South Africa, Republic of, republic and southernmost nation of continental Africa, bordered on the north-west by Namibia; on the north by Botswana and Zimbabwe; on the north-east by Mozambique and Swaziland; on the east and south by the Indian Ocean; and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The independent nation of Lesotho forms an enclave in the eastern part of the nation. South Africa has an area of 1,224,691 sq km (472,731 sq mi). The administrative capital of South Africa is Pretoria, the legislative capital is Cape Town, and the judicial capital is Bloemfontein.

Population
        42,327,458
        (1997 estimate)
Population Density
        35 people/sq km
        (90 people/sq mi)
        (1997 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
        60%Urban
        40%Rural
Largest Cities
        Cape Town854,616
        Durban715,669
        Johannesburg712,507
        Pretoria525,583
        (1991 census)
Largest Metropolitan Areas
        Cape Town2,350,157
        Johannesburg1,916,063
        Durban1,137,378
        Pretoria1,080,187
        (1991 census)
Ethnic Groups
        75.2%black African
        including Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, and Sotho
        13.6%White 
        including Afrikaners and British
        8.6%Coloured (mixed race) 
        2.6%Asian
        mostly Indians
Languages
Official Languages
        Afrikaans, Tsonga, English, Ndebele, Sesotho, Sesotho sa Lebowa,
        Swazi, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Other Languages
        Portuguese, German, Dutch and other European languages, Gujarati, 
        Hindi, Urdu, and other Asian languages
Religions
        17%orthodox African religions
        16%Dutch Reformed Protestantism
        13%African Christianity
        11%Methodism
        9%Roman Catholicism
        7%Anglicanism
        27%Other
        including other Christian denominations, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism