Come see the land of Nelson Mandela.
- The official name of South Africa is the Republic of South Africa.
- South Africa is located at the southern end of Africa.
- In 2011 the population of South Africa was around 52 million.
- South Africa has three capital cities, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Pretoria.
- The largest city in South Africa is Johannesburg. Other major cities include Soweto and Durban.
- South Africa has 11 official languages, including Zulu, Afrikaans, Xhosa and English.
- South Africa has the largest economy of any African country.
- South Africa has had an unsettled history, with apartheid policies made by the National Party enforcing a system of segregation from 1948 until 1994. Nelson Mandela was elected president in 1994 after South Africa’s first universal elections.
- South Africa's coastline stretches over 2500 kilometres (1553 miles) in length.
- South Africa is home to a wide variety of animals including giraffes, hippopotamus, leopards and lions.
- Conservation is an important issue in South Africa. It has lost many natural habitats due to deforestation and overpopulation.
- South Africa is a member of the United Nations.
- South Africa has high unemployment.
- The first human heart transplant was performed in a Cape Town hospital in 1967.
- Cave paintings have been found in South Africa that date to around 75000 years ago.
- Drivers use the left-hand side of the road in South Africa.
- The most popular sports in South Africa are football (soccer), rugby and cricket.
- In 2010 South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup.
Learn more about South Africa in this video:
Click here to listen to a South African accent.