Southern Africa.

GMT + 2.

1,219,192 sq km (470,693 sq miles).

49.1 million (2009 estimate).

41 per sq km.

Pretoria (administrative). Population: 1.3 million (2007). Cape Town (legislative). Population: 3.4 million (2007). Bloemfontein (judicial). Population: 400,000 (2006).

The Republic of South Africa lies at the southern end of the African continent, bounded by the South Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. It totally encloses the independent kingdom of Lesotho, and shares its northern borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland.

South Africa has three major geographical regions, namely plateau, mountains and the low-lying coastal belt. The vast, high plateau of the interior has sharp escarpments which rise above the plains, or veld. Despite two major river systems, the Limpopo and the Orange, most of the plateau lacks surface water. The mountainous regions that run close to the coastline from the Cape of Good Hope to the Limpopo Valley in the northeast of the country are split into the Drakensberg, Nuweveldberg and Stormberg ranges. The west coast is arid, while the south and southeast coasts are semi-arid, with a narrow belt of low vegetation fringed by sandy beaches and rocky coves. In the subtropical northeast, long sandy beaches are interspersed with lush wetlands and coastal forests.

South Africa is organised into nine provinces. These comprise the Western Cape with its capital Cape Town; the Eastern Cape with its capital Bisho and the major city of Port Elizabeth; the Northern Cape with its capital Kimberley; KwaZulu-Natal with its capital Pietermaritzburg and the major city of Durban; the Free State with its capital Bloemfontein; the North West Province with its capital Mafikeng and the major city of Potchefstroom; Limpopo with its capital Polokwane; Mpumalanga with its capital Nelspruit; and Gauteng with its capital Johannesburg. Northern Cape, in the far northwest of the country, is by far the largest and most sparsely populated province; Gauteng, landlocked in the northeast, is the smallest and most densely populated.

Republic. Gained partial independence from the UK in 1910 and was declared a republic in 1961.

President Jacob Zuma since 2009.

South Africa's first genuinely inclusive national election, in 1994, brought the African National Congress (ANC) to power, with Nelson Mandela as President. Leading South Africa through the first five years of the post-apartheid era, Mandela earned great international respect for his nation-building policies. He retired in mid-1999 and was succeeded by Thabo Mbeki, who was re-elected in 2004.

Mbeki's administration struggled with two major domestic problems - violent crime and an HIV-AIDS pandemic. After much stalling, in early 2007 Mbeki launched a R45 billion action plan to provide treatment and support to those living with HIV-AIDS. Meanwhile his refusal to take remedial action over deteriorating political conditions in neighbouring Zimbabwe attracted widespread criticism.

Mbeki resigned in September 2008 over claims of political interference in a corruption case against the president of the ANC, Jacob Zuma. Kgalema Motlanthe, deputy president of the ANC and a close ally of Zuma, was named caretaker president. ANC leader Jacob Zuma was elected in April 2009.

The official languages are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.

Around two thirds of South Africans profess Christianity of some form and belong to Catholic, Anglican and other protestant denominations, Afrikaner Dutch Reformed churches or African independent churches. There are also significant Hindu, Muslim and Jewish communities. Traditional African beliefs are practised widely, sometimes in conjunction with Christianity.

220/230 volts AC, 50Hz, except Pretoria (230 volts AC) and Port Elizabeth (200/250 volts AC). Three-pin round plugs are in use.

Handshaking is the usual form of greeting. Normal courtesies should be shown when visiting someone's home. Casual wear is widely acceptable. Formal social functions occasionally call for a dinner jacket and black tie for men and full-length dresses for women; this will be specified on the invitation. Smoking is prohibited in public buildings and on public transport; restaurants have enclosed or outdoor smoking sections.