South Africa
Offical name: Republic of South Africa
Area: 1 219 090 square kilometres
Divided into 9 provinces
Flanked by the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean
Population: 51.77 million
11 official languages (isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, English)
Capitals: Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein
79.2% Africans, 9% Coloured, 9% White
Ethnical mix of old african tribes (Nguni) and european settlers
The Rainbow Nation
History
1652: arrival of the first european settlers in South Africa
1795: British settlers took over the Dutch government
1838: Bloddy battles between the Dutch settlers and the Zulus
1910: The Union of South Africa became part of the British Empire
1948 – 1990: Apartheid Era (segregation between black and white people)
February 2nd, 1990: Liberation of Nelson Mandela
April 28th, 1994: Nelson Mandela became the first black president
Tourism in South Africa
Significant economic sector
7.535.498 tourists (2012)
Very popular with Americans, Britons, Germans
Kruger Nationalpark
founded in 1898 by Paul Kruger
2 million hectare
Home to the “Big Five” (buffalo, rhino, leopard, elephant, lion)
Johannesburg
population: 3,9 millon (73 % Buntu-Africans)
financial and economical centre
Cape Town
Population: 3.74 million
First European settlement in South Africa
Africa´s most popular tourist destination
Important sights are the Table Mountain, the Harbour and Robben Island
Port Elizabeth
'The Windy City'
Perfect conditions for water sports like sailing, surfing or kiting
Addo Elephant National Park
Garden Route
Stretches from Hermanus to Port Elizabeth
Second mildest climate in the world
Mountains, lakes, lagoons and numerous species