Since South Africa is ethnically very diverse, the cultural background is also very different. The people of South Africa are called the "rainbow nation", which perfectly reflects the cultural diversity of the country. There are many tribes living on the African continent, each with their own traditions and customs.
The Bushmen, the most ancient inhabitants of South Africa, have been living in this area, mainly in the dunes of the Kalahari Desert, for more than 20,000 years. They speak one of the most ancient types of language, which consists of a variety of "clicks" produced by the tongue. The ability to hunt helped the Bushmen survive in the harsh conditions of the desert. The Bushmen's main prey is various kinds of antelope, but their daily diet consists more of vegetables, fruits, nuts and plant roots, which they find in the desert. Bushmen build temporary houses from wood that they collect in the area.
The Chiwa people live in the area of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and many in Malawi. Chiva distinguish themselves from other cultures with a certain language, special tattoos. They usually live in very tight "villages". In each village there is a certain hierarchy, where a hereditary leader is at the head, and a council of elders helps him. Although the Chiwa people believe in a single creator God, they also believe that the spirits of the dead are in constant communication with living people and animals, and spirits can be contacted through dance.
The Masai are a people known as shepherds and hunters. For this people, cattle are the guarantee of a good life, and milk and meat are the most favorite food. Initially, they fed only livestock, they acquired the rest of the products by exchange, but now they also have to deal with agriculture. Nowadays, many of the Masai are forced to live in a permanent place and many have to look for work in the city. The entire male population of the Masai tribe is divided into age groups, and members of each group go through the initiation of initiation into warriors, and then into elders. The Masai do not have a leader, but each group has a Laibon, a spiritual leader. The Maasai worship one God who is present in everything. However, in modern times, many members of the Masai belong to various branches of the Christian Church.
The Zulu are South Africa's largest ethnic group, widely known for their beautiful, colorful beadwork, basketry, and carvings. The Zulu believe that they are the descendants of a leader from the Congo region and moved south in the 16th century, adopting many of the traditions and customs of the San people. They believe in the creator God Nkulunkulu, but this God does not communicate with people and does not show any interest in everyday life. Therefore, many Zulus communicate with spirits every day, for which they resort to divination to attract the spirits of their ancestors. All failures are the result of evil sorcery or the work of offended spirits, nothing happens simply for natural reasons.
For an evening visit to the restaurant, you must definitely bring an evening dress (ladies) and a formal suit (gentlemen). You should have smart, but not chic clothes, familiar to you on such occasions.
In Durban there is an interesting Camelot restaurant, visiting which you get to the reception of the king himself. The restaurant is made in the form of a medieval palace and all guests must wear ancient dresses that you try on and put on in the dressing room. Then you are invited to the dining room, where there is a huge wooden table without cutlery. Food is served according to ancient customs and should also be eaten according to medieval customs - with your hands. You are told about the rules in advance and you agree to follow them in order to get to this dinner. The dishes on the table are not specially salted, and if you ask the king for salt, and then turn your back on him, you can be kicked out of the hall for "uncivilized" behavior.
The most persistent fall into the mercy of the king.
South Africa post on geography will briefly tell you a lot of useful information about the country of southern Africa. Also, a message about South Africa will help you prepare for the lesson and deepen your knowledge of geography.
Report about South Africa
Republic of South Africa is the richest country in the world, which is located in the southernmost part of the African continent. She received such a status due to attractive places for travel and recreation.
- South Africa area- 1,221,040 km 2.
- Capital Cities— Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein
- Population– 54,956,900 people
South Africa borders Mozambique to the northeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the north, and Namibia to the northwest. Inside the republic there are independent small states - Lesotho and Swaziland. The state is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Indian Ocean in the east.
The territory of South Africa is covered with savannas, semi-deserts, steppes and thickets of evergreen shrubs. The largest river is the Orange, in the basin of which there are important agricultural and industrial regions of the country, and hydraulic structures. The Limpopo and Tugela rivers also play an important role. The state is crossed by the Dragon Mountains. Here is the highest African waterfall - Tugela.
South Africa is divided into 9 provinces:
- Western Cape
- Eastern Cape
- KwaZulu Natal
- Goteng
- North Western Province
- Mpumalanga
- Limpopo
- northern cape
- Free State
State structure of South Africa
South Africa is a parliamentary republic. The role of the Head of State and the Commander-in-Chief of the Army is performed by the President, who is elected by the Parliament from among the candidate deputies of the National Assembly.
Climate of South Africa
The territory of the state is located in the tropical and subtropical zones. The climate is somewhat cool and arid. The summer average annual temperature is +20…+23 °С. Winter season temperatures are 10 °C lower. On the coasts, the average amount of precipitation is 100 mm, and on the slopes of the mountains - up to 2000 mm.
Natural resources of South Africa
The state has powerful ore natural resources (manganese, iron ore, uranium), chromites, diamonds. platinum, coal and gold. There are no oil and gas fields here.
Flora and fauna of South Africa
The vegetation is represented by shrubs, acacias and low-grass steppe. Aloe, fragrant, iron, yellow and ebony trees, ficuses are widespread in the republic. The animal world is more diverse. Jackals, wild cats, hyenas, panthers, ungulates, elephants, cheetahs live in South Africa. Snakes, crocodiles, rhinos live near water bodies. Of the birds in the republic, bustards and ostriches are common.
Sights of South Africa
Table Mountain, Robben Island, Garden Route, Knysna City, Stellenbosch Old Town, Ostrich Capital, Durban, Kruger National Park, Soweto, Dragon Mountains, Limpopo Park, Tugela Falls, Tsitsikamma Marine National Park.
- South Africa is the second largest fruit exporting country in the world.
- The safety of tap water ranks third in the world.
- South Africa has the cheapest electricity in the world.
- Near the coast there are more than 2000 sunken ships. Some of them are over 500 years old.
- Table Mountain is the oldest in the world. Officially recognized as one of the seven new wonders of nature.
- The world's first heart transplant was performed here (1967).
