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According to the administrative-territorial division, it consists of 4 provinces. The territory of Walvis Bay, claimed by , has been under co-administration since November 1992. The head of state and government is the president. The main legislative body in the country is Parliament, consisting of the House of Assembly for whites, the House of Representatives for colored people and the House of Delegates for Indians. The President forms a Cabinet that deals with "general" issues affecting all racial groups. The three houses of parliament create councils of ministers who deal with " own affairs» their groups.

Colonization South Africa was started in 1652 by the Dutch who founded the Cape Colony. It was captured in 1806, and the first settlers arrived here in 1820. Dutch settlers moved deep into the continent and founded a number of independent republics there. Great Britain later captured them, and in 1910 these territories, along with the Cape Colony, were united into the Union of South Africa, which became a British dominion. From the beginning of colonization, the population was exterminated and enslaved. The Nationalist Party, having come to power in 1948, pursued a policy of apartheid based on the concentration of all economic and political power in the hands of whites, primarily Afrikaners - descendants of Dutch, French and German colonists, although they constitute a national minority in South Africa.

The party brutally suppressed the protests of Africans, the indigenous majority in the country, and forcibly resettled them in unsuitable lands. In 1961, South Africa became a republic and left the Commonwealth. Since 1990, the country has been steadily dismantling the apartheid system and creating the basis for a national dialogue of a Western-style democratic state. By 1992, all racist laws, except the constitution, had been repealed, and negotiations were underway, although not without difficulties, on a new political structure countries.

The country's population is about 40 million people: 29 million blacks, 5.5 million whites (56% Afrikaners, 38% English-speaking); 3.3 million colored and about 1 million Indian. official languages- English and Afrikaans (a language that arose in the process of integration and mixing of Dutch dialects with German and English, as well as with some local languages). The majority of whites and people of color, as well as 60% of the black population, profess Christianity. About 39% of the population adhere to traditional beliefs, some groups profess. South Africa is a middle-income country: about 50% of the population lives in cities. The capital of the state is (850 thousand people).

South Africa is very rich in various species. It ranks first in the world in gold mining, second in diamond mining, and third in concentrate. The country has rich deposits of polymetals, coal, and phosphorites.

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The main share is made up of pastures with pockets of cultivated land. This is due primarily to countries. But the big problem in South Africa is the threat, since the country is experiencing a shortage of fresh water. The country is located within the range where precipitation is less than evaporation, and is high in summer and winter.

South Africa is the most developed with an industrial-agrarian economy. However, the indicators high level development is combined here with backward forms of production, which are characterized by low labor productivity, with dependence on the import of equipment and technology, and on foreign loans. The economic appearance of the country is determined primarily by the mining industry. Developing. The country's traditional industries are well developed - light and... There is a nuclear power plant.

In the country, crop production plays a huge role, which includes the cultivation of maize, wheat, sugar cane, sorghum, sunflower, tobacco, citrus. The main agricultural crop is maize. Livestock farming is developed in the pasture areas. It is of a subordinate nature in relation to agriculture. This industry is characterized by low productivity. Livestock diseases cause great economic damage. Wine production is also developed in some areas of South Africa. A severe drought in 1992 caused significant damage to the economy and forced the import of food.

South Africa .

The name of the country is determined by the geographical location of the country.

Area of ​​South Africa. 1221000 km2.

Population of South Africa. 46,000 thousand people

Administrative divisions of South Africa. The state is divided into 9 provinces.

Form of government of South Africa. Republic.

Head of State of South Africa. The president.

Higher Legislature South Africa. Bicameral parliament - National Assembly and National Council of Provinces.

Higher executive agency South Africa. Government.

Ethnic composition of South Africa. 77% are Africans, 12% are Europeans and their descendants, 11% are from Asian descent.

South African currency. Rand = 100 cents.

Climate of South Africa. 20 traceable on the territory of the state climatic zones. The region of Natal province is characterized by elevated temperatures, which is typical for tropical hot temperatures. The Cape Town area is characterized by dry, hot summers and mild winters. The rest of the state has a typical climate. The climate in South Africa is more favorable than in other countries located at the same latitudes - this is explained by the sufficient altitude above sea level and the proximity of ocean currents. the most falls in the east (1000-2000 mm per year), the least in the east (less than 100 mm).

Flora of South Africa. Vegetable world South Africa is rich - at least 20,000 plant species grow here. Many flowers that are now common in Russia were once exported from here - among them geranium, gladiolus, and narcissus. The Cape Town area is home to more than 5,000 plant species that do not grow anywhere else in the world. The silver tree, whose flower is the national symbol of South Africa, has been preserved. The main part of the country is .

Fauna of South Africa. Among the representatives of the animal world of South Africa are elephant, rhinoceros, zebra, lion, giraffe, cheetah, aardvark, antelope, hyena, golden mole, tarsier, different kinds birds. and lakes. The largest rivers are and. Attractions. In Cape Town - the Castle of Good Hope, the South African Museum, which displays finds from archaeological excavations in the surrounding area and examples of Bushmen rock art.

Useful information for tourists

Tips in a restaurant make up 10-12% of the total cost of the order (including drinks), porter services - from 2 to 5 rands per piece of luggage, guide-driver - 15-20 rands per person per day of work. No vaccinations are required, unless you are planning a trip to the northeastern regions (areas where the malaria mosquito spreads). Along with taking anti-malarial drugs, it is recommended to wear long sleeves and use insecticides. Malaria mosquitoes are most active at dusk. Air conditioning and fans also reduce the risk of mosquito bites.

Mineral resources.

The diversity of the geological structure and the outcrops of ancient crystalline, often metamorphosed rocks have determined the country's exceptional wealth in mineral resources. In total, 56 types of mineral raw materials were discovered on its territory. In a relatively small area there is a truly unique set of a wide variety of minerals: chromium, coal, iron, nickel, phosphates, tin, copper, vanadium; the world's largest supplier of gold (more than 15,000,000 troy ounces per year). South Africa ranks first or one of the first in the world in reserves and production of platinum, gold, diamonds, antimony, uranium and manganese ores, chromites, asbestos, andalusite, etc.

Almost all the most important mineral deposits are concentrated in the interior of the country, with the Transvaal holding the lead in their extraction. In the post-war years, gold mining in the north of the Orange Province became of great importance, and from the early 60s, the development of iron, manganese and copper ores in the north-east of the Cape Province. The only drawback of the mineral resource base is the lack of proven oil reserves. In this regard, coal occupies the main place in the country's fuel and energy balance.

Due to the fact that no commercial oil reserves have been discovered in South Africa, the main role in the country's energy sector is played by coal, which covers approximately 80% of energy needs. South Africa's total coal reserves are estimated at approximately 115 billion tonnes.

So far, intensive searches for oil in offshore areas, which have been ongoing for a number of years, have led to the discovery of small reserves of this raw material, as well as sources of gas and condensate in the coastal strip. In this situation, coal remains the basis for generating electricity, as well as raw materials for the production of liquid fuel.

The main coal-mining areas of South Africa are the north of the Free State province (near the city of Veriniching) and the Mpumalanga province (Springs-Heidelberg, Ermelo-Breiten and Witbank-Middelburg basins). The Witbank-Middelburg basin is the most well explored and has high quality coals; it accounts for about 40% of the country's total production. Most coal deposits are located quite conveniently - in close proximity to industrial areas, railways, power plants and other consumers.

The conditions of coal occurrence - shallow depth and significant thickness of the seams - are for the most part very favorable for development. This circumstance is the reason why the cost of coal mining in South Africa is among the lowest in the world.

In recent decades, South Africa has become a major exporter of coal. As an export item used to replenish foreign exchange reserves, coal is second only to gold. "Economic, social and political geography of the world", pp.442-443

IRON ORES

The largest promising iron ore basin not only in South Africa, but also on the entire African continent is located in the Northern Cape and stretches from the town of Seishen in the North to the town of Postmasburg in the South.

