South Africa Geography 1997

Location Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent 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 : 4,750 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 855 km,Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

Coastline 2,798 km

Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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: 10%
permanent crops : 1%
permanent pastures: 67%
forests and woodland: 7%
other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 12,700 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards prolonged droughts

Environment - current issues lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive waterconservation and control measures; growth in water usage threatens to outpacesupply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge;air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, EndangeredSpecies, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, NuclearTest Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surroundsSwaziland

NOTE: The information regarding South Africa on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of South Africa Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about South Africa Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.