- The country is a major producer of gold and has 80% of the world's platinum reserves in its bowels.
We hope that the South African report helped you prepare for the lesson and you learned a lot of useful information about the South African country. And you can add a story about South Africa through the comment form below.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
MUNICIPAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
MIDDLE SCHOOL #12
ESSAY
BY GEORGAPHY
SOUTH AFRICA
Performed:
student 11 "D" class
Kondratieva Elena
Supervisor:
Senior Lecturer
Department of socio-economic
geography TVGU
Averyanova T.V.
Tver - 2005
Introduction3
Chapter 1."Features of the geographical location of South Africa" 5
1.1. Physical and geographical position.5
6
7
1.4. Political structure8
Chapter 2"Natural resource potential of South Africa" 16
2.1. natural conditions.16
2.2. Natural resources.17
Chapter 3"Population and workforce of South Africa" 24
3.1. Population, dynamics.24
3.2. population reproduction.24
3.3. Migrations.24
3.4. The composition of the population.25
3.5. Structure of employment of the population.29
3.6. Urbanization, large cities, urban agglomerations.29
3.7. Peculiarities of population distribution, density indicators.30
Chapter 4"General characteristics of the economy of South Africa" 31
4.1. Features of the development of the economy.31
4.2. General characteristics of the industry.32
4.3. Agriculture.37
4.4. Features of the development of transport.39
Chapter 5. "Territorial structure of the economy of South Africa" 43
Chapter 6"The Economy of the Republic of South Africa" 47
Chapter 7"Economic relations between Russia and South Africa" 54
Conclusion56
Applications 58
Literature 61
Introduction
Back in perestroika times, at the end of the 80s, in Moscow they looked at the Republic of South Africa as the most profitable business partner on the African continent. However, since then, both in our country (after the collapse of the USSR) and in them (the African National Congress came to power in South Africa) there have been radical political changes, bilateral business ties (after a relatively short boom in 1992-1993) began to decline sharply and are now in a state of “slow development”.
Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow, however, tried to "cut through" a window into the business of South Africa, going into close political cooperation with the government of the white minority of De Klerk and completely abandoning its former ally - the ANC.
In those days, only in the period 1991-1992, more than 50 Soviet and later Russian delegations, which included not only government officials, but also private entrepreneurs, paid official visits to South Africa. Then, already in Russian times, the Republic of South Africa in the documents of both the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of Russia was defined as a country with which business cooperation is "key" in Africa. The Russian diamond mining company Almazy Sakha-Rossii, Komdragmet, the Moscow Engine Plant (supplying aircraft engines from Russia to South Africa), and enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex were especially active in trying to establish business ties with South Africa. At that time, contacts also seemed promising in the field of supplies and joint production of weapons: the South Africans expressed a desire to acquire certain types of weapons in Russia not only through government agencies, but also directly from manufacturing plants (Nizhny Novgorod, Perm).
But in South Africa, the 1994 elections broke out, and after the black majority government headed by the leader of the ANC, Nelson Mandela, came to power, cooperation between the Republic of South Africa and Russia began to curtail, which somehow was not very customary for us to spread.
First of all, the South African leadership, for the most part consisting of leaders of the ANC (more than 60% of them visited and studied in the USSR several times), had a very negative attitude towards the then Russian political establishment. Pretoria did not forget the statements of former Russian Foreign Minister Andrey Kozyrev in 1992, who "diplomatically" called the ANC a "terrorist organization." Nelson Mandela also remembered Moscow's overtures to the white government in 1991-1993, when yesterday's "comrades in the class struggle from the ANC" were refused to be received in high Kremlin offices, citing their employment. I'm not talking about the passages of our, also now former president, when meeting with Mandela about the fact that "we defeated communism in Russia." He probably "forgot" that the main ally of the ANC is the local Communist Party, and many former functionaries of the international department of the Central Committee of the CPSU, especially those who were responsible for relations with the ANC in difficult times, are still well received in South Africa, lectures are organized for them , wonderful vacation, etc.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela is a decent person, and in his visit to Russia (which, by the way, was postponed and postponed many times), he mainly wanted to thank not so much Russia as the former USSR for the help during the years of the ANC's struggle against apartheid. one
I think the Russian authorities are well aware of the situation in which they have to conduct business, thereby paying for the political short-sightedness of our former officials, who seriously undermined the previously very promising base in relations between Moscow and Pretoria.
Despite the fact that, as one of the South African ministers recently put it, “we (i.e., South Africa) are not up to you now, and you (i.e., Russia) are not up to us,” there are areas of cooperation in which with mutual desire and work, success can be achieved.
For example, business contacts between the Russian and South African military-industrial complex (MIC) continue to be promising and, most importantly, mutually beneficial. A similar situation is developing with the attraction of our investments in South Africa, and theirs - in Russia.
In the late 1980s, senior officials of the then Soviet Council of Ministers spoke of the need to attract "free" South African financial resources to our country. Since then, all the "banking cooperation" of Russians before the crisis of 1998, which after it was limited to holding a seminar on investments in Russia in South Africa, arranged for the "business vacation" of Russian bankers (with a visit to the city of a thousand casinos Sun City and the Comoros) on who came ... two representatives of the local Foreign Ministry and not a single South African banker or businessman.
The prospects for bilateral trade are not very encouraging either - practically the entire trade turnover between Russia and South Africa in 1999 was earned exclusively on export-import operations and small commercial transactions.
South African private capital is also extremely cautious in relation to Russia (although it is less ideological in relation to Moscow than the political leadership of South Africa). According to representatives of South African business, over the past few years, local entrepreneurs have become convinced that the main purpose of their Russian colleagues' trips to South Africa is not a long-term business, but a popular variant of "official vacation", i.e. arrival in an exotic country for visiting a casino, a safari, yachting and the like.
In principle, Russian entrepreneurs, by all appearances, are quite disappointed in the business prospects of South Africa. "There is no quick money to be made there, there is no great desire to work on a long-term basis, and there are no free funds either." Other markets for risky Russian businessmen today seem to be much more profitable and predictable than the little-studied South African.
