Portal:South Africa

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The South Africa Portal

The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent. It borders the countries of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and landlocked Lesotho.

South Africa has the largest population of people of European descent in Africa, the largest Indian population outside of Asia, as well as the largest Coloured (of mixed European, Asian and African descent) community in Africa, making it one of the most ethnically diverse countries on the continent. Racial and ethnic strife between the black majority and the white minority have played a large part in the country's history and politics. The National Party began introducing the policy of apartheid after winning the general election of 1948; however, it was the same party under the leadership of F.W. de Klerk who started to dismantle it in 1990 after a long struggle by the black majority, as well as many white, coloured and Indian South Africans.

The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état, and regular free and fair elections have been held since 1994, making it a regional power and among the most stable and liberal democracies in Africa. The economy of South Africa is the largest and most well-developed of the entire African continent, with modern infrastructure common throughout the country.

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Johannesburg is the most populous city in South Africa and the second-most populous city in Sub-Saharan Africa, behind Lagos. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng Province, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and the site of the South African Constitutional Court. It is one of the newest major cities in the world, and is one of the few major cities in the world not along a coast or near a large river. Johannesburg is the site of a large-scale gold and diamond trade due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand. Johannesburg is also served by O.R. Tambo International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Africa and the gateway for international air travel to and from the rest of South Africa. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the city is more than three million in a land area of 1,644 km². The city is one of the 35 largest metropolitan areas in the world. (continued...) edit

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Did you know...

...that South Africa has 11 official languages, the second most of any country in the world.
...that Johannesburg is one of the newest major cities in the world, having only been founded in 1886.
...that the Constitution of South Africa is the only one in the world to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

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Selected biography

Frederik Willem de Klerk (born March 18, 1936) was the last State President of South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. The last white man to lead the country, he was president at the end of apartheid. De Klerk was also leader of the National Party (which later became the New National Party) from February 1989 to September 1997. De Klerk is best known for agreeing to end apartheid, South Africa's racial segregation policy, and supporting the transformation of South Africa into a democracy by entering into the negotiations that resulted in all citizens, including the country's black majority, having equal voting and other rights. Born in Johannesburg, De Klerk is the son of former Senator Jan de Klerk and a nephew of J.G. Strijdom (Prime Minister from 1954-1958). (continued...) edit

Quotes

“ No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. ”

Nelson Mandela

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