Its total reserves are about 5.5 billion tons of high-quality ores containing 66-70% iron. In the west of the Northern Province, 120 km from the city of Rustenburg, there is another large deposit - Tabazimbi, which for many years served as the main source of raw materials for local metallurgical enterprises and export supplies. The ores of the oldest exploited Prestwick deposit occur in the northern part of the KwaZulu-Natal province.

The eastern part of the Northern Cape province is becoming a very promising area for the extraction of raw materials for ferrous metallurgy.

MANGANESE ORE

On the territory of South Africa there are numerous deposits of manganese raw materials (the content in ore is 38-50.5%), geologically combined into ore fields. The bulk of the reserves are concentrated in the Northern Cape (about 75%). The Kalahari ore field is the world's largest accumulation of manganese ores. Its length from north to south reaches 33 km, and its width is 10. Among the most large deposits districts - Mamatvan, Middelplaats, Wessels. To the south is the Postmasburg field, where ore occurrences are also located in the meridional direction along the eastern slope mountain range Langeberg. The reserves of this field are much smaller, and the manganese content in the ore is lower: 30-32%. Small deposits of manganese ores are also found north of Pretoria, in the eastern part of the Northern Province and in the south of the Western Cape.

IN last years capacity for the production of commercial manganese ore is used at no more than 60-70%.

About 1/4 of the manganese ore mined in the country is processed at local factories for the production of alloys and manganese metal for subsequent export, the rest is exported in the form of ore.

For many years, South Africa has been a world leader in reserves and production of platinum group metals (PGMs - platinum, palladium, osmium, iridium, rhodium and ruthenium). According to official sources, the PGM reserves available in South Africa are modern level the spoils will not run out over the course of several generations. It is noteworthy that the predominant varieties of PGMs here are platinum and palladium, which are in particularly high demand on the world market. The main demand for platinum is from the oil refining, automotive and chemical industries, as well as from such industries as radio and electrical engineering, electronics and instrument making.

Unlike most other countries, where platinum and other PGM metals are produced as by-products, in South Africa they are mined in special mines. The main mining area is in central Khoteng province, west of Pretoria.

TITANIUM ORES

South Africa has significant reserves: about 40 million tons in terms of titanium dioxide, or 12.4% of confirmed world reserves. The world's largest alluvial deposit, 180 km long, is located along the country's east coast from Richards Bay to Durban. More than 1.5 billion tons of sands lie here, containing 5-7% ilmenite, 0.2-0.3% rutile, 0.4% zircon, a small amount of monazite and granite. The field has been developed since 1977.

In terms of annual production of titanium concentrates, South Africa ranks second in the world (after Australia): 670-680 thousand tons (in terms of titanium dioxide).

The bulk of the slag and concentrates produced in the country (containing 90% titanium dioxide) is intended for export to the UK and the USA, the rest is used at local metallurgical plants. It is for this type of product that South Africa ranks 1st in the world. Research work on other alluvial deposits is also being completed.

NICKEL ORES

South Africa also has considerable reserves of nickel with a low content (less than 0.2%) of the useful component in the ores. There are 14 known deposits of this type of raw material, of which 9 are exploited. Many of them are complex in nature, i.e. Nickel occurs with non-ferrous metals and platinum group metals, which helps reduce the cost of its extraction.

South Africa ranks fifth in the world in mine production of nickel (about 30 thousand tons per year), and in seventh or eighth place in the smelting of metallic nickel (28 thousand tons).

URANIUM ORES

South Africa accounts for 12% of all proven world uranium reserves. In terms of confirmed uranium reserves (250 thousand tons), South Africa is second only to Australia. Uranium mining began here in 1952 and soon reached its maximum (6 thousand tons per year). Recently it has remained at the level of 3.5 thousand tons per year. This means that in terms of uranium production, South Africa is noticeably inferior to Canada and the United States and is approximately on the same level as Australia, Namibia, France and Niger. A special feature of South Africa is the extremely low uranium content in the ore, ranging from 0.009 to 0.056, with an average of 0.017%, which is several times lower than in other countries. This is explained by the fact that uranium in this country is obtained from sludge processing plants as a by-product during the processing of gold ores, so the production of this mineral remains economically justified. In turn, the by-production of uranium becomes, in a number of cases, an important condition extending the life of gold mines. Uranium mining in South Africa has developed rapidly due to increased demand in the situation " cold war"and an intensified arms race. By the end of the 50s, 17 uranium plants were operating in the country, processing ore from two dozen mines into uranium concentrates.