And yet, the development of business ties between Russia and South Africa has a future - and in the near future it is not for "ideologized projects" and mutual insults, but for competent entrepreneurs and pragmatic politicians, both in Russia and in South Africa.
Chapter 1.
"Features of the geographical location of South Africa"
Physical and geographical position.
The Republic of South Africa (SAR) is located south of 22°S, in the tropical and subtropical latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. The territory of South Africa is 4.2% of the area of the continent (1,223,410 sq. km). In the west, the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic, and in the south and east - by the Indian Ocean. The coastline is 2798 km . The highest point in South Africa is Mt. Njesuti (Njesuthi) -3408 m
This location of the country predetermines the presence of various natural landscapes. According to the device, it resembles a giant amphitheater. Its highest ranks are formed in the east and south by a ledge of the Drakensberg and Cape Mountains. To the north, the surface drops in steps - a plateau to a vast arena - the Kalahari and the valley of the Limpopo River.
The relief of South Africa is characterized by the predominance of high-altitude flat plateaus, about half of the territory has a height of 1000 to 1600 m, more ¾ located above 600 m above sea level, only a narrow strip of coastal lowlands in the west, south and east has a height of up to 500 m. In general terms, the relief is determined by the internal elevated plateaus and coastal plains of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Almost all of South Africa is located within the southern margin of the African Platform, the basement of which consists of folds of Precambrian rocks (metamorphic shales, gneisses, etc.) and clastic rocks penetrated and metamorphosed by intrusions of the so-called ancient granites. In the coastal regions of the country, the base rocks often come to the surface, in the central regions they are covered with a thick layer of younger rocks.
north of the middle reaches of the river. Orange, within the southern margin of the vast trough of the African platform, are the Kalahari plains (800-900 m), covered with a thick cloak of Cenozoic sands and sandstones.
At present, almost everywhere the surface of the Kalahari is occupied by grassy vegetation and shrubs; the typical desert landscape can be found only in the most arid southwestern part, along the borders with Namibia.
The West Coast presents a sharp contrast. To the north, beyond the Ulifants River, the Namib Desert begins. There are few bays and convenient bays on the coast; it is distinguished by a slightly indented, as if leveled, coastline. The coast, composed mainly of slates and quartzites, has a rocky character, rising 7-20 m above sea level. Its stern, impregnable appearance scared away European sailors for a long time.
The coastline in the southwest and south of South Africa up to Cape Recife is more indented. A number of convenient natural bays and bays of the southern coast were appreciated by medieval navigators. These are Saldanha Bay (with the port of the same name), Dining Bay (with the port of Cape Town), False Bay (with the port of Simons Town), Mosselbay and Algoa Bay. Narrow, rocky Cape Agulhas in front of Mossel Bay is the southernmost point of Africa. In the east, in the shallow bay of Natal, one of the largest ports on the mainland, Durban, is located. To the north of it stretches a low-lying accumulative coast. 2
1.2. Economic and geographical position.
From a geographical point of view, the geographical position of South Africa is advantageous, because the subsoil of this region is rich in diamonds, gold, platinum, uranium, iron and manganese ores, chromites, non-ferrous metal ores, coal, asbestos.
South Africa is the only highly developed state in Africa that belongs to the type of countries of resettlement capitalism.
South Africa is a country located in the south of the African continent, 5 times larger than Great Britain, 2 times larger than France and equal in territory to Germany, France and Italy combined. South Africa borders Botswana and Zimbabwe in the north, Namibia in the northwest, and Mozambique and Swaziland in the northeast. The Kingdom of Lesotho is located on the territory of South Africa as an enclave. Off the coast of South Africa, there is a sea route connecting Europe with the oil-rich countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The Republic of South Africa is an economic giant on the scale of the African continent. The country has a large agricultural sector and exports 142 species of vegetables and fruits to 40 countries. The service sector brings 51% of national income, and industry - 31%. However, South Africa has become a modern prosperous state thanks to the mining sector: 52% of export earnings come from natural resources.
South Africa is a state with an established market economy, a favorable investment climate, and a reasonable tax policy. This is a country with excellently organized transport and communication services; it is renowned for the clarity and reliability of its banking and insurance business. South Africa has a highly skilled workforce and a large market for relatively cheap labor.
South Africa is one of the top 25 exporters in the world. South African exports in 1997 amounted to $31.3 billion. Incomes from foreign trade reach 50% of GDP, while the volume of exports exceeds the volume of imports.
The main trading partners of South Africa are: Germany - 16%, Great Britain - 12%, USA - 11%, as well as Japan, France, Italy and Canada, and the turnover of foreign trade with these countries is increasing.
1.3. geopolitical position.
South Africa is one of the founding states of the UN. Until 1961 - a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. In the same year, South Africa joined the Organization of African Unity and the Southern African Development Community.
From the early 1960s until 1994, the role of South Africa in the activities of the UN was very limited, since most UN members sharply condemned the policy of apartheid and the maintenance of South African control over Namibia until 1990, contrary to UN resolutions.
In 1963, the UN Security Council called for an arms embargo in South Africa, and in 1977 adopted a special resolution obliging all UN members to comply with this embargo. In 1974, the UN General Assembly decided to temporarily suspend South Africa's membership in the UN.
In relations with other countries of the subregion in the late 70s-80s, especially with the "front-line" states, the policy of South Africa combined political pressure with the threat of armed aggression, destabilization of the internal situation in neighboring countries, and economic blackmail. The foreign policy of the Government of Pretoria in the subregion, aimed at creating a "buffer zone" at the borders of South Africa, has also drawn the small countries of the region into the sphere of influence. Thus, as an additional instrument of control over the situation in Lesotho, South Africa used the Lesotho Liberation Army, which was in opposition to the government, and whose contingents were deployed on the territory of South Africa. South Africa has repeatedly carried out sabotage and terrorist actions against Swaziland and Lesotho in order to capture ANC and PAK activists. The economic destabilization in the region had a negative impact on the situation in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, and Malawi. In 1986-1987 Along with waging an undeclared war against Angola, South Africa carried out aggressive actions against Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
South Africa's relations with non-African countries focused on two main areas. One of them is the development of cooperation with states whose political and economic interests did not interfere with maintaining ties with South Africa. These included primarily Israel, Chile, Paraguay, Taiwan, and South Korea. The most important place in this group of countries was assigned to Israel. Since the late 1960s, South Africa has increasingly used its ties with this state to overcome its growing isolation in the world community, especially with regard to the supply of weapons and advanced technologies.
