World War , the South African troops suffer heavy losses in the Somme (France). In Africa, they took control of German Southwest Africa (later Namibia ) which is granted under a mandate by the League of Nations in 1920.
In 1918 , the Broederbond , a secret society type a href = "% C3% Franc-ma A7onnerie" alt = "Freemasonry"> Freemason, was founded with the goal of promoting political, social and economic Afrikaners (the name that has become customary Boer).
The workers' revolt of the Afrikaners of the Witwatersrand in 1922 , harshly repressed, allowing white nationalists to unite and win the general election in 1924 under the direction of James Barry Hertzog. In 1934 , facing the economic crisis , however, Hertzog joins the Liberals Jan Smuts to form a government of national unity. At the same time, anthropologists and linguists from the University of Stellenbosch as Max Werner Eiselen forge a new social and political concept that gave birth to the ideology of apartheid rejecting the idea of unique South African society, they propose to separate geographically, politically and economically blacks and whites in South Africa and the various ethnic groups together to maintain and strengthen their ethnic and linguistic identities and fight against the effects they consider the acculturation urbanization and labor migration on African traditional structures , . In 1936 , the franchise of black people in Cape Town is deleted. In 1939 , the country under the leadership of Smuts, pledges support to allies in the Second World War. In 1945 , Smuts helped draft the preamble to the United Nations organization.
Front row: JG Strijdom , Nicolaas Havenga , DF Malan (Prime Minister), EG Jansen , Charles Swart
Back row: AJ Stals , PO Sauer , Eric Louw , SP Roux , Theophilus Dnges , FC Erasmus and Ben Schoeman
In 1948 , the National Party wins the general election. The new Prime Minister Daniel Franois Malan , implements the policy of apartheid , reinforced in 1956 by the abolition of the franchise of voting rights of Coloureds ( Strijdom government ). In 1958 , Hendrik Verwoerd becomes prime minister.
In 1960 , the Sharpeville massacre and the banning of the ANC and African nationalist movements leading to the conviction of the policy of apartheid by the United Nations and the international community.
On 31 May 1961 , the country severed its last links with the institutional Britain with the proclamation of the Republic of South Africa and the withdrawal of the Commonwealth. The ANC began when the armed struggle with Umkhonto we Sizwe.
In 1963 , Nelson Mandela , one of the leaders of Umkhonto we Sizwe was sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism and other ANC leaders were imprisoned or exiled. In 1966 , Hendrik Verwoerd , prime minister of South Africa and the chief architect of apartheid, was assassinated.
In 1976 , the riots in Soweto against the compulsory teaching in Afrikaans lead the government to declare a state of emergency while the Bantustan of Transkei was declared independent under the policy of apartheid.
In 1984 , out of political deadlock, the political regime is presidentialization and tricameral parliament , open to Indians and Metis , is inaugurated. Nevertheless, the state of emergency was again declared in 1986 while international economic and political sanctions isolate the country despite the repeal of apartheid laws as symbolic of the passport procedure.
In 1990 , the new South African president, Frederik de Klerk , legalized the ANC, the Communist Party of South Africa and all black movements. Nelson Mandela is freed.
In June 1991 , the government will abolish the remaining apartheid laws and engaged in a process of constitutional change (codes). They lead the 27 April 1994 the first multiracial elections in the history of the country, won by the ANC. Nelson Mandela became the first black president of the country.
In 1995 , a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is established then the following year agreed to a new South African constitution.
From 1999 to 2008 , the country is headed by Thabo Mbeki. His record is mixed response to economic and social problems emerged in its second term, expressed in 2008 by a severe shortage of electricity in South Africa and the deterioration of infrastructure. On 21 September 2008 , following the decision of his party, the ANC, to withdraw its mandate, Thabo Mbeki tendered his resignation to Parliament , which then elects Kgalema Motlanthe to finish his term until the general election of 2009.
After the general elections of 22 April 2009 , won by the ANC, Jacob Zuma , former Vice-President 1999 to 2005 , became the new president. He was sworn in on 9 May 2009 and formed a government more open to minority political parties including the Communist Party but also for the first time since 1994, the Freedom Front (right Afrikaner).
Politics
The system is parliamentary , but as head of government and head of state merge under the title of President of the Republic of South Africa. The latter is elected by parliament.
The South African Parliament is composed of two chambers: a lower house National Assembly and the upper house, the National Council of Provinces (English: National Council of Provinces, NCOP). The 400 members of the National Assembly are elected by proportional representation list. The NCOP, which replaced the Senate in 1997 , is composed of 90 members representing the nine provinces.
Each province has a unicameral provincial legislature and an executive council chaired by Prime Minister (first in English and Afrikaans). The provinces are less independent than, for example, Canada or the States to the United States. Then it is a Federal moderate. The state has 11 official languages , which in practice are treated differently, Afrikaans losing ground to English promoted by the ANC.
Since the end of apartheid , the ANC has steadily increased its political domination. However, the opposition is still alive although diminished, and usually it is estimated that South Africa is the state most democratic in Africa. Its constitution is one example of the most generous in the world from the perspective of human rights.
The government must resolve the problem of violence affecting the countryside of the country: land reform imposed land redistribution to blacks and Afrikaner farmers often sell their holdings to the government, which creates resistance. These farmers, numbering about 35,000, are sometimes attacked by gangs and some commandos enroll in courses for the lack of government support. Several parties of extreme right continue to recruit in a section of the population that feels neglected.
Since April 22, 2009, and the victory of the ANC in the general election of 2009 Jacob Zuma was elected president by 277 votes to 47 votes for the candidate of COPE and 67 abstentions (those of the Democratic Alliance ). However, since the 2009 elections, the opposition has made a comeback. Indeed, the DA has increased its score of 30% (+4.5 points) from 12.3 to 16.7 and also won the province of Western Cape excluding the COPE score (7.5%). On May 6, 2009, Helen Zille was elected Premier of Western Cape with 24 votes to 14 votes against the ANC.
Flag
The flag of South Africa was adopted on 15 March 1994 and is officially the country's emblem since 27 April 1994.
His predecessor was impeached for its symbolism linked exclusively to the history Afrikaner and British country.
The six colors symbolize both the various political tendencies in the country, the predominant colors of the flags used by the former South Africa during its history and its natural resources.
Population and Society
Demographics
The South African population has nearly 50 million inhabitants in 2010. It is unevenly distributed: most people live in the east. The Gauteng is the most populated region followed by KwaZulu-Natal . The aridity partly explains the low densities in the north-west.
The census of 2010 allows for the racial makeup of the country: 79.4% of South Africans are black, white 9.2%, 8.8% Coloureds (mixed race) and 2.6% of Indians
Black Africans Invalid Metis Indian or Asian No dominant
The black population is divided into different ethnic groups, the most important are the Zulu and Xhosa. Concentrated in the east, it is nevertheless a minority in two provinces of Western Cape and Northern Cape.
According to a report by the SAIRR (South African Institute of Race Relations), about 900 000 whites, or one fifth of the population, have left the country since 1994. These mass departures, particularly of young South African graduates, have been denounced by the opposition attacked the ANC on these too many departures.
However, there has been a new phenomenon, the "homecoming revolution" . Thus, while the blackouts, the high crime rate and political uncertainties discouraged white South Africans who emigrated precipitously , exiles in their new countries, have experienced some financial problems at the global crisis that pushed them back, despite the fear of crime and affirmative action, South Africa . Although there are no official statistics, Charles Luyckx, executive director of Elliott International, which owns nearly 30% market share of the move said while there were four starts for a return in 2008 the ratio is closer in 2009 one to one .
Among the white population of the country's oldest, the Afrikaners (or Boers ), the descendants of settlers Dutch , represent 60% of whites, the others being mainly ethnic Britain , but also Portuguese and German. There is also a significant part of the descendants of Huguenot French (see also article Huguenots of South Africa ) who settled here during the Wars of Religion in France (though these are part of the Afrikaner community, an estimated Moreover, only 25% of Afrikaner surnames are of French origin).
In 2001, the migration balance was - 1.73 .
Health
The country faces increasing HIV to HIV : from antenatal tests, it was deduced that 19% of 15-49 years are HIV positive . The overall prevalence of HIV is estimated that 11% . However population estimates for 2007 based on the prevalence (44 million ) does not match the latest census conducted by the South African government services (50 million).
Life expectancy for men: 53.5 years
Life expectancy for women: 57.2 years
Annual Growth Rate of pop. : 1.07% based on figures from Statistics South Africans
Birth rate: 23.8 (in 2009)
Death rate: 16.77 (in 2001) and 11 in 2002
Infant mortality rate: 45.70 (2009)
Fertility rate: 2.38 children born / woman (2009)
Culture
Eleven official languages (English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, zwazi, Ndebele, Sesotho, Sepedi, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda ) are recognized by the Constitution in South Africa . Under Article 6 of its constitution, state and provincial governments must promote the languages of the communities living in South Africa: German , Greek , gujart , Hindi , Portuguese , Tamil , Telugu , Urdu , Arabic , Hebrew , Sanskrit .
