Chapter 108
Population: 43,426,386 (July 1999 est.) note: South Africa took a census 10 October 1996 which showed a population of 37,859,000 (after a 6.8% adjustment for underenumeration based on a post-enumeration survey); this figure is still about 10% below projections from earlier censuses; since the full results of that census have not been released for analysis, the numbers shown for South Africa do not take into consideration the results of this 1996 census
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34% (male 7,541,840; female 7,403,235) 15-64 years: 61% (male 13,180,925; female 13,312,917) 65 years and over: 5% (male 798,825; female 1,188,644) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.32% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 25.94 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 12.81 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 51.99 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.76 years male: 52.68 years female: 56.9 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.09 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: South African(s) adjective: South African
Ethnic groups: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Religions: Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), traditional and animistic 28.5%
Languages: 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.8% male: 81.9% female: 81.7% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa conventional short form: South Africa abbreviation: RSA
Data code: SF
Government type: republic
Capital: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Northern Province, Western Cape
Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)
National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Constitution: 10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Executive Deputy President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Executive Deputy President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and executive deputy presidents elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 9 May 1994 (next scheduled for sometime between May and July 1999) election results: Nelson MANDELA elected president; percent of National Assembly vote--100% (by acclamation); Thabo MBEKI and Frederik W. DE KLERK elected executive deputy presidents; percent of National Assembly vote--100% (by acclamation) note: the initial governing coalition, made up of the ANC, the IFP, and the NP, which constituted a Government of National Unity or GNU, no longer includes the NP which was withdrawn by DE KLERK on 30 June 1996 when he voluntarily gave up his position as executive deputy president and distanced himself from the programs of the ANC
Legislative branch: bicameral parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note--following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February 1997 the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution elections: National Assembly and Senate--last held 26-29 April 1994 (next to be held 2 June 1999); note--the Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces on 6 February 1997 election results: National Assembly--percent of vote by party--ANC 62.6%, NP 20.4%, IFP 10.5%, FF 2.2%, DP 1.7%, PAC 1.2%, ACDP 0.5%, other 0.9%; seats by party--ANC 252, NP 82, IFP 43, FF 9, DP 7, PAC 5, ACDP 2; Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--ANC 61, NP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders: African Christian Democratic Party SCHALKWYK, executive director]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC note: 11 other parties won votes in the April 1994 elections but not enough to gain seats in the National Assembly
Political pressure groups and leaders: Congress of South African secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO in a formal alliance with the ANC
International organization participation: AfDB, BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM, NSG, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James A. JOSEPH embassy: 877 Pretorius St., Arcadia 0083 mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag description: two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side, embracing a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes note: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one--three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
Economy
Economy--overview: South Africa is a middle-income, developing country with an abundant supply of resources, well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors, a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world, and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to cut into the 30% unemployment, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially the problems of poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. Other problems are crime and corruption. The new government demonstrated its commitment to open markets, privatization, and a favorable investment climate with the release of its macroeconomic strategy in June 1996. Called "Growth, Employment and Redistribution," this policy framework includes the introduction of tax incentives to stimulate new investment in labor-intensive projects, expansion of basic infrastructure services, the restructuring and partial privatization of state assets, continued reduction of tariffs, subsidies to promote economic efficiency, improved services to the disadvantaged, and integration into the global economy. Serious structural rigidities remain, including a complicated and relatively protectionist trade regime, and concentration of wealth and economic control.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$290.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 0.3% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,800 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 39% services: 56% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 47.3% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 15 million economically active (1997)
Labor force--by occupation: services 35%, agriculture 30%, industry 20%, mining 9%, other 6%
Unemployment rate: 30% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $30.5 billion expenditures: $38 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (FY94/95 est.)
Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs
Industrial production growth rate: -1% (1998 est.)
Electricity--production: 186.949 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 93% hydro: 0.7% nuclear: 6.3% other: NA% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 181.404 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 5.575 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 30 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Exports: $28.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: gold 20%, other minerals and metals 20%-25%, food 5%, chemicals 3% (1997)
Exports--partners: UK, Italy, Japan, US, Germany (1997)
Imports: $27.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, textiles, scientific instruments (1997)
Imports--partners: Germany, US, UK, Japan (1997)
Debt--external: $23.5 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $676.3 million
Currency: 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1--5.98380 (January 1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995), 3.55080 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 4.2 million (1997)
Telephone system: the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, and radiotelephone communication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations--3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 164, shortwave 1
Radios: 7.5 million (1999 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 556 (includes 156 network stations and 400 privately-owned low-power stations; in addition, there are 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 7.5 million
Transportation
Railways: total: 21,431 km narrow gauge: 20,995 km 1.067-m gauge (9,087 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)
Highways: total: 331,265 km paved: 137,475 km (including 1,142 km of expressways) unpaved: 193,790 km (1995 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas 322 km
Ports and harbors: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha
Merchant marine: total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 274,797 GRT/270,837 DWT ships by type: container 6, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 749 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 144 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 45 914 to 1,523 m: 75 under 914 m: 10 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 605 1,524 to 2,437 m: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 304 under 914 m: 266 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: South African National Defense Force or SANDF (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service or SAPS
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability: males age 15-49: 11,330,692 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 6,889,631 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually: males: 453,610 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $2 billion (FY99/00)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.2% (FY95/96)
Military--note: the National Defense Force continues to integrate former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: 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
Illicit drugs: transshipment center for heroin and cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana
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@South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands --------------------------------------------
Geography
Location: Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Geographic coordinates: 54 30 S, 37 00 W
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total: 4,066 sq km land: 4,066 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island
Area--comparative: slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: NA km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
Terrain: most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget 2,915 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism
Environment--current issues: NA
Environment--international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia
People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there is a small military garrison on South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Survey has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited
Government
Country name: conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none
Data code: SX
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Island by a UK civil commissioner; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Capital: none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Legal system: NA
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
Flag description: the flag of the UK is used
Economy
Economy--overview: Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting fin fish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK.
Budget: revenues: $291,777 expenditures: $451,000, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Communications
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Transportation
Ports and harbors: Grytviken
Airports: none
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claimed by Argentina
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@Spain -----
Introduction
Background: A powerful world empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain ultimately yielded command of the seas to England, beginning with the defeat of the Armada in 1588. Spain subsequently failed to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions and fell behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II. In the second half of the 20th century Spain played a catch-up role in the western international community. Continuing problems are large-scale unemployment and the Basque separatist movement.
Geography
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 504,750 sq km land: 499,400 sq km water: 5,350 sq km note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco--Ceuta, Melilla, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Area--comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 1,919.1 km border countries: Andorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
Coastline: 4,964 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean) territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Terrain: large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 30% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 21% forests and woodland: 32% other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 34,530 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment--current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification
Environment--international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
Geography--note: strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
People
Population: 39,167,744 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15% (male 3,012,907; female 2,835,455) 15-64 years: 68% (male 13,411,046; female 13,406,214) 65 years and over: 17% (male 2,702,654; female 3,799,468) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.1% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 9.99 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.69 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.41 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.71 years male: 73.97 years female: 81.71 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.24 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Languages: Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 98% female: 94% (1986 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain conventional short form: Spain local short form: Espana
Data code: SP
Government type: parliamentary monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular--comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencian, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country) note: there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla are administered as autonomous communities; Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera are under direct Spanish administration
Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
National holiday: National Day, 12 October
Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal