Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Population: 51,770,000 (2012 est.)
Land Area: 1,221,037 km²
Capital: Pretoria (administrative capital)
Main cities: Bloemfontein, Durban, Johannesburg
Languages: IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, English, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga
GDP: $350.6 billion (2013 est.)
Monetary unit: Rand
Exports: $59.15 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: gold, diamonds, platinum, other metalsand minerals, machinery and equipment
Exports - partners: Japan 12.1%, US 11.8%, UK 9%, Germany7.6%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4% (2006)
Imports: $61.53 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals,petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Germany 12.6%, China 10%, US 7.6%, Japan6.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.3%, UK 5% (2006)
Land use:
arable land: 12.1%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.11% (2005)
Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas