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SOUTH AFRICA
Capital | Pretoria
FLAG DESCRIPTION: two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that 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; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era * note: the South African flag is the only national flag to display six colors as part of its primary design
Population | 49,109,107 (July 2010 est.)
Area | 1,219, 912 SQ KM
Official Language | Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Pedi, English, Tswana, Sotho, Tsonga, Swati, Venda and Ndebele
Holidays | Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Currency | rand (ZAR)
Time Zone | UTC +2
Best Time to Visit | February and March, for warm sunny weather
Connecting with the Culture | The stunning view from the top of Table Mountain, overlooking the ‘fairest cape’ of them all. Surfing (or learning to surf) in the warm waters of KwaZulu-Natal. Visiting the ‘Big Hole’ diamond mine in Kimberly. Exploring the spectacular Drakensburg Mountains.
Read | Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.
Listen | to the South African national anthem, a uniting chant containing words from all 11 official languages.
Watch | Cry Freedom, Richard Attenborough’s powerful film detailing the moving story of black activist Steve Biko.
Eat | a braai (BBQ), with local meats including boerewors (hearty farmers sausage). Biltong (dried and cured meat) is also a favorite throughout the country.
Drink | some of the best wines in the world.
In a Word | Howzit…
Characteristics | Cape Town; rugby Springboks; Biltong; Table Mountain; braai; beaches; diamond and gold mines; the township of Soweto; Kruger National Park; Nelson Mandela
Surprises | It is bound to be summer somewhere in South Africa at any given time of the year given the size and geogrpahy of the country. The Kruger National Park has the greatest diversity of animals in the whole of Africa, and is the size of Wales. There is no denying that poverty, violence, and AIDS are all part of and parcel of the past and future of South Africa, but the sense of pride throughout the country is almost tangible.