The Zulu language is the most widely practiced in South African homes (about of the population) , followed by Xhosa (17.6%).
In third place comes the Afrikaans with 14% maternal speakers but over 30% of speaking a second language which puts it in second place. However it suffered from competition from English which seems more useful. The latter is the business language and communication . Three quarters of South Africans say they are Christians, 18% no religion .
| Date | French name | Local Name |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | New Year's Day |
| March 21 | Celebration of Human Rights | Human Rights Day |
| Good Friday | Good Friday | |
| Easter Monday | Easter Monday | |
| April 27 | Freedom Day (National Day) | Freedom Day / Vryheid dag |
| May 1 | Labor Day | Labour Day |
| June 16 | Youth Day | Youth Day |
| August 9 | National Day of Women | National Women's Day |
| September 24 | Heritage Day | Heritage Day |
| October 4 | National Day | |
| December 16 | Celebration of Reconciliation ( old days of the vow ) | Reconciliation Day (Day of the Vow / Geloftedag / Dingaansdag) |
| December 25 | Christmas | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | (Feast of Compassion) | Day of Goodwill |
In 1999, the literacy rate was 86.4%.
Religion
In South Africa about 80% of the population follows the religion Christian. Most Christians are Protestants. There are a number of Christian churches in South Africa and almost 85% of people are members of the church.
Sport
In sport, South Africa is best known for its rugby team What represented the likes of Francois Pienaar , Frik du Preez , Joost van der Westhuizen , Andre Venter , Os du Randt , etc..
Percy Montgomery (back) and Bryan Habana (wing) are currently ranked among the world's best players.
4 participations in, South Africa won two times World Cup: June 24, 1995 in Johannesburg ( Ellis Park ): South Africa 15-12 New Zealand (after extra time) and October 20, 2007 in Saint-Denis ( Stade de France ): South Africa 15-6 England.
In 2010, South Africa hosts the soccer World Cup , becoming the first country in Africa to host this event. South Africa has good players playing in Europe. The vuvuzelas , kinds of trumpets African emitting a sound of bee hives, are the foundation of a true culture of football. The country was champion of Africa football 1996 in Johannesburg (FNB Stadium).
South Africa hosted the World Cup Cricket in 2003.
South Africa has particular Jody Scheckter , who was world champion in Formula 1 in 1979 for Ferrari and his son Tomas who made a career in IRL.
South Africa also hosts several events on the world championship of surfing.
South Africa has particular Cameron van der Burgh who owns world records in the 50m breaststroke large pool (26.67) and the 50-meter short course breaststroke (25.25) 100 meter breaststroke (55.61).
Social Problems
Poverty, unemployment and migration
According to the Human Development Index ( HDI ) of the United Nations Program for Development ( UNDP ), South Africa fell 35 places in their rankings between 1990 and 2005 , noting the general impoverishment of the population. The number of people living below the extreme poverty line has doubled in ten years, from 1.9 to 4.2 million, or 8.8% of the population. Nearly 40% of cities in South Africa are made up of townships and the difference between rich and poor is very visible and very present, originally created much tension between the two classes. Over 43% of the population lives on less than 3,000 rand (260 euros) per year. The official unemployment rate of 23.2% according to ILO , but the unions say close to 40% .
In 2006 , the country holds the 121 th place world ranking. This decline is mainly due to the recent establishment of reliable and representative studies (including data relating to the former Bantustans), but is mainly due to the ravages of the pandemic of AIDS. Part of the white minority made uncomfortable by such an increase in crime (541 white farmers were murdered between 1998 and 2001), by the affirmative by the AIDS pandemic, and the events in Zimbabwe against white farmers, emigrated en masse in Australia or New Zealand. Thus, nearly one million white South Africans have left the country since 1994.
Many African immigrants in South Africa to earn more money than in their home countries, but AIDS and crime are some from after a few years. and cause an exodus of thousands of illegal immigrants .
