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Compare Bangladesh (2006) - South Africa (2007)

Compare Bangladesh (2006) z South Africa (2007)

 Bangladesh (2006)South Africa (2007)
 BangladeshSouth Africa
Administrative divisions 6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape
Age structure 0-14 years: 32.9% (male 24,957,997/female 23,533,894)


15-64 years: 63.6% (male 47,862,774/female 45,917,674)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,731,578/female 2,361,435) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 29.1% (male 6,447,623/female 6,370,909)


15-64 years: 65.5% (male 14,040,210/female 14,761,179)


65 years and over: 5.4% (male 917,227/female 1,460,680) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Airports 16 (2006) 728 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 15


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 5 (2006)
total: 146


over 3,047 m: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 51


914 to 1,523 m: 67


under 914 m: 13 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
total: 582


1,524 to 2,437 m: 34


914 to 1,523 m: 300


under 914 m: 248 (2007)
Area total: 144,000 sq km


land: 133,910 sq km


water: 10,090 sq km
total: 1,219,912 sq km


land: 1,219,912 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Iowa slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Background Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.
Birth rate 29.8 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 17.94 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.993 billion


expenditures: $8.598 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $69.22 billion


expenditures: $67.78 billion (2006 est.)
Capital name: Dhaka


geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 25 E


time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Pretoria (administrative capital)


geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
Climate tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October) mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Coastline 580 km 2,798 km
Constitution 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986; amended many times 10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 4 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases
Country name conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh


conventional short form: Bangladesh


local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh


local short form: Banladesh


former: East Bengal, East Pakistan
conventional long form: Republic of South Africa


conventional short form: South Africa


former: Union of South Africa


abbreviation: RSA
Death rate 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 22.45 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $20.63 billion (2005 est.) $31.84 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia A. BUTENIS


embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212


mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000


telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500


FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744
chief of mission: Ambassador Eric BOST


embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria


mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001


telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048


FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244


consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Shamsher Mobin CHOWDHURY


chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183


FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Welile Augustine NHLAPO


chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400


FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Disputes - international discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh resists India's attempts to fence or wall off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources South Africa has placed military along the border to apprehend the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007, South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000), Somalia (20,000), Burundi (6,500), and other states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa
Economic aid - recipient $1.575 billion (2000 est.) $700 million (2005)
Economy - overview Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Reform is stalled in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups. The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms, but the party's political will to do so has been lacking in key areas. One encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the past several years. South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to lower South Africa's high unemployment rate, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. South African economic policy is fiscally conservative but pragmatic focusing on targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to increase job growth and household income.
Electricity - consumption 16.2 billion kWh (2003) 210.7 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 13.42 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 11.08 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 17.42 billion kWh (2003) 228.3 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m
Environment - current issues many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998) black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)
Exchange rates taka per US dollar - 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004), 58.15 (2003), 57.888 (2002), 55.807 (2001) rand per US dollar - 6.7649 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002); note - the president's duties are normally ceremonial, but with the 13th amendment to the constitution ("Caretaker Government Amendment"), the president's role becomes significant at times when Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker government is installed - at presidential direction - to supervise the elections


head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA (since 10 October 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president


elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election scheduled for 16 September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September 2002 (next election to be held by 2007); following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president


election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared by the Election Commission elected unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA
chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009)


election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)
Exports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood (2001) gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
Exports - partners US 23.6%, Germany 13.5%, UK 9.4%, France 6.4% (2005) Japan 12.1%, US 11.8%, UK 9%, Germany 7.6%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June 1 April - 31 March
Flag description green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 19.9%


industry: 19.8%


services: 60.3% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 2.7%


industry: 30.9%


services: 66.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.4% (2005 est.) 5% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 00 N, 90 00 E 29 00 S, 24 00 E
Geography - note most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
Heliports - 1 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.9%


highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.)
lowest 10%: 1.4%


highest 10%: 44.7% (2000)
Illicit drugs transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy
Imports NA bbl/day 398,000 bbl/day (2006)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000) machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs
Imports - partners India 14.1%, China 13.5%, Kuwait 8.5%, Singapore 6.2%, Japan 4.1%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2005) Germany 12.6%, China 10%, US 7.6%, Japan 6.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.3%, UK 5% (2006)
Independence 16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh 31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared)
Industrial production growth rate 6.7% (2005 est.) 7.1% (2006 est.)
Industries cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
Infant mortality rate total: 60.83 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 61.87 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 59.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 59.44 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 62.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 55.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7% (2005 est.) 4.6% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ARF, AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 47,250 sq km (2003) 14,980 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president) Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts
Labor force 66.6 million


note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $1.71 billion in 1998-99 (2005 est.)
16.96 million economically active (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 63%


industry: 11%


services: 26% (FY95/96)
agriculture: 30%


industry: 25%


services: 45% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total: 4,246 km


border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
total: 4,862 km


border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Land use arable land: 55.39%


permanent crops: 3.08%


other: 41.53% (2005)
arable land: 12.1%


permanent crops: 0.79%


other: 87.11% (2005)
Languages Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)
Legal system based on English common law based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law
Legislative branch unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies (the constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve five-year terms


elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held no later than January 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 41%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)
bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note - following the implementation of the new constitution on 4 February 1997, the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution


elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 14 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%; seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other 21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 62.46 years


male: 62.47 years


female: 62.45 years (2006 est.)
total population: 42.45 years


male: 43.21 years


female: 41.66 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 43.1%


male: 53.9%


female: 31.8% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 86.4%


male: 87%


female: 85.7% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Map references Asia Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 18 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 341,733 GRT/485,840 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 29, container 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3


foreign-owned: 1 (China 1)


registered in other countries: 10 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Comoros 1, Malta 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 1) (2006)
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 28,722 GRT/32,226 DWT


by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)


registered in other countries: 6 (Bahamas 1, Seychelles 1, UK 4, unknown 1) (2007)
Military - note - with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete
Military branches Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force (Bangladesh Biman Bahini, BAF) (2006) South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), Joint Operations Command, Joint Support Command, Military Intelligence, Military Health Service (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $1.01 billion (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.8% (2005 est.) 1.7% (2006)
National holiday Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Nationality noun: Bangladeshi(s)


adjective: Bangladeshi
noun: South African(s)


adjective: South African
Natural hazards droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season prolonged droughts
Natural resources natural gas, arable land, timber, coal gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Net migration rate -0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,604 km (2006) condensate 100 km; gas 1,062 km; oil 966 km; refined products 1,354 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED] African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE]; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]; New National Party or NNP; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC
Population 147,365,352 (July 2006 est.) 43,997,828


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 45% (2004 est.) 50% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 2.09% (2006 est.) -0.46% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 15, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006) AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways total: 2,768 km


broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge


narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
total: 20,872 km


narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,931 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (2006)
Religions Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998) Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.012 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.628 male(s)/female


total population: 0.947 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country


domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities


international: country code - 880; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2005)
general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa


domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria


international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 1.07 million (2005) 4.729 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 9 million (2005) 39.66 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 15 (1999) 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Total fertility rate 3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.) 2.16 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.5% (includes underemployment) (2005 est.) 25.5% (2006 est.)
Waterways 8,372 km


note: includes 5,635 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2005)
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