SOUTH AFRICA
(Republic South Africa)

Capital: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)

Flag: the national flag accepted in 1994 consists of the blue-black triangle established vertically to the elevator and adjoining by golden-yellow. Strips red, white, green, white and blue appear horizontally.

Anthem: Now two anthems are used: the official anthem, "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika" ("Call of South Africa") and Nkosi Sikelel Africa (God Bless Africa), the anthem accepted by most of liberating groups.

Currency: The South African rand (r) is paper currency in 100 cents. It is used in all South African currency zone. There are coins from 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 rand and also records from 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 rands. r1 = $0.16155 (or $1 = r6.19) as of 2005.

WEIGHT AND MEASURES: The metric system is used.

HOLIDAYS: New year, on January 1; Day of the Republic, on May 31; Day of Kruger, on October 10; Day of a vow, on December 16; Christmas, on December 25; Day of good will, on December 26. Moveable religious feasts include Good Friday and Rise; Day of family are a moveable secular feast.

TIME: 14:00 - midday.

ARRANGEMENT, SIZE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The area of South Africa is 1 219 912 sq.km (471 011 quarter. Miles). Rather, the area occupied with South Africa is a little less, than is twice more than the State of Texas. Considered in general, South Africa stretches for 1,821 km (1,132 miles) of a не-sw and 1,066 km (662 miles) of se-nw. He is limited on B to Botswana and Zimbabwe (earlier Rhodesia), on Mo Mozambique and Swaziland, in the Indian Ocean, on merge of the Indian and Atlantic oceans, on the Atlantic Ocean the Ocean, and on a nu of Namibia. South Africa also operates two small islands, prince Eduard and Marion which are approximately in 1,920 km (1200 miles) to the southeast from Cape Town. The capital of South Africa, Pretoria, is located in a northeast part of the country.

TOPOGRAPHY

South Africa has the average height about 1200 m (3900 feet), and at least 40% of a surface are at higher level. Parts of Johannesburg are at the height more than 1800 m above sea level. There are three main zones: regional districts which stretch for width from 80 to 240 km (50-150 miles) in the east to 60-80 km (35-50 miles) in the West and include east slopes of the plateau, the Cape the folded belt and the western slopes of the plateau; the extensive saucer-shaped internal plateau separated from a marginal zone by the Great splitting off; and Kalakhari's pool, only the southern part of which goes on the North - the central South Africa. The earth steadily grows from the West on the East to Drakensbergsky mountains (a part of the Great Slope), the highest of which is the mountain. Indzhasuti (3 408 m / 11 181 feet), on border with Lesotho.