Crime
Following the increase in burglaries in the early 1990s , South Africans began to barricade their homes, erecting fences and walls to protect themselves from the street and their neighbors. Before the boldness of burglars, the easiest of them have installed motion detectors and alarms in their houses and then electrified grids 9000 volts and infrared barriers. The criminals then turned their victims in front of them, they put a gun to their head forcing them to open their home and to defuse the alarm system . The wealthy inhabitants of Johannesburg have entrenched themselves in neighborhoods fortress-like, walled, secure, accessible only through a gate guarded twenty-four hours in twenty-four. If crime in these neighborhoods has declined, sometimes 70%, municipalities have often, though not to barricade themselves in this way, particularly to avoid the decline of the rich among them . According to the newspaper Le Monde of 28 December 2004 , South Africa reached record on crime: there are about 20,000 murders per year, 30,000 attempted murders, more than 50,000 rapes and about 300,000 burglaries. The rate of sexual violence in South Africa in 2000 was the highest in the world .
The South African state has yet to 200,000 police and 60,000 soldiers to restore order and security, but the police are poorly trained and poorly paid. The police itself some police monitored by private companies / Sup>. The latter, employing 420 000 private security guards, are so far responsible for the protection of one and half million homes and businesses in South Africa Economy The South African economy is the most powerful of the African continent. Since 1994, South Africa has opted for economic liberalism tempered by a strong involvement of the state to regulate the economy, modify the unequal distribution of wealth and to ensure better protection of social groups historically and economically the most disadvantaged. Since 1994 , the country registered a steady growth of 5% on average. Despite a number of difficulties are structural or cyclical, South Africa remains the continent's biggest economy representing one quarter of gross domestic product (GDP) of it, one of the world's leading producers of gold and platinum and has companies and domestic enterprises extremely successful and competitive in international markets . For 2007 , the World Bank gives Africa's economic powerhouse South Africa: Since 1994 , the South African authorities have implemented a policy of affirmative action or affirmative aksi ( affirmative action ) to promote better representation of the black majority in the different sectors of the country (government, utilities and parastatals, nationalized and private companies). Thus, in many areas, whites were invited to make their pension entitlements or to accept layoffs, with severance pay. One result was the loss of part of the white minority (10% of its members live today with 1000 euros per year). But the program has helped develop a black middle class. The black diamonds, earning over 6000 rand per month (520 euros), representing approximately 10% of the black population but these are generally very indebted and suffer from the steady increase in interest rates. He also criticized the policy of positive discrimination to promote only a tiny fraction of the population of blacks, those who graduate, living in urban areas . Furthermore, a study released in 2006 , and covering the period 1995-2005, shows that qualified whites emigrate en masse: in ten years, 16.1% of white South Africans have left the country. Following criticism from opposition parties, the South African government redefines its policy of positive discrimination in trying to encourage the return home of those too many and too skilled expatriates. Is the Vice-President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka who is responsible to implement this reform by promoting wage incentives to those who would return to the country . In July 2008 , the South African writer Andre Brink attacks the implementation of the policy of affirmative finding that the application of it has "reached ridiculous extremes that led to the exile good number of those most qualified and most able of the country, while the government and its pharmacies consistently replace the real competence by mediocrity and inferiority " . In August 2008 , members of the new ANC leadership, established by Jacob Zuma , acknowledged, with entrepreneurs and representatives of the white minority, the errors performed in the area of affirmative action and promised to curb the policy of the next government to succeed that of Thabo Mbeki . Thus, Mathews Phosa , Treasurer General of the ANC recognized the "skills gap in areas such as financial management, information technology, management of the judiciary and security issues" caused by the practice of discrimination positive. He further stated that "qualified personnel White would be welcomed by the next administration" in 2009 . Since 1994 , only 5% of farms were redistributed to blacks 1.2 million while 60,000 whites still own and manage 80% of arable land. The government had given in 1994 as a target of 30% land redistribution by 2014 but the plan of agrarian reform which was to end on that date was pushed back to 2025 . The law provides that the descendants of black farmers, dispossessed by force or unjustly compensated under the laws passed since 1913, may seek restitution of their land. In July 2005 , the majority of participants in the 4000 "Earth Summit", recommended expropriation while Vice-President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka asked to "import experts from Zimbabwe." However, this redistribution does not affect the