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Compare New Zealand (2004) - South Africa (2002)

Compare New Zealand (2004) z South Africa (2002)

 New Zealand (2004)South Africa (2002)
 New ZealandSouth Africa
Administrative divisions 13 regions; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne-Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Nelson-Marlborough, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape
Age structure 0-14 years: 21.7% (male 443,211; female 422,507)


15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,337,383; female 1,325,683)


65 years and over: 11.6% (male 203,084; female 261,949) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 31.6% (male 6,943,761; female 6,849,745)


15-64 years: 63.4% (male 13,377,011; female 14,300,850)


65 years and over: 5% (male 816,222; female 1,360,069) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, dairy products; fish corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Airports 113 (2003 est.) 740 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 46


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 11


914 to 1,523 m: 27


under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
total: 143


over 3,047 m: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 50


914 to 1,523 m: 67


under 914 m: 11 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 70


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 29


under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)
total: 584


1,524 to 2,437 m: 34


914 to 1,523 m: 298


under 914 m: 252 (2002)
Area total: 268,680 sq km


land: NA sq km


water: NA sq km


note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
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 about the size of Colorado slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Background The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances. 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 14.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 20.63 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $32.14 billion


expenditures: $30.13 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
revenues: $22.6 billion


expenditures: $24.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (FY02/03 )
Capital Wellington Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and Bloemfontein the judicial center
Climate temperate with sharp regional contrasts mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Coastline 15,134 km 2,798 km
Constitution consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments and The Constitution Act 1986 which is the principal formal charter 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 3 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: New Zealand


abbreviation: NZ
conventional long form: Republic of South Africa


conventional short form: South Africa


former: Union of South Africa


abbreviation: RSA
Currency New Zealand dollar (NZD) rand (ZAR)
Death rate 7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 18.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $37.46 billion (2003 est.) $25.5 billion (2001 est.)
Dependent areas Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau -
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS


embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington


mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034


telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000


FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490


consulate(s) general: Auckland
chief of mission: Ambassador Cameron H. HUME


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 L. John WOOD


chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800


FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Makate Sheila SISULU


chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400


FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Disputes - international territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) Swaziland continues to press South Africa into ceding ethnic Swazi lands in Kangwane region of KwaZulu-Natal province, that were long ago part of the Swazi Kingdom
Economic aid - donor ODA, $99.7 million -
Economic aid - recipient - $539 million (1999)
Economy - overview Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes (but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has been rising and is now 80% of the level of the four largest EU economies. New Zealand is heavily dependent on trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive growth, and it has been affected by the global economic slowdown and the slump in commodity prices. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and growth should continue at the same level in 2004. Expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately. South Africa is a middle-income, developing country with an abundant supply of 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 cut into high unemployment, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially the problems of poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. Other problems are crime, corruption, and HIV/AIDS. At the start of 2000, President MBEKI vowed to promote economic growth and foreign investment, and to reduce poverty by relaxing restrictive labor laws, stepping up the pace of privatization, and cutting unneeded governmental spending. The economy slowed in 2001, largely the result of the slowing of the international economy.
Electricity - consumption 34.88 billion kWh (2001) 181.52 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 4.549 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 5.294 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 37.51 billion kWh (2001) 194.38 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 93%


hydro: 1%


nuclear: 7%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside 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: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups New Zealand European 74.5%, Maori 9.7%, other European 4.6%, Pacific Islander 3.8%, Asian and others 7.4% black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Exchange rates New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000), 1.8896 (1999) rand per US dollar - 11.58786 (January 2002), 8.60918 (2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001)


head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); 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 Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 2 June 1999 (next scheduled for sometime between May and July 2004)


election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)


note: ANC-IFP is the governing coalition
Exports 30,220 bbl/day (2001) $32.3 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
Exports - partners Australia 21.8%, US 14.6%, Japan 11%, China 4.9%, UK 4.8% (2003) EU 33%, US 20%, Japan 6%, Mozambique 2.5% (2001 est.)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June 1 April - 31 March
Flag description blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation 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


note: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one - three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which had three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags were a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
GDP purchasing power parity - $85.34 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $412 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.8%


industry: 27.4%


services: 67.8% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 3%


industry: 31%


services: 66% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $21,600 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $9,400 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.5% (2003 est.) 2.6% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 41 00 S, 174 00 E 29 00 S, 24 00 E
Geography - note about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
Highways total: 92,053 km


