South Africa
From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.
The Republic of South Africa is a country that is located in the southern region of Africa. It is home to about forty-five million people.
South Africa is next to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland.
The largest city is Johannesburg; the capitals are Cape Town, Pretoria, and Bloemfontein.
There are 11 national languages or National Lexicography Units (NLUs): Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, siSwati, Setswana, Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga. As a result, the country has an official name in each language.
One of South Africa's most notable people is Nelson Mandela, who was its President from 1994 until 1999.
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[edit] Economy
South Africa's economy is split between First World and Third World standards. The developed part of the economy is similar to that of most wealthy nations, such as Britain or Australia. The rest of the economy is closer to that of poor nations, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo or rural India.
The main industries in South Africa are mining (mostly gold and diamonds), car making, and service industries, such as insurance.
[edit] Military
South Africa's military is the most powerful in southern Africa. South Africa spends more on its military than any of its neighbours, and as a result it has very advanced weapons. South Africa used to have nuclear weapons, but they were taken apart in 1993.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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