Best Countries

At a glance

Capital: Pretoria

Official language: English

Currency: Rand 1 ZAR = 0.06 EUR

Continent: South Africa

Travel to South Africa

In the republic on the African Cape, the seasons are opposite to those in Europe – so if you want to go on a beach holiday there, you should choose the months December or January. Dream destinations can be found primarily on the Indian Ocean…

Variety of possibilities

The tourism sector did not develop in this multicultural country until the end of the 20th century, but thanks to the diverse range of offers very quickly.

The area around the port city of Durban is particularly popular as a seaside resort. The climate in the South African spring and autumn, on the other hand, is ideal for hiking. The more adventurous go on safari in one of the numerous wildlife sanctuaries, for which it is best to choose the local winter time. The country is home to such a species-rich fauna that observing is guaranteed to be an unforgettable and exciting experience.

National parks

The most famous protected area is certainly the Kruger National Park. The reserve, founded in 1898, is home to more than 100 species of mammals and several hundred species of birds, as well as a wide variety of reptiles. Other nature parks are the Pilanesberg and Mokala National Park.

The big cities

Popular tourist destinations are the two best-known cities, namely Cape Town together with the Cape Peninsula, the so-called ” Cape of Good Hope “, and Johannesburg.

The ” Carlton Center ” is the tallest building in Africa at around 220 meters and offers a view of downtown Johannesburg and the surrounding area. The ” Cradle of Humankind ” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is only located Less than half an hour’s drive from town, the Sterkfontein Caves are world famous for the fossils of an early human ancestor, including an Australopithecus africanus, and no older full prehuman skeleton has been discovered to date.

The northwest

Many are also familiar with ” Sun City ” – an amusement and leisure complex in the north-west province of the country. The “Las Vegas” of South Africa offers casinos, shows, luxury hotels, golf courses and sports facilities. The “Lost City”, an artificially created “sunken city”, which is supposed to remind of past indigenous cultures, is experiencing a rush of visitors. There is also the “Palace of the Lost City” hotel – unofficially one of the best in the world.

The southern tip of the Cape

The wine country around Franschhoek, which is the most important wine-growing region in South Africa, is also worth a detour. One of the main tourist attractions in South Africa is the Garden Route, a region on the south coast that is known not least for the ostrich farms near Oudtshoorn and the lagoon landscape of Knysna. The coastal town of Jeffreys Bay has made a name for itself as a surfing paradise.

The Drakensberg

Another popular tourist destination is the Drakensberg. Its unmistakable landscape is characterized by numerous gorges, overhangs, caves and waterfalls. It’s not just the clear mountain air that attracts people here. The Blyde River Canyon in the northern part of the Drakensberg is even considered one of the great natural wonders of Africa. The gorge, which consists almost entirely of red sandstone, is 26 km long and 800 m deep.

Infrastructure expansion

According to Countryaah, South Africa is undoubtedly a sports nation. It is a big step for the country with almost 50 million residents that South Africa was chosen to be the first African country to host the soccer World Cup in June 2010. For this purpose, among other things, the railway network was expanded and the main airports enlarged.

Important facts

Capital: Pretoria

Official language: English

Currency

Currency (sub-unit)

Rand (100 cents)

ISO 4217 code

ZAR / 710

Geography

Continent: Africa

Region: south

Geo coordinates: S -30 ° -33 ‘-34.1 “E 22 ° 56’ 15”

Highest mountain: Njesuthi (3,408 m)

Total area: 1,219,912 km²

Mainland: 1,219,912 km²

National border: 4,750 km

Coastline: 2,798 km

Politics

Dependency: Great Britain until 1910

Formerly dependent states: Namibia until 1990 (mandate)

UN member since: 1945

Other political affiliation: Commonwealth

Form of government: Parliamentary republic

Economy

Export goods: Gold, diamonds, ores

BSP: $ 261,778,000,000

GDP: $ 273,498,000,000

GDP purchasing power parity: $ 581.6 billion

Economic growth: 5.2%

GDP share of agriculture: 2.9%

GDP share of industry: 30.9%

GDP share of services: 66.2%

Inflation rate: 3.6%

Unemployment: 26.9%

State budget revenue: $ 4294967295

State budget expenditure: $ 4294967295

National debt: 37.2%

Export: $ 56.44 billion

Import: $ 59.430 billion

Foreign debt: $ 32.730 billion

Gold and currency reserves: $ 26,704,000,000

Electricity consumption: 210,600 million KWh

Gas reserves: 28,000 million m³

Gas production: 2,430 million m³

Gas consumption: 2,430 million m³

Oil reserves: 8 million m³

Oil production: 254,000 million m³

Oil consumption: 502,000 million m³

Cultivation area: 12.9%

Bovine: 13,731,000 pieces

Fishing: 830,000 t

Demographic data

Residents: 44,187,700

Residents in cities: 26,045,000

Average age: 24.1 years

0-14 years: 29.7%

15-64 years: 65%

> 65 years: 5.3%

Population growth: -0.4%

Birth rate: 18.2 / 1,000 residents

Death rate: 22 / 1,000 residents

Migration: -0.16 / 1,000 residents

Ratio men / women: 0.95

Fertility: 2.2 Children / woman

Infant mortality: 60.66 ‰

Life expectancy men: 43.25 years

Life expectancy women: 42.19 years

Country codes and abbreviations

ISO 3166 Alpha 2: ZA

ISO 3166 Alpha 3: ZAF

ISO 3166 numeric: 710

Top Level Domain: za

IOC country code: RSA

UN / LOCODE: ZA

Source: Abbreviationfinder

Communication

Telephone connections: 4,926,000

Cell Phones: 23,470,000

Radios: 21,900,000

TV: 10,470,000

Computer: 4,360,000

Internet users: 4,270,000

Transportation

Railway lines: 20,137 km

Paved roads: 75,159 km

of which expressways: 2,120 km

Cars: 4,386,000

Merchant fleet (ships over 1,000 GRT): 3

Pipelines: 3,353

Health

Number of doctors: 33,960

Daily food intake: 2.920 kcal / resident

HIV- infected people: 5,730,000

Education

Illiteracy: 12%

History

Foundation: 1910

Last sovereign since: 1910

Religion

Main religious group: Christians

Crime

Prison inmates: 188,500

Military

Armed forces (troop strength): 53,000

Main battle tank: 160

Submarines: 2

Warplanes: 90

Defense Spending: $ 3,914,000,000