The second, extremely important area of South Africa's foreign policy was relations with the leading Western powers, primarily with the United States of America, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Japan, which were its main trade and economic partners. South Africa, which is the most important source of gold and strategic raw materials for the world market, was of paramount importance for the West.
With the growth of the South African conflict, relations between the West and the "third world" became more complicated. Open defense of the system of racial inequality that existed in South Africa became increasingly difficult for the West, including as a result of a broad international campaign against apartheid, which involved many social movements and non-governmental organizations in North America and Western Europe.
In an effort to weaken the apartheid regime, in the mid-1980s, domestic opposition to the racist regime and its supporters in Western democracies called for the UN to impose tough economic sanctions against South Africa, including such measures as restricting trade ties and withdrawing investment funds. A number of intergovernmental organizations have joined the sanctions, including the European Community and the Commonwealth of Nations. The EU countries, Canada and the US imposed these sanctions, despite the stubborn resistance of some political forces, in particular, the Republican Party in the US and the Conservative Party in the UK.
Economic sanctions had a strong psychological impact on South Africa's white rulers and contributed to the country's gradual transition to a multi-racial democratic society in the early 1990s. As this transition progressed in 1992-1994, the sanctions were gradually lifted.
Since 1994, due to objective conditions, South Africa has become the leading political and economic regional power in southern Africa. South Africa supported the holding of ceasefire negotiations in Angola, Mozambique and Congo.
One of the main and new directions of South Africa's foreign policy in the early 1990s was the establishment of official contacts with the Soviet Union, and later with Russia and other CIS members. Throughout South Africa's history, the anti-communist course has been a characteristic feature of its foreign policy activities.
For its part, the Soviet Union, breaking off consular relations with South Africa in the 1950s, invariably pursued a policy of condemning the apartheid regime, provided political and military-political assistance to the forces of national liberation in southern Africa, and actively supported anti-racist and anti-colonial tendencies in world politics.
In February 1991, an agreement was signed between the USSR and South Africa on the creation in Moscow and Pretoria, at the embassies of Austria, of sections of interests of the two countries. On February 28, 1992, Russia and South Africa established diplomatic relations between themselves. 3 The establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and South Africa was actively promoted by the Russia-South Africa Society, which develops business, scientific and cultural relations at the non-governmental level. Despite the difficulties in both countries, relations between them have entered a stage characterized by the desire for cooperation on an equal and mutually beneficial basis, as evidenced by the signing in October 1993 of an agreement on trade and economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Africa.
In 1994, South Africa again became a full member of the United Nations.
1.4. Political structure
Flag of South Africa
The flag of South Africa, introduced in 1994, is a banner with red and blue horizontal stripes and a black equilateral triangle at the hoist.
They are separated from each other by wide green stripes in the form of the Latin letter "Y", superimposed by a fork to the shaft and delimited from the black triangle by thin yellow stripes, and from the red and blue stripes by thin white stripes.
The new coat of arms of South Africa. Official description.
The role of the new coat of arms of South Africa
The new coat of arms replaces the old one, which has been the coat of arms of South Africa since 1910. The replacement of the old coat of arms with the new one reflects the government's desire to emphasize the democratic transformations in the country and rethink the old understanding of patriotism.
Appearance of the new coat of arms.
The new coat of arms of South Africa is a series of elements enclosed in two separate circles, located one above the other.
The first element is the Motto, in a green semicircle. The circle is closed by two symmetrically arranged pairs of elephant tusks directed upwards. Inside the circle formed by the tusks are two symmetrical ears of wheat, which in turn form a golden shield in the center of the circle.
The shape of the shield resembles a drum. It depicts two human figures from the cave paintings of the Khoisan tribe.
These figures are facing each other, hands joined in greeting. Above the shield, a spear and a scepter are located crosswise, forming a single whole.
Directly above the base circle is the visual center of the coat of arms, the proteus. Protea petals have a triangular shape, which resembles the products of African folk craftsmen. The secretary bird is located above the protea, and the flower forms its breast. The wings of the bird are spread and raised in a stately gesture. Feathers crown her regal and all-seeing head.
Between the wings of the bird are the rays of the rising sun, closing the upper circle. The upper and lower circles intersect, forming an inextricable and endless line.
Symbolism of the new coat of arms
Motto "!ke e: /xarra //ke" , written in the Khoisan language of the people, literally means: "various people unite". On the one hand, it symbolizes the unity of human thoughts and actions. On the other hand, he calls on all the people to unite on the basis of a sense of belonging to one nation and national pride - Unity in difference.
ears of corn - Being an emblem of fertility, they symbolize the process of birth, growth and healthy development. They are a reminder that people should not experience hunger and symbolize the agricultural use of the land.
human figures the shield reproduces images on the Linton Stone, a world-famous example of South African rock art, now in the South African Museum in Cape Town.
Khoisan, the most ancient inhabitants of our country, symbolize our common belonging to the South African nation. The people depicted on the shield greet each other, which implies unity.
flight of the secretary bird symbolizes the natural relationship between growth and speed. This is the king of birds, as the lion is the king of beasts. The strong legs of this bird, represented on the coat of arms with a scepter and a spear, serve it when hunting snakes, which symbolizes the protection of the country from enemies. The secretary bird is the messenger of heaven, bringing their blessing to earth. In this sense, it is a symbol of Divine majesty. Her raised wings - the emblem of the growing power of the nation - take our people under their protection. The color of the secretary bird is gold, which symbolizes its connection with the sun and higher power.
The sun - the emblem of radiance, splendor and the highest principles of energy - symbolizes rebirth, the ability to think, knowledge, justice and willpower. The sun is a symbol of the source of life, light and the indissoluble unity of all mankind.
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Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus
Belarusian State University
Faculty of International Relations
Department of International Tourism
Course work
in the discipline "Socio-economic geography of foreign countries"
"Socio-economic situation of the Republic of South Africa"
1st year student
Department of Customs
Safonenko N. A.
Supervisor:
Senior Lecturer of the Department of International Tourism
Poleshchuk N.I.
Minsk
2010
Content
Introduction……………………..……………………………. .............................. ....3
Chapter 1. General characteristics, characteristics of the resources and population of South Africa
1.1 “Business card”……………………….………………………………………..4
1.2 Form of the State……………………………………………………………..5
1.3 Economic and geographical position of the country ..........................................................6
1.4 Economic assessment of natural conditions and resources…………………. 6
1.5 Population geography……………………………………………………… . 8
Chapter 2. Economic characteristics of South Africa
2.1 General characteristics of the economic complex of the country……..……..1 2
2.2 Geography of means of communication and transport…… ………………………... 17
2.3 Foreign economic relations of the country…………………………………… 18
Conclusion …………..……………………………………………….………22
References…………………………………………………………...24
Appendix………................. ............................. ..................................................................25
Introduction
The Republic of South Africa is a state located at the southern tip of the African continent. In the north it borders on Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, in the northeast on Mozambique and Swaziland. The state of Lesotho is completely surrounded by the territory of South Africa. South Africa is one of the most developed countries on the African continent. The country has rich mineral resources, and is also the most economically developed on the continent and has a relatively strong global position. Thanks to the mining of diamonds and gold, the South African economy is flourishing, and infrastructure and services are at a fairly high level. Today, South Africa is one of the most promising markets among all third world countries. South Africa is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Africa, and has the largest proportion of white, Indian and mixed populations on the continent. The object of study of the course work is the regional economy of South Africa. The relevance of the work lies in the fact that South Africa can become an important partner for many countries in the future. The Republic of South Africa is currently an actively developing country with a high economic potential, since after the abolition of apartheid, the international community removed barriers, and in South Africa, for a long time isolated from the world community, a flow of investments and technologies began to flow. The purpose of the work: to determine the place of South Africa in the global economy. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: - give a natural and economic assessment of natural conditions and resources; - to study the socio-economic situation of the population; - assess the economic complex of the country; - to characterize the non-manufacturing sphere of South Africa; - to analyze the foreign economic relations of South Africa.
- General characteristics, characteristics of resources and population of South Africa
Basic information about South Africa
The Republic of South Africa (SAR) is the most highly developed state in Africa. South Africa belongs to the type of countries of resettlement capitalism, the distinguishing feature of which is the transfer to new, colonized lands of the forms of economic organization that have developed in the metropolis.
Geographic coordinates: 29° 00'S sh., 24 ° 00' in. d.;
area: 1,219,090 km ?. Includes the Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island);
land borders: 4750 km;
the length of borders with neighboring states: with Botswana 1,840 km, with Lesotho 909 km, with Mozambique 491 km, with Namibia 855 km, with Swaziland 430 km, with Zimbabwe 225 km;
coastline: 2798 km (in the west of South Africa it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the south and east by the Indian Ocean);
maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean - 0 m; Mount Njesuthi -3,408 m;
capital: Pretoria. Note: Cape Town is the center of the legislative power, Bloemfontein is the center of the judiciary. The population of Pretoria - 1.8 million people, Cape Town - 3.5 million people, Bloemfontein - 500 thousand people;
population: about 47 million people;
population density: 37 people. per km?;
In terms of HDI, South Africa ranks 110th in the world and is a country with a medium level of human development.
1.2 Shape of the state
According to the Constitution of the country, adopted by the Parliament on May 8, 1996, South Africa is a unitary republic with elements of federalism. The 9 provinces that make up the country (KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Gdateng, Free State, Orange Northern Province and North Western Province) are endowed with extensive powers, including legislative autonomy. Legislative power at the national level is vested in a bicameral Parliament, consisting of the National Council of Provinces (upper house, 90 people elected by 10 from each provincial legislature) and the National Assembly (lower house, 400 people elected on the basis of proportional representation). Joint sessions of both chambers of Parliament form the Constitutional Assembly. The term of office of the National Assembly is 5 years. The head of state and government (executive power), as well as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the President. He is elected by the National Assembly from among its members for a term of 5 years. No one can be President more than 2 times. The current president of South Africa is Jacob Zuma. The highest court is the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice. The Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal, provincial and local courts. Each district and district within the province has a magistrate's court with clear jurisdiction in criminal and civil matters. Each of the nine provinces has its own legislature with between 30 and 100 members, depending on population. They are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation. The provincial legislature has the power to draft a provincial constitution, which must comply with the basic principles of the country's constitution, and to elect a prime minister, the head of government. The African National Congress of South Africa is the country's leading party. Other parties: National Party, Conservative Party, Democratic Party, South African Communist Party, etc. South Africa is a member of the UN (since 1945), OAU (since 1994).
1.3 Economic and geographical position of the country
South Africa occupies a middle position between developing and developed countries, it is rich in resources, has a well-developed legal system, financial, communications, energy and transport sectors, a stock exchange, which is among the ten largest in the world, and a modern infrastructure that ensures efficient exchange of goods between the main centers of the region. However, economic growth was not enough to eliminate unemployment of 28% of the working-age population and the menacing economic problems inherited from the apartheid era, especially poverty and the lack of economic opportunities for the poor. In early 2000, President MBEKI pledged to stimulate economic growth and encourage foreign investment by easing the restrictions imposed by labor laws that also prevent government spending from being cut.
Relative to other countries of Black Africa, South Africa occupies a leading position in economic development. It accounts for 40% of GDP, half of the generated electricity and 95% of the exported finished products of the African continent.
The government is pursuing a policy of actively attracting foreign investment. Since 2000, a program of privatization of state property has been implemented, measures are being taken to reduce government spending, since at the moment they exceed revenues. More than half of government revenue comes from income tax and corporate income tax. 34% of government revenue comes from value added tax and excises.
1.4 Economic assessment of natural conditions and resources
Industry Development Resources
The strong position of South Africa in the world market is determined primarily by the richness of its subsoil. The mining industry plays an important role in the industrial structure of South Africa. This most important industry is distinguished by the extraction of uranium, coal, platinum group metals, diamonds, iron ore, manganese, vanadium, chromites, but gold remains the most strategically important product for South Africa. ? all miners are employed precisely in gold mining. South Africa is the world's largest gold producer, accounting for about 30% of the country's exports.
Gold is mainly mined in the Orange province. In many states, and there are about 50 of them, gold is mined along with uranium. In the second half of the 20th century, when the price of gold was high, South Africa mined up to 1,000 tons of precious metal per year, but by the beginning of the 21st century, following the fall in prices, gold mining also seriously decreased.
South Africa is also one of the world's largest producers and exporters of natural diamonds. More than 10% of diamonds in the world market are mined in South Africa. The Republic of South Africa ranks 7th in the world in terms of coal reserves. Low-grade coals are processed into liquid fuel, which compensates for the lack of own oil in South Africa. Coal is exported to 36 countries of the world.
The main forestry zone is the southern part of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Natural forests occupy 180,000 hectares, that is, only 0.14% of the country's territory. Most of the commercial wood comes from forest plantations, which cover only 1% of the territory of South Africa. Approximately half of the forest "plantations" are planted with pine, 40% with eucalyptus and 10% with mimosa. Yellow and ebony, Cape laurel, assegai and camassi are also grown. Trees reach marketable condition in an average of 20 years - in contrast to trees growing in the Northern Hemisphere, where this process lasts from 80 to 100 years. The annual volume of wood entering the market is 17 million cubic meters. More than 240 woodworking and timber industry enterprises operate in South Africa.
The inland waters of the country are scarce, and the problem of water resources is very acute. The total flow of all rivers is 52 billion m?, that is, about the same as the Rhine carries in the Rotterdam region. Of great economic importance is the Orange River with its tributary Vaal, which crosses the most important economic regions. Underground sources are widely used, as well as sea water is desalinated.
Conditions for agricultural activities
Agricultural productivity in South Africa is low by world standards. This is partly due to primitive methods of cultivating the land. Other factors are soil erosion and insufficient rainfall. Only 12-15% of the land is cultivated in the country, only 10% of them are highly fertile, but even fertile lands are subject to sudden floods and washout of the fertile layer. Soil erosion has reached its greatest extent in the former bantustans. In agricultural areas, droughts are not uncommon, the main reason for unstable harvests in some years. Most of the Central Plateau is short grass steppe, or grassy veld. However, vast areas of this once fertile steppe have been disturbed by severe overgrazing for more than a century, as well as severe erosion caused by ill-conceived crop cultivation. The subsequent degradation of agriculture in this area was accompanied by the penetration of economically low-value plants into the grassy weld.
Recreational resources
The favorable climate of South Africa, its magnificent sea beaches and recreation areas are of great interest to tourists. This country also attracts many attractions, including: the National Park, the House-Museum of the first president of the country, Paulus Kruger, the beautiful zoo - in Pretoria, Fort Fredericks (1799), the aquarium - in Port Elizabeth, the castle built by the Dutch (1665 g.), the Old Town Hall (1755), the Reformed Church in Cape Town (1669), etc. Every year, about 7 million tourists visit South Africa. Until the early 90s, when the country was ruled by a white minority regime, only the most desperate adventurers dared to visit it. But with the weakening of the apartheid system, the flow of foreign visitors began to grow rapidly. The traditional hospitality of the local population and accommodation that meets international standards, with its relative cheapness, are very attractive to tourists. Foreign capital actively contributes to the rapid expansion of the tourism industry.
1.5 Population geography
Formation of the modern population. Its racial, ethnic and national composition.
The most numerous race is blacks (79%). The indigenous people of South Africa are the Bushmen and the Huttentots. They inhabited the territory of South Africa long before the appearance of other peoples there. The largest South African nation today is the Zulu, or Zulus (10 million people). Also large in number are the Xoza (7.2 million people), northern and southern Sothos (6 million people), Tsavana (3 million people), Tsonga (1.8 million people), Swazi (1. 2 million people), Ndebele (0.6 million people), Venda (0.9 million people).
The second largest group of peoples inhabiting South Africa are whites (about 4.6 million people - 9.1% of the population). They live mainly in large cities. There are two main groups of the white population of South Africa - Afrikaners and Anglophones. Afrikaners are descendants of Dutch settlers. The Afrikaner language is Afrikaans. Anglophones are Africans of British origin. The language is South African English. A significant number of descendants of other nationalities live in South Africa: 600 thousand Portuguese, 80 thousand Greeks, 60 thousand Italians, 7 thousand French. The Jewish community is 120 thousand people.
The third largest group of South Africans - mulattos and mestizos - "colored" (4 million people). Most of them are descendants of slaves brought to South Africa over many centuries ..
A special group is made up of Indians (about 1 million people) - the descendants of Indians who arrived in 1860 to work on sugar canes. Most of them still live in KwaZulu Natal. They are mainly engaged in trade.
South Africa has 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebe, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhoza, Zulu.
The most common religion is Christianity (77% of the population), predominantly Protestantism. 19.8% of the population are adherents of traditional cults. 3.2% are adherents of such religions as Hinduism, Islam, Judaism.
Vital movement of the population
The total population of South Africa is 44 million people. Population estimates should take into account the high mortality rate, especially among newborns, and low life expectancy. The birth rate in 2007 was 17.9‰ and the death rate was 22.4‰. The average life expectancy is about 48 years. However, for the white population, this figure is much higher. Child mortality: 6 cases per 100 newborns.
