Area: total: 1,219,912 sq km
Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Population: 43,786,115
Ethnic groups: black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% [2001 census]
Languages: IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% [2001 census]
Capital: name: Pretoria [administrative capital]
geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E
time difference: UTC+2 [7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time]
note: Cape Town [legislative capital] Bloemfontein [judicial capital]
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.2%
industry: 31.3%
services: 65.5% [2007 est.]
Labor force: 20.49 million economically active [2007 est.]
Budget: revenues: $68.2 billion
expenditures: $66.7 billion [2007 est.]
Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Industries: mining [world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium], automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
Exports: $76.27 billion f.o.b. [2007 est.]
Exports - commodities: gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
Exports - partners: Japan 12.1%, US 11.8%, UK 9%, Germany 7.6%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4% [2006]
Imports: $82.12 billion f.o.b. [2007 est.]
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Germany 12.6%, China 10%, US 7.6%, Japan 6.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.3%, UK 5% [2006]
Currency (code): rand [ZAR]
Railways: total: 20,872 km
Ports and terminals: Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay