South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country on the African continent, renowned for its varied topography, great natural beauty, and cultural diversity, all of which have made the country a preferred holiday destination for travellers around the world since the legal ending of apartheid (Afrikaans: apartness or racial separation) in 1994.
It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline that stretches along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini. It also completely enclaves the country of Lesotho.
Approximately 80% of the population are black South Africans. The remaining population consists of Africa’s largest communities of Europeans (White South Africans), multiracials (Coloured South Africans), and Asians (Indian South Africans and Chinese South Africans).
International dialling code: +27
Current President (2023): Cyril Ramaphosa
Population: 60.5 million (2021) World O Meter
Capitals: Cape Town, Pretoria, and Bloemfontein
Government: Constitutional republic and Parliamentary republic
Official Provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape.
Official languages: Afrikaans, English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda, siSwati, isiNdebele, South African Sign