| SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT STATS: |
| Top Stats |
| | All Stats |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Administrative divisions
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape |
|
Capital city > Geographic coordinates
|
25 42 S, 28 13 E |
|
|
Constitution
10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 4 February 1997 |
|
Corruption
|
4.5 |
|
[46th of 160]
|
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address
P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 |
Executive branch > Cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the president |
Executive branch > Chief of state
President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 25 September 2008); Executive Deputy President Baleka MBETE (since 25 September 2008); note - Thabo MBEKI resigned as president effective 25 September 2008; the president is both the chief of state and head of government |
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 |
|
Government type
|
republic |
|
|
Independence
31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared) 27 April 1994 (majority rule) |
Judicial branch
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts |
Legal system
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note - following the implementation of the new constitution on 4 February 1997, the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution |
|
Parliamentary seats > Female
|
30% |
|
[7th of 143]
|
Political parties and leaders
African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]; African National Congress or ANC [Jacob ZUMA]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE]; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]; New National Party or NNP; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA] |
Status
federal democracy |
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal |
|
Time required to start a business > days
|
35 days
|
|
[89th of 171]
|
|
Trademarks, residents
|
10,334
|
|
[20th of 98]
|
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International
South Africa has placed military along the border to apprehend the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007, South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000), Somalia (20,000), Burundi (6,500), and other states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa |
del.icio.us
There are 1 more (non-authoritative) comments on this page
Feeds |
Contact