| Geography | South Africa |
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Location:
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Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa |
Geographic coordinates:
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29 00 S, 24 00 E |
Map references:
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Africa |
Area:
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total: 1,219,090 sq km
land: 1,214,470 sq km
water: 4,620 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island) |
Area - comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
Land boundaries:
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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 |
Coastline:
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2,798 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin |
Climate:
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mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights |
Terrain:
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vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m |
Natural resources:
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gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas |
Land use:
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arable land: 12.1%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.11% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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14,980 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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50 cu km (1990) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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1,020 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 12.5 cu km/yr (31%/6%/63%)
per capita: 264 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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prolonged droughts |
Environment - current issues:
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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:
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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 |
Geography - note:
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South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland |
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