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People
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Population: 43,931,000. Age Distibution: <15:39%, 65>4%.
Population Density: 92 per sq. mile. Urban: 57%
Ethnic Groups: Black: 75%: White: 14%; Coloured: 9%; Indian: 3%.
Principal Languages: Afrikaans, English, Nguni, and Sotho.
Religions: Mainly Christian, Hindu and Muslim.
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Geography
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Area: 473,290sq. miles - about twice the size of Texas.
Location: At the southern extreme of Africa.
Neighbours: Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe on North, Mozambique and Swaziland on East; surrounds Lesotho.
Capitals: Cape Town (legislative), Pretoria (administrative), Bloemfontein (judicial).
Cities: Durban- 1.1min., Cape Town - 1,9min., Johannesburg - 1,9min., and Pretoria - 1,0min.
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Government
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Type: Federal Republic with bicameral parliament and universal suffrage.
Head of State and Government: Pres. Thabo Mbeki.
Local Divisions: 9 Provinces.
Defense: 2,5% of GDP (1993)
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Economy
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Industries: Steel, tyres, motors, textiles & plastics.
Chief Crops: Corn, wool, diary products, grain, tobacco, sugar & fruit.
Minerals: Gold (largest producer), chromium, antimony, coal, iron, manganese, nickel, phosfates, tin, uranium & platinum.
Other Resources: Wool. Arable land 10%
Labour Force: 10% agricultural, 20% industrial, and 55 % service.
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Finance
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Monetary unit: Rand (Jan' 04: 1.00=$0.15 US)
Gross domestic products(1992) : $115bin. Per capital GDP $2,800.
$21,2 bin.; partners: Ger. 19%, US 68%, UK 12%.
Exports: (1992): $23.8bin.:partners US 43%, Japan 9%.
Tourism (1990) : $1.0bin. receipts.
National budget (1993): $36 bin.
International reserves less gold (2/94) : $956min. Gold:4.84 min. ox.
Consumer prices (change in 1993) : 9.7%
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Transportation
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Railroads: Length: 13,432 miles
Motor Vehicles: 3,4 min. passenger cars, and 1,5.min comm. vehicles.
Civil Aviation: 5,2 bin. passenger miles.
Chief Ports: Durban, Cape Town, East London & Port Elizabeth.
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Communication
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Television sets: 1 per 11 persons.
Radios : 1 per 3,9 persons
Telephones: 1 per 7,5 persons.
Daily newspaper circ.: 38 per 1000 pop.
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Education
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Literacy: 99% (Whites), 69% (Asians), 62% (Coloured), and 50% (Blacks).
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Health
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Life expectancy at birth (1994): 62 years for males; 68 years for females.
Births (per 1,000 pop): 34
Deaths (per 1,000 pop): 8.
Natural increases: 2,6%.
Physicians: 1 per 1,271 persons.
Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births in 1994): 47.
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