territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
the dispute with Namibia over Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands has
been resolved and these territories were transferred to Namibian
sovereignty on 1 March 1994; Swaziland has asked South Africa to open
negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territories
that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of the
Swazi Kingdom
Climate:
mostly semiarid; subtropical along 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
Land use:
arable land:
10%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
65%
forest and woodland:
3%
other:
21%
Irrigated land:
11,280 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water
conservation and control measures; growth in water usage threatens to
outpace supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban
discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion;
desertification
natural hazards:
subject to prolonged droughts
international agreements:
party to - Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of
the Sea
Note:
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely
surrounds Swaziland

@South Africa, People

Population:
43,930,631 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.62% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
33.58 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
7.53 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
47.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
65.11 years
male:
62.37 years
female:
67.94 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.37 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
South African(s)
adjective:
South African
Ethnic divisions:
black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Religions:
Christian (most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of