South Africa is the only country in the world where the gold mining industry has been the main industry of the entire economy for more than a hundred years. Of course, there are certain natural prerequisites for this. As the data in Table 1 show, South Africa not only ranks first in the world in terms of gold reserves, but concentrates more? of all forecast reserves, ahead of the next-ranking United States by a factor of two.

Gold mining in the 90s

Table 1

Gold mining in South Africa began in 1886. During its existence, the gold mining industry has significantly changed its geography. Long time Gold mining took place in the south of the Transvaal, in a narrow strip stretching approximately 110 km from west to east.

The center of gold mining was located somewhat south of Johannesburg. Subsequently, the development area was significantly expanded to include gold-bearing areas located to the west, east and south of Johannesburg.

Before late XIX century it was at the level of 20-50 tons per year, at the beginning of the 20th century it rose to 200-300 tons, in the middle of the 20th century - to 600-800 tons (the record production level of 1 thousand tons was achieved in 1970). In the 1980s, due to the depletion of reserves of the richest ores and the progressive increase in the depth of the mines, production fell again to a level of approximately 600 tons per year. However, in 2000, South African gold production appears to have fallen to 470 tonnes.

Dynamics of gold production in South Africa in 1990 - 1998. (as a percentage of the previous year)

table 2

Gold deposits discovered in South Africa in the mid-1980s are still the largest in the world. Their discovery not only caused a "gold rush" and served as the reason for the founding and rapid growth the most populous city in South Africa today - Johannesburg, but also radically changed the entire economic life of the country. The growth in mining of this precious metal was accompanied by the construction of highways and railways, power plants and metallurgical plants. Since then, for many decades, gold mining has been, and to a large extent continues to be, the basis of the country's economy.

Loose diamonds were first discovered in 1867 on the banks of the Orange River. According to one version, the first diamond was found by a shepherd boy, according to another - by the children of local farmers Jacobs, Njekirk. Perhaps these names are known only to historians these days. But the name of another ordinary Boer farm is now widely known throughout the world, since it gave its name to a huge diamond empire - their extraction and sale in South Africa, Botswana, Zaire, Namibia, Tanzania, Angola, and partly also in Australia and China. Diamond reserves amount to 365 million carats, of which more than a third (125 million) are jewelry.

South Africa produces over 20% of African diamonds and more than 10% of the world's diamonds. The maximum volume of diamond production was reached in 1993 - 10.6 million carats. Russian diamonds, the production of which amounts to 12-15 million carats per year, also gain access to the world market mainly through the De Beers company. Her reign is located here in Kimberley, where in the late 60s of the last century diamonds were found in bedrock deposits called kimberlites. In total, there are about thirty kimberlite pipes, or explosion pipes, formed as a result of a short-term, but very strong explosion-like breakthrough of ultrabasic rocks to the surface of the earth, which occurred under conditions of enormous pressure and very high temperature. But the history of this diamond-mining area began with the “Big Pit” in Kimberley, dug by miners who poured in here. It was here that such famous diamonds as the De Beers (428.5 carats), the bluish-white Porter Rhodes (150), and the orange-yellow Tiffany (128.5) were found.

Soon, new explosion tubes were found north of Kimberley, already in the Transvaal, in the area of ​​the Witwatersrand ridge. Here, not far from Pretoria, the Premier kimberlite pipe, with a diameter of 500 x 880 m, which was long considered the world's largest, was mined. In 1905, the world's largest diamond, named Cullinan, after the name of the president of the Premier company, was found in this mine. ".

This diamond, weighing 3160 carats, or 621.2 grams, eclipsed the glory of even the famous “Kohinoor” (109 carats), found in India in the middle of the century. In 1907, the Transvaal government bought the Cullinan for a fabulous sum at that time of 750 thousand dollars and presented it to the British King Edward VII on his birthday.

Water and hydropower resources.

The lack of moisture in most of the country does not contribute to the emergence of large lake-river systems. The density of the river network is extremely uneven. Most of the permanent rivers belong to the Indian Ocean basin. The largest (from north to south): Limpopo, Tugela, Umgeni, Great Cay, Great Fish, Sandis, Gaurits, etc.

In most cases these are short, rapids rivers, originating on the eastern and southern windward slopes of the Great Escarpment. They are full-flowing, predominantly rain-fed, with a summer maximum water flow.

The largest river in South Africa, the Orange River (tributaries Vaal, Caledon, Braque, etc.) has a length of 1865 km and belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin. It flows through arid inland plateaus and becomes very shallow in its lower reaches. To the north of the middle reaches of the Orange River there are several seasonal rivers (Nosob, Mololo, Kuruman, etc.), dry most of the year, belonging to the internal drainage area of ​​the Kalahari Plain.

Nevertheless, rivers play an important role in the development of desert areas. While The groundwater With almost all parts of the Kalahari saline, boreholes and artesian wells in or near high river beds provide much-needed fresh water. In addition, the Kalahari is characterized by the presence of numerous limestone depressions - pens. At the bottom of the pens, after short rains, water accumulates and a kind of lake is formed. And although this water quickly evaporates, the bottom of the pens is covered with a carpet of lush grass, which, naturally, is of exceptional importance for cattle breeding. There are especially many pans in the “dry lake country” located north of Upington. The largest - Haxhen-pen - has a length of 24 km and a width of 11 km.

South Africa is a dry country. Most of the annual river flow (53 billion cubic meters) is lost as a result of spills and evaporation, so only 33 billion cubic meters can be used for economic purposes. Underground sources provide about 5.4 billion cubic meters per year. The demand for water in agriculture, industry and urban services is increasing by 1.6 percent annually. If this trend continues, by 2010 the water demand will be about 22.5 cubic meters per year. This is only 15.9 billion cubic meters less than the currently available maximum volume of water obtained from reservoirs and underground sources.

This state of affairs forces water management specialists to look for all possible ways to increase the volume of water supply so that the lack of water resources does not slow down the development of the economy as a whole. Research is carried out in three main areas: development and use of available resources; more efficient use already developed sources; search for new sources, such as desalination of sea water. Seawater desalination plants are already operating on the West Coast, and water is being purified for reuse in industrial plants.

The world register of large dams currently includes more than 300 South African ones. At current levels of technology, South Africa's reservoirs can hold approximately 33 billion cubic meters of water per year. The Department of Water Resources and Forestry has developed several large reservoir and inter-basin water transfer projects to provide water to all consumers in South Africa.

The Orange River waterworks project is the largest in South Africa's history.

Its purpose is to ensure the use of the maximum amount of the huge mass of water (7.5 billion cubic meters per year) flowing down the riverbed largest river countries in the Atlantic Ocean. The implementation of this project will make it possible to irrigate 300,000 hectares of land and send 2.2 billion cubic meters per year to urban agriculture and industry. The components of the project are the Hendrik Verwoerd and PK Leroux dams, the Van der Kloof canal network, as well as a pipeline connecting the Orange and Fish rivers.

The pipeline transfers water from the Hendrik Verwoerd Reservoir to the Great Fish River valley in the eastern Cape, where a water system is being built in the lower reaches of the Fish River as part of a joint project between South Africa and Ciskei. In addition, water is transferred to the Fish Sands canal network, which includes the 13.1 km Cookhouse pipeline. Thus, it was possible to double the irrigation capacity in the Sandys River portion.

The rapid development of the Transvaal Highlands gave rise to several hydraulic projects: uninterrupted water supply to this part of the country was required.

The water complex on the Usutu River was created to supply water to thermal power plants in the Camden, Creel, Kendal and Matla areas. The water complex includes the Jericho, Vesta and Morgenstond dams, from where water is pumped for four thermal power plants.

