Information on South Africa - ZA Travel Connexion South Africa Information General | Aids | Apartheid | Climate | Culture | Currency | Economy | Geography | History | People | Language | Rugby | Food | Golf Clubs | Population | President | Statistics | Weather | Wildlife Cape Town | Durban | Johannesburg Background of South Africa South Africa is famous for its sunny skies and beaches, with good reason, and it has a fantastic diversity of wildlife. People flock to South Africa to bask in the sunshine and go on big game safaris, and the cultural diversity is almost as fascinating as the animals. The growing interest in eco tourism sweeping the world has not forsaken South Africa, which has so much to offer the eco-tourist. Tourism Eco tourism, in the form of safaris, has been popular in South Africa for at least two centuries, and has been going on even longer elsewhere. Safari can mean anything from a short game drive lasting a couple of hours to a full-blown expedition lasting several months. Throughout the 19th century Europe's great naturalists traveled around the continent discovering new animals and plants and giving them their names. The hunters opened up the interior of East and Southern Africa, revealing Africa's bewildering variety of wildlife. In some areas, 4WD vehicle safaris are growing in popularity, and these are available in many different natural environments around the country. For the diving enthusiast there is snorkeling or scuba, not only around the coastline with its coral reefs, rocky shores and scenic shipwrecks, but also in inland waters. There is river rafting, canoeing and kayaking on the beautiful South African rivers, as well as yachting and power boating on sea, lakes and reservoirs. Cycling is popular, and there are many organised events as well as some great trails that may be done by mountain bike, which can be hired locally. Geographic Data Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of Africa Geographic Coordinates: 29 00 S, 24 00 E Map references: Africa Area: 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: slightly less than twice the size of Texas Land boundaries: 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: 2,798 km Maritime claims: 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: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas Land use: arable land: 12.08% Permanent crops: 0.79% Other: 87.13% (2001) Irrigated land: 13,500 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: prolonged droughts © 2005 Document Concept by ZA Travel Connexion Photographs by Peter Ribton Images Accommodation | SiteMap | Photography

Information on South Africa - ZA Travel Connexion