Sex and age composition of the population
The age structure of the population: up to 14 years old - 29.1%, from 15 to 64 people - 65.5%, over 65 years old - 5.4% (2007 data).
Sex ratio. The number of male population under 1 year old is related to the number of female population of the same age as 102 to 100. In other words, the number of male and female births is approximately equal. At the age of up to 15 years, the ratio changes slightly: there are 101 girls for every 100 boys. In the age period from 15 to 64, the number of men decreases: for every 100 women, there are 93 men.
Migrations
The Republic of South Africa, as the richest country on the continent, has long been a center of attraction for migrants, mainly from Mozambique, Angola and other neighboring countries. The main number of migrants was employed in the coal mining industry. After the South African policy of reducing dependence on labor migrants, the share of foreign workers in the total number of all workers employed in the coal industry decreased from 77% to 40% in the period from 1970 to 1980. In recent years, the influx of unregistered labor migrants from neighboring states has increased. In the past, due to immigration, there was an increase in the European and Asian population in South Africa, but since the 1960s. outside inflows have declined. In the 1990s the positive balance of migrations was 5-6 thousand people per year. Migrants from poorer countries are valuable to employers in that they accept lower wages than local workers. Farmers willingly hire foreigners to work on harvesting. Zambians are invited to the position of employees, who are well trained in economic specialties in their country. At the moment, the number of illegal migrants in South Africa, according to various estimates, ranges from 2 to 8 million people.
The current problem in South Africa is high unemployment among unskilled workers. From this it should be obvious that South Africa does not need unskilled personnel. In South Africa, there is an acute shortage of workers in such a profile as a radio technician, programmer, car mechanic, adjusters and assemblers of various equipment, people who can simply use a computer. However, many whites immigrate from the country due to the presence of crime. Official statistics do not provide information on racial composition. emigrants, but various studies suggest that whites leave South Africa only slightly more readily than blacks. Most African countries will find it difficult to attract specialists from abroad. But South Africa, with its developed economy, undoubtedly has a much better chance in the international labor market.
Urbanization and rural areas
The process of industrialization entailed a rapid increase in the urban population in the post-war years. Mining centers are growing, both the old ones - the cities of the Witwatersrand and the new ones: Phalaborwa, Saishen, Priska, etc. They owe their rapid growth to a large extent to the immigration of the African and "colored" population. A significant number of Africans living in cities and industrial centers are temporary residents who, when they lose their ability to work or the end of their contract, return to where they came from.
South Africa is dominated by small towns with a population of 2,000 to 10,000 people. According to existing legislation, cities here are considered to be all settlements that have local city government in one form or another. Among the main shortcomings of the current urban development in South Africa are the low building density, the predominance of free-standing buildings and the presence of large land reserves between them. According to statistics, at the moment 51% of the population lives in cities and 49% in rural areas. In agriculture, about 1.4 million black laborers are hired annually by white farmers, whose working day lasts 12-17 hours a day, and wages do not provide a living wage.
Labor resources and employment of the population
According to the 2006 census, the unemployment rate in South Africa was 34%. Most of the unemployed were in the provinces of the Northern Cape and Northern (over 45%), the least - in the Western Cape (18%). Unemployment rates vary widely across racial groups. The black unemployment rate was 52.4% for women and 34.1% for men, with an average of 42.5%. In comparison, unemployment rates among other racial groups ranged from 4.2% for white men to 24.1% for women of color. Of the almost 44 million inhabitants of South Africa, more than 15 million are self-employed. Its number increases annually by approximately 2.5%. Since 1973, the number of jobs has been steadily declining. The number of people employed in the mining industry and retail trade is rapidly declining. Some growth in the number of jobs occurs in the manufacturing industry and the trade in vehicles.
Conclusion:
The Republic of South Africa occupies a middle position between developing and developed countries. Not the most favorable conditions for agriculture are compensated by the richness of the subsoil. South Africa can be called a multi-ethnic state, since quite a lot of nationalities live on its territory. Regarding the age structure of the population, it can be said that the death rate exceeds the birth rate. Thus, the population is aging. More than a third of the working-age population is unemployed, which indicates a low standard of living.
2. Economic characteristics of South Africa
- General characteristics of the economic complex of the country
Recently, one can observe an improvement in the position of South Africa in the field of finance. In 2000, the South African budget deficit was 8.6% of GDP, and in 2004 it was only 3.3%, which is a good achievement even by the standards of the world's leading countries. The economy is also characterized by an extremely low level of public debt - about 6% of GDP, low defense spending - about 3.5% of GDP, and at the same time growing spending on education (6.5% of GDP) and healthcare (3.3% of GDP). If the positive balance of South Africa in foreign trade operations was about 4.2 billion dollars in 2000, then in 2004 it was already 6.7 billion dollars. duty-free access to the US market and other developed countries. The absence of quotas for the import of textile and industrial equipment contributed to the re-equipment of South African enterprises. The flow of foreign investment to South Africa has increased. The United States is the largest foreign investor in the South African economy.
The GDP of South Africa in 2008 amounted to 506.1 billion US dollars. The share of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in GDP is 3%, industry - 30% (manufacturing - 20%), services - 67%.
Rice. 1. GDP of South Africa. 2008
The volume of GDP per capita is about 10,000 thousand dollars a year. For comparison, the largest per capita GDP is $81,000 (Liechtenstein) and the smallest is less than $200 (Zimbabwe). In Belarus, GDP per capita is over $12,000 per year.
The structure of the economic complex
When characterizing the sectoral structure of the economy, its division into three sectors is widely used: primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary sector of the economy includes industries related to the use of natural conditions and resources: agriculture and forestry, fishing, and extractive industries. The secondary sector covers all sectors of the manufacturing industry and construction. The tertiary sector includes service industries.
Of the 47 million people in South Africa, only 18 million are able to work. Unemployed - 23% (in 2008). 65% of the working population is employed in the service sector, 26% in industry, 9% in agriculture (in 2008).
Agriculture.Despite the relatively unfavorable conditions for agriculture, South Africa almost completely satisfies its needs for agricultural products. This industry plays a significant role in South Africa's export trade. Agriculture is represented by two sharply different sectors: large high-commodity farms (more than 1000 hectares in size), plantations owned by Europeans, and primitive African farms in bantustans. The African sector accounts for only 1/10 of the harvest of grain and livestock.
Cultivated land makes up about 10% of the territory of South Africa and is located mainly in the coastal regions of the country. Most of these lands need artificial irrigation. In crop production, the main crops grown are corn (9.9 million tons) and wheat (2.5 million tons). Corn, along with sorghum, is the main food crop for Africans. Wheat is grown only on white farms. In terms of wheat harvest, South Africa occupies a leading position in Africa. Peanuts (100 thousand tons), sunflower (600 thousand tons), cotton and tobacco are also grown in significant volumes. South Africa is also a major producer of sugar cane (about 20 million tons per year). Vegetable growing, horticulture and viticulture are quite well developed. Floriculture is important. Using air transport, South Africa delivers flowers to European markets.
In the structure of animal husbandry, the central place belongs to extensive pasture sheep breeding. In terms of the number of sheep, South Africa ranks 1st in Africa and 8th in the world. More than 75% of wool is exported (4th place in the world). The goat population in South Africa is represented mainly by the Angora breed, and the country produces 40 to 45% of the world's wool.
Meat and dairy farming is typical of the Transvaal and the Orange province, and suburban dairy farming has also developed here. The number of cattle - 12 million, pigs - about 1.5 million.
Industrial plantations give 16.5 million m? forests, which fully meets the country's needs for wood and lumber.
Fishing is especially active along the west coast (more than 90% of the catch), 80% of the products are exported in canned or frozen form. The total catch is about 0.5 tons per year. In addition to fish, shrimp, lobsters, lobsters, oysters, and octopuses are also caught.
Industry . The manufacturing industry in South Africa has a diversified structure. The leading industries are ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, the textile industry, brewing and winemaking, as well as a diverse food industry, but only a small part of the products of South African enterprises is sold outside of South Africa. South Africa also occupies a prominent place among the exporters of various types of weapons.
The branch of ferrous metallurgy uses its own resources and fuel and is represented by plants in Pretoria, Newcastle, etc. Various modern technologies have been introduced into production. It manufactures metal rods and reinforcement, reinforced plates and corrugated steel, shaped steel and chain ropes, high-quality special alloys, high-carbon steel and precision casting. The largest company in the industry is the Iron and Steel Corporation. It supplies its products to all continents. Its production capacity is over 5 million tons of steel per year.
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POPULATION: About 42.7 million people, Africans (76% - Zulu, Xhosa, etc.), Mestizos (9%), immigrants from Europe, mainly Afrikaners (Boers) and British (13%).
GEOGRAPHY: State in southern Africa. In the north it borders on Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland, in the eastern part of the country is the kingdom of Lesotho. In the east and south it is washed by the Indian Ocean, in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The total area is 1.22 million sq. km.
CLIMATE: Tropical and subtropical. The average temperature in January is from +18 C to +27 C, in July - from +7 C to +10 C. Precipitation varies from 60 mm on the coast, 650 mm on the plateau to 2000 mm on the eastern slopes of the Dragon Mountains.
LANGUAGE: In South Africa, 11 languages of various nationalities and ethnic groups inhabiting the country are approved as state languages. However, two are most common: English and Afrikaans - a corruption of Dutch. For tourists, English is quite enough, which is spoken by the majority of the population.
CURRENCY: The South African rand is equal to 100 cents.
RELIGION: Mostly Christians and adherents of local traditional beliefs.
POLITICAL STATUS: Republic with a presidential form of government.
TIME: 1 hour behind Moscow.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS: National parks Kruger, Kalahari-Gemsbok, Kagga-Khama and other numerous nature reserves and reserves guarantee encounters with elephants, rhinoceroses, buffaloes, lions and leopards, hunting outside the reserves for large ungulates. At the same time, you can admire penguins and fur seals nearby. The Dragon Mountains and the Veld are unique, which are both a natural monument and a mountain resort, the center of skiing in Africa. In Durban, a fashionable resort city famous for its oriental bazaars, golden beaches and the nearby seaside of the Indian Ocean, there are the best places for recreation, spearfishing, surfing and other active forms of recreation in all of Africa. Cape Town (founded in 1652) - one of the best botanical gardens in the world, George Avenue filled with artists and craftsmen, old Dutch mansions, magnificent buildings of the Victorian era, numerous monuments and museums, symbol of the city - Table Mountain, safari to the Kagga reservation -Khama. From Cape Town begins the famous "Garden Route" - "Garden Route" - one of the most beautiful sightseeing routes in the world. Johannesburg: a diamond factory where you can buy diamonds right after cutting, the largest multi-storey shopping center in Africa - Sandton, "Market Square" - one of the grandest markets in Africa, Kimberley: in the very center of this city-museum is the "Great Hole "- the world's largest man-made vertical well, which marked the beginning of the "diamond fever" at the beginning of the century, for a small fee, you can try to find a diamond on your own. Mosselby and Richards Bay are large ports and resort towns, between which a chain of parvoclass hotels and beaches stretches along the coast.
ENTRY RULES: Russian citizens are required to have an entry visa, if you also intend to visit Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or one of the neighboring Kingdoms of South Africa, you need to have a double or multiple entry visa.
CUSTOMS REGULATIONS: the amount of currency imported into the country is not limited, it is not necessary to declare the hard currency you have with you when entering and leaving. Throughout South Africa, credit cards are in use. You have the right to export any amount of goods purchased in the country duty-free. For the export of skins of wild animals, permission from the state veterinary service is required. For the transport of weapons, it is necessary to obtain a license at the border crossing point for a period of 180 days and then renew it at police stations inside the country.