The Knellpoort Dam and Reservoir was built in 1988 to improve water supply to the Bloemfontein area, which is supplied from the Rustfontein Reservoir on the Modder River. The design of the Knellpoort Dam is unique. It is designed to address the problem caused by siltation at Welbedacht Reservoir on the River Caledon. Excessive subsidence of silt has significantly reduced the reservoir's capacity: 16 years ago its volume was 115 million cubic meters, and now it is approximately 30 million.

In 1986, an agreement was signed between the governments of Lesotho and South Africa on the construction of a hydraulic complex in the mountains of Lesotho. This contributes significantly to Lesotho's economic potential. Lesotho will be able to produce about 1,260 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually for its domestic needs, while simultaneously sending 70 cubic meters of water per second to South Africa. When completed, the complex consists of five main dams different heights(from 126 to 180 meters) with an active total reservoir capacity of 6.5 cubic kilometers, two power plants with an operating capacity of 110 megawatts, a small dam 55 meters high and a reservoir for a hydroelectric power station, pipelines total length 225 km, three pumping stations and new high-quality roads with a total length of 650 km.

This project is an example of the growing cooperation between South Africa and neighboring countries. The World Bank is participating in financing the construction. European Economic Community and others international organizations. The Malibamats Bridge is laid at an altitude of 80 meters above the river bed. The right to build the Katse Dam was granted to a consortium of companies from France, Germany, Italy, South Africa and the UK. The construction of the northern pipeline is entrusted to a joint construction venture with the participation of Germany, South Africa and Switzerland.

Agroclimatic resources.

The southwestern coast of South Africa also receives no rainfall in summer. Its climate can be described as typically Mediterranean (an area of ​​subtropical Mediterranean climate). Annual precipitation amounts are 650-700 mm, average summer temperatures are 20°, average winter temperatures are not higher than 14°.

Therefore, on? South Africa suffers from a lack of moisture, and successful farming here is only possible with artificial irrigation. Over half of South Africa's territory is subject to periodic droughts, especially in the interior, especially the Middle Weald and Karoo Plateau. The water problem in South Africa is one of the major national problems.

A general pattern for the southern African continent is a violation of the latitudinal arrangement of soil zones. Meridional zoning alternates with latitudinal zoning, and vertical zoning appears in elevated areas.

The most widespread soils in South Africa are chestnut and red-brown soils, characteristic of arid regions. These two types of soils occupy almost half of the country's territory - from the West Coast to the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains (the Kalahari region, the Middle and almost the entire High Weald, vast areas of the Bushveld, and in the south the Great and Little Karoo).

The distribution of these soil types is determined by climatic conditions, primarily the amount of precipitation.

Light brown and red-brown soils are characteristic of desert-steppe regions, where the average annual precipitation ranges from 100 to 200 mm, and chestnut soils are characteristic of dry steppes, with precipitation of 250-500 mm per year.

In the eastern part of the High Veldt and in the Bushveld, where annual rainfall increases to 500-750 mm, black, chernozem and chestnut soils are common. The black ferruginous soils of dry savannas, which Dutch farmers call “black peat,” are fertile. At higher elevations, more leached red soils are often found.

Coastal areas have a wide variety of soils. On the East Coast, in the lowest parts, fertile red soils and yellow soils of subtropical regions are developed. The southwestern coast is an area of ​​fairly fertile brown soils.

In general, all soils are not characterized by high fertility and require the addition of mineral and organic fertilizers. Along with this, constant fight against soil erosion is necessary. Improper plowing of slopes and excessive grazing of livestock lead to destruction of soil structure, erosion, increased dust content, etc. The arid climate creates the problem of artificial irrigation.

Only 15% of South Africa's land is suitable for agriculture.

