South Africa
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South Africa, on the continent's southern tip, is washed by the
Atlantic Ocean on the west and by the Indian Ocean on the south and
east. Its neighbours are Namibia in the north west, Zimbabwe and
Botswana in the north, and Mozambique and Swaziland in the
northeast. The kingdom of Lesotho forms an enclave within the
south-eastern part of South Africa.
The Dutch East India Company landed the first European settlers
on the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, launching a colony that by the
end of the eighteenth century numbered only about 15,000. However,
Britain took permanent possession in 1814. In 1910 the Union of
South Africa was formed. And in 1961, independence from Britain was
gained as the Republic of South Africa came into being.
Despite huge resource wealth, the policy of Apartheid (racial
separation) meant that huge inequalities within the population came
to exist the whites and the coloureds (in South Africa the term
meant any non-white person). New issues have replaced the racist
policy in inhibiting greater development in South Africa.
Contact our
Southern Africa program office.
Development Issues
Socio-economic issues
Health issues
Environmental issues
Socio-economic issues
In the period since 1994 South Africa has evolved into a vibrant
democracy with a model constitution and a growing economy. Yet, the
democratically elected government is still faced with the major
socio-economic challenges of persistent high unemployment, poverty
and large wealth disparities. Thus despite its relatively large
economy its Human Development Index ranking in 2004 was 121st (of
the 177 countries included) and only fourth in sub-Saharan
Africa.
A further and related legacy of the Apartheid era that remains
is the low skill level of the South African labour force (as a
result of a majority of the population lacking access to education
during that era) thereby reducing the effectiveness and efficiency
of the South African economy.
Health issues
Both economic and human development progress in South Africa are
also being hampered by the high incidence of HIV/AIDS. South Africa
has a very high HIV prevalence rate of approximately 18.8 per cent
(of all people aged 15-49). In fact it is estimated that there are
over 5.5 million people in South Africa living with HIV. Further,
it is also estimated that in South Africa there are 1.2 million
orphans under the age of 18 as a result of HIV/AIDS. Of those
living with HIV only 21 per cent are receiving antiretroviral
therapy and only 14.6 per cent of pregnant women are receiving
treatment to reduce mother-to-child transmission.
The reduction of life expectancy, diminished productivity, and
increasing burdens on social welfare arising from the problem of
HIV/AIDS looks set to continue to plague South Africa's
development.
For up-to-date statistics on the above information, please refer
to the following sites:
UNAIDS page on South Africa
Environmental issues
South Africa faces problems endemic to industrialising
countries, many of which contribute to environmental degradation
and loss of biodiversity. These problems include deforestation,
rapid population growth and urbanization. South Africa's thirst for
water is currently outpacing supply. As a result increased strain
is being put on rivers and lakes. Further, these rivers as well as
ground water sources are being polluted by agricultural runoff,
urban discharge and leaks at refineries and synthetic fuel plants.
Additionally, South Africa's reliance on coal for electricity
contributes to large-scale water and air pollution, including
significant carbon dioxide emissions. Soil erosion and
desertification are also major problems facing South Africa.
South Africa was ranked 93rd on the Environmental Sustainability
Index (ESI) in 2005. The areas of main environmental concern
identified in the ESI were reducing air quality, reducing waste and
consumption, reducing water stress and greenhouse gas
emissions.
The above information was sourced from the following
sites:
Energy Information Administration's South African Profile
CIA World Factbook page on South Africa