economic viability of this land as restitution to blacks for the majority of farms in the fertile Limpopo valley turned into a disaster, lack of technical and financial support so that farmers grow only blacks surfaces sufficient to feed their families and leave the rest fallow. Since 1994 virtually every major mining companies and banks have sold between 10 and 26% of their capital to blacks, Indians and mestizos. Initially, a small black elite, after leaders of the ANC, has been converted successfully into the business benefiting from large capital transfers to enterprises. The richest of them is Patrice Motsepe became the 2 nd Black richest in the world with 3.3 billion dollars behind Nigeria's Aliko Dangote, with 13.3 billion dollars by Forbes magazine in 2011. Since 2000, specific targets have been negotiated in some sectors (mining, banking, petroleum distribution, etc.).. Thus, under the mining charter in 2002, all companies must sell 26% of their capital by 2014. Blacks will represent 40% of executives in 2009. Companies that do not meet these conditions may lose their operating rights. A body of legislation is also being adopted. Specific targets will be set out in particular in terms of transfer of capital and internal promotion of blacks in the businesses. All companies including SMEs will complete a report card (those with the highest scores are more likely to win public procurement). Multinationals, however, are exempt. The national currency, the rand , has significantly depreciated against the euro and the dollar. If in 1970 , a rand was worth a dollar, the rand has depreciated steadily since the 1980s. In February 2008 , the euro is now worth more than 11 rand while the dollar is worth 7.50 rand (a loss of 12% of its value since the beginning of the year). In 2007 , the inflation which had hitherto been controlled, reached 8.6% while the price increase exceeds 6%, forcing the South African Reserve Bank to increase to 4 times its interest rates . In 1950 , South Africa had developed a wide range of synthetic hydrocarbons. She was constrained by two factors: the Apartheid , which had led to a blockade of oil products, then, much later, stopping supplies from the Iran , the only supplier to South Africa the revolution that overthrew the Shah's regime. Since early 2008 , the South African growth is undermined by cuts of electricity that paralyzes the major cities, causing massive traffic jams on major roads and threaten the country's economy and the region, causing including a temporary closure of major mines of gold , of platinum and diamonds. Following this crisis that undermines the paid employment of 450,000 people, the government is doing its mea culpa for not modernized or built power plants since the end of apartheid. The crisis threatens the value of the Rand in freefall and the ability of South Africa to organize the World Cup soccer in 2010 . To overcome this shortage and the coming into operation by 2012 of new power plants, the government plans to impose quotas of consumption for households and businesses and installing one million solar panels in three years. However, at the end of the term of President Thabo Mbeki, many weaknesses or errors in its management are highlighted by the press, including poor road conditions (which remains the best road network in Africa, before that of Morocco ), the shortcomings of the public health system , degradation of public hospitals and public schools. Corruption and inefficient administration, lack of personal motivation and how complete the picture of the structural difficulties faced by South Africa . Telephone lines: 4.642 million (in 2007) South Africa has the code: South Africa Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Comoros Congo DR Congo Cte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Equatorial Guinea Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritius Mauritania Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Uganda Rwanda Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 1Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Chad Togo Tunisia Zambia Zimbabwe 
GDP 287.2 billion U.S. dollars worth of nominal ( 2009 ) GDP per capita Value 5685 U.S. nominal per capita ( 2009 ) Growth rate 4.9% ( 2006 ) Growth rate of industrial production 6.2% ( 2007 ) Share in world imports 0.62% ( 2006 ) Share in world exports 0.48% ( 2006 ) Military spending 1.3% of GDP ( 2008 ) Arms Exports 39 million ( 2005 ) Education spending 5.4% of GDP ( 2006 ) Power Consumption 4884 kWh per capita ( 2004 ) CO 2 emissions 9.19 tonnes per capita ( 2004 ) Ranking of major economic powers in Africa
State GDP (PPP) 
South Africa U.S. 492.6 billion ( 2009 ) 
Egypt U.S. 442.6 billion ( 2009 ) 
Nigeria U.S. 315.4 billion ( 2008 ) 
Algeria 233.0 billion U.S. dollars ( 2008 ) Source: International Monetary Fund Affirmative
Land reform
Requisition of corporate assets by political power
The weakness of the rand and inflation
Structural difficulties of South African economy
Miscellaneous
Mobile phones: 42 million (in 2007)
Radios: 13.75 million (1997)
Televisions: 5.2 million (in 1997)
Internet users: 5.1 million (in 2005)
Number of ISPs: 44 (in 2000)
Roads: 362,099 km (including 73 506 km tarred) (2002)
Railways: 20,872 km (2006)
Waterways: n / a
Number of airports: 728 (including 146 with paved runways) (2007)
National Airline: South African Airways
National Power Company: Eskom Codes
References
Bibliography
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Existence awidely disputed in the international community, including Morocco , non-member African Union, which considers Western Sahara as part of its territory.
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