paved: 57,809 km (including at least 190 km of expressways)


unpaved: 34,244 km (2000)
total: 358,596 km


paved: 59,753 km (including 1,927 km of expressways)


unpaved: 298,843 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.3%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1991 est.)
lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 46% (1994) (1994)
Illicit drugs - transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, and possibly cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region
Imports 119,700 bbl/day (2001) $28.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics machinery, foodstuffs and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments
Imports - partners Australia 22.2%, US 11.8%, Japan 11.8%, China 9%, Germany 5.3% (2003) EU 41%, US 11.4%, Saudi Arabia 7.3%, Japan 7% (2001 est.)
Independence 26 September 1907 (from UK) 31 May 1910 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 1.3% (2003 est.) 7% (2001 est.)
Industries food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs
Infant mortality rate total: 5.96 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 6.83 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
61.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.8% (2003 est.) 5.8% (2001 est.)
International organization participation ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ACP, AfDB, BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, NSG, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 150 (2001)
Irrigated land 2,850 sq km (1998 est.) 13,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch High Court; Court of Appeal Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts
Labor force 2.008 million (2003 est.) 17 million economically active (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (1995) agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries 0 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: 5.6%


permanent crops: 6.99%


other: 87.41% (2001)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.77%


other: 87.1% (1998 est.)
Languages English (official), Maori (official) 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Legal system based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve three-year terms)


elections: last held 27 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NZLP 52, NP 27, NZFP 13, ACT New Zealand 9, Green Party 9, UF 8, other 2
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 3 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 2 June 1999 (next to be held by 2 August 2004)


election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 66.4%, DP 9.6%, IFP 8.6%, NP 6.9%, UDM 3.4%, ACDP 1.4%, FF 0.8%, other 2.9%; seats by party - ANC 266, DP 38, IFP 34, NP 28, UDM 14, ACDP 6, FF 3, other 11; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ANC 61, NP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 78.49 years


male: 75.5 years


female: 81.61 years (2004 est.)
total population: 45.43 years


male: 45.19 years


female: 45.68 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99% (1980 est.)


male: NA


female: NA
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 85%


male: 86%


female: 85% (2000 est.)
Location Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Map references Oceania Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 77,523 GRT/108,352 DWT


by type: bulk 3, cargo 2, container 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: Australia 1, Isle of Man 1


registered in other countries: 8 (2004 est.)
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 271,650 GRT/268,604 DWT


ships by type: container 6, petroleum tanker 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 3, Netherlands 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note - the National Defense Force continues to integrate former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces
Military branches New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force South African National Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service
Military expenditures - dollar figure $1.147 billion (FY03/04) $1.79 billion (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1% (FY02) 1.6% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,033,464 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 11,557,242 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 868,984 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 7,031,337 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 27,157 (2004 est.) males: 466,399 (2002 est.)
National holiday Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Nationality noun: New Zealander(s)


adjective: New Zealand
noun: South African(s)


adjective: South African
Natural hazards earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity prolonged droughts
Natural resources natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Net migration rate 4.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) -1.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,213 km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304 km (2004) crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas 322 km
Political parties and leaders ACT New Zealand [Richard PREBBLE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS and Rod DONALD]; National Party or NP [Don BRASH]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Coalition [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE, president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI, president]; Democratic Alliance (formed from the merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the New National Party or NP; note - NP split from DP in 2001) [Anthony LEON]; Freedom Front or FF [Dr. Pieter MULDER, president]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president]; New National Party or NP [Marthinus VAN SCHALKWYK]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president]; 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 3,993,817 (July 2004 est.) 43,647,658


note: South Africa took a census October 1996 that showed a population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8% underenumeration based on a postenumeration survey); 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 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 50% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 1.05% (2004 est.) 0.02% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha
Radio broadcast stations AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 17 million (2001)
Railways total: 3,898 km


narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2003)
total: 20,384 km


narrow gauge: 20,070 km 1.067-m gauge (9,090 km electrified); 314 km 0.610-m gauge


note: in addition, South Africa has an electrified 1.065-m gauge commuter rail system, with a total length of 1,254 km, which serves Johannesburg-Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, East London, and Port Elizabeth (2001)
Religions Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986) Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems


domestic: NA


international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
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: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 1.765 million (2002) more than 5 million (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.599 million (2003) 7.06 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations 41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997) 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Terrain predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Total fertility rate 1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.) 2.38 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.7% (2003 est.) 37% (2001 est.)
Waterways - NA
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