Biological resources

The main zone is the southern part of the KwaZulu-Natal province. Natural forests occupy 180 thousand hectares, i.e. only 0.14% of the country's territory. Most commercial timber comes from planted forests, which make up only 1% of South Africa's land area. Approximately half of the forest "plantations" are planted with pine, 40% with eucalyptus and 10% with mimosa. Yellowwood, ebony, Cape laurel, assegai and camassie are also grown. Trees reach marketable condition in an average of 20 years, in contrast to trees growing in the Northern Hemisphere, where this process lasts from 80 to 100 years.

The annual volume of wood supplied to the market is 17 million cubic meters. "Countries and Peoples. Africa. Southern and Eastern Africa", pp. 23-25 ​​There are more than 240 wood processing and forestry enterprises in South Africa.

The Transvaal and Orange provinces contain 52% of all the country's forests; in general, at least 20 thousand plant species grow in South Africa. Many flowers now located in Europe were exported back in the 17th century from South Africa - these include geranium, gladiolus, and narcissus. In the vicinity of Cape Town there are more than 5 thousand species of plants that no longer grow in any water country.

Territory -1.2 million km 2.

Population - 3 million people.

The capital is Pretoria.

South Africa is the only highly developed state in Africa. By all indicators economic development it holds first place in Africa.

Geographical position. general review

South Africa is located in the south of Africa, bordering Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The Kingdom of Lesotho is completely surrounded by South African territory.

The southern borders of the country lie along the oceans.

The formation of South Africa occurred in 1961, when the country (then called the Union of South Africa) left the British Commonwealth and became a republic.

Natural conditions and resources

Most of the country's territory is occupied by flat plateaus up to 2000 m high with elevated edges, especially in the east and south (Draconian and Cape Mountains). The lowlands stretch along a narrow coastal strip.

Minerals. The country's subsoil is rich in diamonds, gold, platinum, antimony, uranium, iron and manganese ores, chromites, and asbestos.

The disadvantages of the mineral resource base include the lack of oil and gas deposits.

Climate. The country is located within the tropical and subtropical zones. Average annual temperatures range from 12 to 23°C. Rainfall ranges from 100 mm on the west coast to 2000 mm on the slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains. In most of the territory, the moisture supply is insufficient, and droughts often occur. Only the southern and eastern coasts are well hydrated.

Inland waters are scarce, so the problem of water resources is very urgent.

Soils and vegetation. The country is dominated by savannas and grassy steppes - natural pastures. There are few forests in the country. Less than 1/5 of the land is suitable for agriculture. South Africa is characterized by rapid population growth due to significant natural increase

non-white majority. The growth of the European and Asian population in the past was mainly due to immigration, which since the 60s. decreased.

The ethnic composition of the population is complex. It can be divided into Europeans (descendants of the Dutch and English colonialists), Africans, mulattoes and mestizos, immigrants from Asia. The majority of the population is African - about 72%. For many decades, South Africa was a hotbed of constant bloody racial and ethnic conflicts, where the racist policy of apartheid was implemented by the white minority (18%). About 10 bantustans (“national fatherlands”) were created in the country. These were a kind of reservations for the largest nationalities.

In the late 80s - early 90s. The apartheid regime was softened and then virtually eliminated. But, despite the African population receiving basic rights and freedoms, interethnic relations in South Africa continue to remain complex, especially since new contradictions have arisen between various groups of Africans themselves.

South Africa is a highly urbanized country - 58%, which is a very high figure for A. general characteristics

The country's economy is characterized by the fact that South Africa accounts for only 4% of the territory and about 6% of the population, but 2/5 of industrial output, 4/5 of steel production, 1/3 of the length of railways, 1/2 of the continent's automobile fleet.

The country is characterized by a high degree of concentration of production and capital.

In the structure of the industry, the mining industry remains the main one, the leading industry being the mining of gold and uranium. The coal mining industry, the extraction of iron, manganese and chromite ores and alloying metals are also important.

This creates the basis for the development of metallurgy. Copper, tin and antimony are extracted from non-ferrous metal ores.

South Africa accounts for up to 2/3 of Africa's electricity, and half of it is consumed by the mining industry.

