South Africa at a Glance

Country: Republic of South Africa
Government: Republic
Population: 49,052,489
Area: 1,219,090 km²; approx. twice the size of Texas
Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Major language(s): IsiZulu (23.8%), IsiXhosa (17.6%), Afrikaans (13.3%), Sepedi (9.4%), English (8.2%)
Major religion(s): Zion Christian (11.1%), Pentecostal (8.2%), Catholic (7.1%), Methodist( 6.8%), other Christian (36%)
Capital & population: Pretoria (executive capital); 2.3 million
Monetary unit: ZAR (South Africa Rands)