South Africa Flag and Meaning
Flag of South Africa
South Africa Flag Meaning
Red, blue and white are found in the flag of the Boer Republic and are also found in the British. South Africa uses these in its flag to symbolize the legacy of the Europeans. Green, yellow and black are derived from the ANC: flag, a liberation movement whose flag was adopted in 1917. What is called the fork cross, which is similar to a horizontal Y, stands for European and African roots that are united in the future.
At first, it was not intended to keep the flag as a national flag, but it would only be provisional in connection with the first democratic elections. The flag received some criticism, including that there were too many colors. Later it was nevertheless accepted and it was adopted on 27 April 1994.
South Africa Overview
| Population | 44.2 million |
| Currency | Rim |
| Area | 1.221.037 km² |
| Capital city | Pretoria |
| Population density | 35.4 residents/km² |
| HDI location | 110 |
South Africa is located on the southernmost part of the African continent with mountains facing the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It is divided into three natural regions: An expansive low coastal area with warm and humid climate. Here, predominantly sugar cane is grown on large plantations as well as wine in the Cape Province. In the inner part of the country lies the great Veld plateau, which covers 40% of the country. There are large estates where cereals and maize are grown, as well as cattle and sheep. In the northwest lies the Rand area – a mining region with large cities and industries. The country’s economic base is the mineral resources. South Africa is the world’s largest producer of gold and Diamonds, the second largest producer of manganese and the eighth largest coal producer. The country’s water sources are over-exploited, and the penetration of salt into the water sources is the biggest threat in the arid regions. The soil erosion is very extensive. Especially in the former Bantustans.
The people: The majority of the population is of African origin (over 76%). Among these, the Bantu ethnic groups are dominant: Zulu (22%); xhosa (18%), pedi (9%), sotho (7%); tswana (7%); tsonga (3.5%); swazi (3%); ndebele (2%), venda (2%). European descendants make up 13% of the population, mixed groups make up less than 10% and Asians – especially Indians – do not exceed 3%.
Religion: Christianity is dominant (68%), including various independent African churches. Furthermore, traditional religions are practiced (28%); Islam (2%).
Language: No official language exists. There is English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Sesotho, Lebowa, Sesotho, Swati, Xitsonga, Setswana, Tshivenda, Xhosa, Zulu.
Political parties: African National Congress (ANC, African National Congress), National Party (NP), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP, Inkatha Freedom Party), Freedom Front (FF, Freedom Front), Democratic Party (DP, Democratic Party), Pan African Congress (PAC, Pan-African Congress), African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP, African Christian Democratic Party), African Muslim Party (AMP, African Muslim Party), African Moderate Congress Party (AMCP, Africa’s Moderate Congress Party), Dikwankwetla Party, Federal Party (FP, Federal Party), Minority Front (MF, Minority Front), Soccer Party (SP, Football Party), African Democratic Movement (ADM, Africa Democratic Movement), Women’s Rights and Peace Party (WRPP, Women’s Rights and Peace Party)), Ximoko Progressive Party (XPP, Ximoko Progressive Party), Keep it Straight and Simple (KSS, Make it Simple and Simple), Workers Labor Party (WLP, Labor Party), Luso-South African Party (LSAP, Luso-South Africa Party).
Social organizations: South African Students Association (SASO, South Africa Student Union), Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU, Federation of South African Trade Unions), women’s organization Black Sash.
Official name: Republic of South Africa
Administrative division: 9 provinces
Capital: Pretoria (administrative capital), 2,346,000 residents; Cape Town (legislative capital), 3,497,000 residents; Bloemfontein (Legal Capital), 369,000 (2007).
Other important cities: Johannesburg, 4,927,200 residents; Durban, 2,314,100 residents; Port Elizabeth, 1,029,400 inb (2000)
Government: Jacob Zuma, President of May 2009, re-elected in 2014. Two-chamber parliamentary system with National Assembly (400 members) and National Council of Provinces (90 members).
National Day: April 27 (Freedom Day, 1994)
Armed Forces: 56,000 Soldiers (2003)