In the manufacturing industry, ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering and metalworking are distinguished (the production of mining equipment, transport and agricultural engineering, ship repair and carriage building predominates), the chemical industry (mainly serving the needs of the mining industry), light industry (textiles, clothing, leather and footwear) and food (mainly the production of canned fruit, sugar, winemaking).

South Africa has formed the largest industrial region in Africa - the Witwatersrand (center - Johannesburg), which concentrates about half of the country's industrial output. The port areas of Cape Town and Durban are also industrial centers.

In the country's agriculture, farming plays a leading role - growing grain crops (wheat and corn), cotton. In the south, in the subtropical zone, the cultivation of vegetables and fruits is developed.

Cattle breeding and sheep breeding also play a significant role in South African agriculture. The country exports wool, live cattle, and astrakhan fur.

Agriculture reached its greatest development in the northeast of the country.

South Africa can be called a country with a dual economy. It has features of both economically developed and developing countries.

But the differences in socio-economic development between the most developed and backward areas of the country are very large. South Africa geography message will briefly tell you a lot useful information

about a country in southern Africa. Also, a message about South Africa will help you prepare for the lesson and deepen your knowledge of geography.

Report about South Africa is the richest country in the world, located in the southernmost part of the African continent. It received this status thanks to attractive places for travel and recreation.

• Area of ​​South Africa— 1,221,040 km 2 .
• Capital Cities— Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein
• Population— 54,956,900 people

South Africa borders Mozambique in the northeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana in the north, and Namibia in the northwest. Within the republic there are independent small states - Lesotho and Swaziland. The state is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the west and Indian Ocean in the east.

The territory of South Africa is covered with savannas, semi-deserts, steppes and thickets of evergreen shrubs. The largest river is the Orange, in the basin of which there are important agricultural and industrial areas of the country, and hydraulic structures. The Limpopo and Tugela rivers also play an important role. The state is crossed by the Drakensberg Mountains. The highest African waterfall, Tugela, is located here.

The Republic of South Africa is divided into 9 provinces:

• Western Cape
• Eastern Cape
• KwaZulu Natal
• Goteng
• North Western Province
• Mpumalanga
• Limpopo
• Northern Cape
• Free State

State system of South Africa

South Africa is a parliamentary republic. The role of head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the Army is performed by the president, who is elected by Parliament from the candidate deputies of the National Assembly.

Climate of South Africa

The territory of the state is located in the tropical and subtropical zones. The climate is somewhat cool and dry. The average annual summer temperature is +20…+23 °C. Temperatures in the winter season are 10 °C lower. On the coasts the average precipitation is 100 mm, and on the mountain slopes - up to 2000 mm.

Natural resources of South Africa

The state has powerful ore mines natural resources(manganese, iron ore, uranium), chromites, diamonds. platinum, coal and gold. There are no oil and gas deposits here.

Flora and fauna of South Africa

The vegetation is represented by shrubs, acacias and low-grass steppe. Aloe, aromatic, iron, yellow and ebony trees, and ficus are widespread in the republic. The fauna is more diverse. South Africa is home to jackals, wild cats, hyenas, panthers, ungulates, elephants, and cheetahs. Snakes, crocodiles, and rhinoceroses live near ponds. The most common birds in the republic are bustards and ostriches.

Sights of South Africa

Table Mountain, Robben Island, Garden Route, Knysna, Old city Stellenbosch, Ostrich Capital, Durban, Kruger National Park, Soweto, Drakensberg Mountains, Limpopo Park, Tugela Falls, sea national park Tsitsikamma.

• South Africa is the second largest fruit exporting country in the world.
• The safety of tap water ranks third in the world.
• The Republic of South Africa has the cheapest electricity in the world.
• There are more than 2,000 sunken ships near the coast. Moreover, some are more than 500 years old.
• Table Mountain is the oldest mountain in the world. Officially recognized as one of the seven new wonders of nature.
• The world's first heart transplant operation was performed here (1967).
• The country is major manufacturer gold and in its depths has 80% of the world's platinum reserves.

We hope that the South African report helped you prepare for the lesson, and you learned a lot of useful information about the South African country. You can add your story about South Africa using the comment form below.