South Africa — Capital, Flag and Country Facts
Explore South Africa: capital Pretoria, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.
South Africa is in Africa. Its capital is Pretoria.
- Population
- 60,040,000
- Area
- 1,221,037 km²
- Currency
- South African Rand (ZAR)
- Languages
- Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English
Climate
Mostly semi-arid; subtropical along the east coast; Mediterranean in the southwest; desert in the northwest
Terrain
Vast interior plateau bordered by rugged hills and a narrow coastal plain, with the Drakensberg mountains in the east
Facts
South Africa has 11 official languages, more than almost any other country.
South Africa is the only country in the world with three capital cities: Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein.
The world's deepest mine, Mponeng Gold Mine, reaches over 4 km underground in South Africa.
History
1652: Dutch East India Company establishes a settlement at Cape Town
1899: Second Boer War begins between British and Boer republics
1948: Apartheid is formally instituted as national policy
1990: Nelson Mandela is released after 27 years in prison
1994: First democratic elections held; Mandela becomes president
2010: South Africa hosts the FIFA World Cup