The country is situated in southern Africa, between South Atlantic and
Indian Ocean. Borders on the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe,
Mozambique and Swaziland, as it is located within the state of Lesotho.
South Africa called «rainbow nation», because there are people of many
races and nationalities; «aviation country» - because the weather there
«flight»: the sky is almost always pure; «sporting nation» - of the great
love of sport and the South Africans, Finally, «mints of the world»,
because South Africa - the largest gold producer in the world.
The transport network in South Africa is full of railways, their length
- 21 431 km. Many roads - 182 329 km (including coated - 55 428 km,
including 2040 km expressways). On bus lines for passengers are provided
with services equivalent rail. Main ports - Cape Town. Durban, East
London, Mosselbaay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha. As part of the
merchant fleet - about 300 vessels, including 4 container. Airports and
airfields - 667. including 2 international - under the Johannesburg and
Durban under. They serve more than 200 airlines. National Airlines -
«South African Airways». Largest hydroelectric power station - «Gharib»
and «Fanderkloof» (both on the Orange River).
According to the census in 1996, from 37,9 million South Africans,
black citizens (Zulu, Xhosa, Venda, Tswana, Shangaan-Tsonga, Swazi, Pedi,
Sotho, Ndebele) accounted for 75.2%, white (Afrikaner, English, etc. .) -
13,6%, Color - 8,6%, Indians - 2,6% at the rate of population growth 1.76%
and the proportion of urban population - 66%. Color - is mestizo
(descendants of mixed marriages between Europeans and Africans), the
descendants of slaves brought to South Africa from Indonesia, India and
Malaya, as well as Arabs. Asian descent (indopakistantsy and Chinese) -
the descendants of indentured to work the sugar plantations in Natal
province in 1860 - 1920. Most of the population speaks English and
Afrikaans. Employed (economically active) are 14.2 million people, about a
third of them engaged in agriculture, one third - in the manufacturing and
mining industry and one third - in the service sector. Incomes of the
richest people in the 20 times higher than that of the poorest. Inflation
rate -8.7%. About a third of working age --
unemployed. Only 2 / 3 of adults are literate. The system comprises
preparatory education, primary, secondary and higher education (teachers -
about 12 thousand). Education in public schools - free, universal primary
(377 thousand students) and secondary (44 thousand) of education provided
98% of school-age children. The initial seven-year school consists of two
years (preparatory) and five (main). Training is conducted in a language
understood by the students of the area. Studied and most widespread in the
country Afrikaans. Average five-year school consists of a three-year
junior and two-year senior. There is a vocational-technical, commercial
and housekeeping schools and trade schools. In the system of higher
education - 21 university and 15 tehnikonov (universities, technical and
commercial specialization), working 549 teachers, 4640 students enrolled.
The most famous universities - Rand Afrikaans, Fort Hare, Cape Uestern,
Stellenbosch, University of Pretoria. A program combining higher
education with scientific research activities. In the country - 724
hospitals and clinics and about 43 thousand doctors. World renown hospital
received Hroote Shyur ( «Big Shed»), where in 1967 the South African
surgeon, Professor Christiaan Barnard successfully held a human heart
transplant.
Modern South Africa - a country of mixed Afro-European culture: it is
sometimes called the «African American»: Johannesburg skyscrapers coexist
with starogollandskimi buildings, conical dwellings of Africans and
stone-wood trusses drills, ultra-modern factories can stay close to old
mines and quarries. At home, South Africans are hospitable and helpful.
The table presented Malayo-African cuisine with elements of Dutch and
French dishes. Distributed by cooking outdoors - on the hearth or stove.
Costume, as a rule, European, a light type, and national dress, South
Africans of different origins worn only on special occasions. In rural
Africans extended wall-paintings, by the nature of which you can learn
about who lives in the house. In the widely used bead jewelry; particular
importance is the color of the ornament. Crafts - copper bracelets, beaded
jewelry, rings, necklaces, furniture, spoons, clay and
wooden utensils, basketry and leather goods - are in demand by
tourists. Of great interest is the national tradition of craftsmanship and
art, song and choreographic works, such as dance fight «modus-modus»,
miners' dormitory, or songs like hymns choral pieces, traditional African
sculpture and ornament, modern paintings and sculpture that adorn the
rooms, houses streets and gardens.
Pretoria was founded in 1837, brown Andries Pretorius on the river
Tshwane and is named in his honor. Here is a complex of government
buildings - the Union Buildings, built in 1910, the official residence of
the president is in park Brentirion. The highest building of the capital
belongs to the Reserve Bank. Point - a monument to the President of the
Transvaal P. Kruger, State Theater, etc.
60 km from Pretoria - the business center of South Africa -
Johannesburg (2500 inhabitants). From the diamond and gold rush XIX
century. remained near slagheap. Attractions in Johannesburg - the old
post office, Geological Museum, Museum of Fine Arts with a rich collection
of paintings of classical and modern painting. Nearby African village in
Soweto ( «southwestern p»), where there is a great amusement park. The
charming country town of Cape Town (2400 inhabitants) is situated on the
shore of the bay, near the Cape of Good Hope. Above the city rises the
majestic Table Mountain. This is the legislative (parliamentary), the
capital, the seat of the National Assembly and is the Supreme Court. In
the city - the Parliament building, an old city park, a gallery with
paintings of the XVII century., Churches, mosques and synagogues. The
third-largest city - Durban (1800 thousand inhabitants) - a major port on
the Indian Ocean. Here, excellent beaches, hotels, restaurants.
In the relief of the country dominated by the plateau, reduced in the
center and elated at the edges: in the east - Drakensberg, where the
highest point in the country - the mountain of Mont-Source (3299 m) in the
south - Cape Jurassic. Karoo plateau in the form of terraces decreases in
the direction of the ocean. The vicinity of the semi-desert plateau of the
Kalahari and Namib Desert defines the features of climate in the North - a
tropical trade-wind, mostly very dry, with only the extreme south of the
proximity of two powerful ocean currents (in the west - the cold Benguela
and warm in the east of Mozambique) softens the arid lands. Here climate -
subtropical, srednezemno-sea type. The bulk of the precipitation falls
during the rainy season, ie summer - an average of 464 mm per year.
Average temperature - from +15 C at night to +35 ° C at noon. Winter -
dry, dry season: the average temperature - from O "C at night to +20 ° C
at noon. Lack of moisture there permanently. Major rivers - the Orange and
Vaal - play an important role for
irrigation. In the north (the interior) and in the east - the steppe
and omit-nennye savannahs (acacias and baobabs). In the Drakensberg -
evergreen forests. In the extreme south - zhestkolistnaya subtropical
vegetation. The national symbol of South Africa - flower Proteus, like a
sea urchin. In the animal world there are many unusual: black and white
rhinoceroses, white-fronted eland, a small furry cheetah-Chita, Cape boar,
monkeys, among the birds - kingfisher Cape, Cape Parrot, Blue Duck.
In 1488 the coast of South Africa reached the first Europeans -
Portuguese seafarers led by Bartolomeu Dias. In 1652 the Dutch settled
there under the leadership of Jan van Riebeeck, and in 1688 - the French
Huguenots. Since the end of XVIII century. between the newcomers and the
Africans for 100 years, with interruptions were «Dovyalis» and «Zulu» war.
In the XIX century. the north-east, new Boer state - Orange Free State and
the First Republic of South Africa (Transvaal). Opening there deposits of
diamonds and gold led to the Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902 gg. Boer republic
fell, in 1910. British dominion was formed Union of South Africa (South
Africa). In 1911, Britain declared a state of «color barrier» - the
prototype of apartheid, which in 1948 became official policy. In 1912 the
Academy was established to - Liberation Organization in South Africa. In
1960, after police executed a racist demonstration in Sharpeville Africans
started their armed struggle led by the ANC against the
regime. In 1961 South Africa was proclaimed Republic of South Africa -
South Africa. ANC leader Nelson Mandela was sentenced to long prison
sentences. Revolt of the black population in 1975 - 1976 and 1984 - 1986
gg. contributed to his release in 1994, and the reconstruction of the life
of South Africa on the basis of racial equality.
South Africa - parliamentary republic presidential type. Head of state
- the president. Legislature - bicameral parliament.
Christianity (Calvinism, alnglikanstvo, Presbyterianism, Catholicism,
Lutheranism, as well as the mixed Christian and African beliefs) practice
80% of the population. Some people committed to Hinduism, Islam, Judaism.
There are different sects.
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