GBP to ZAR Live Rate

Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France

Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

54 00 N, 2 00 W

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Europe

Africa

total: 243,610 sq km

land: 241,930 sq km

water: 1,680 sq km

note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

country comparison to the world: 81

total: 1,219,090 sq km

land: 1,214,470 sq km

water: 4,620 sq km

note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

country comparison to the world: 26

total: 443 km

border countries (1): Ireland 443 km

total: 5,244 km

border countries (6): Botswana 1,969 km, Lesotho 1,106 km, Mozambique 496 km, Namibia 1,005 km, Eswatini 438 km, Zimbabwe 230 km

12,429 km

2,798 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

mean elevation: 162 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: The Fens -4 m

highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m

mean elevation: 1,034 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

agricultural land: 71%

arable land 25.1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 45.7%

forest: 11.9%

other: 17.1% (2011 est.)

agricultural land: 79.4%

arable land 9.9%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 69.2%

forest: 7.6%

other: 13% (2011 est.)

950 sq km (2012)

16,700 sq km (2012)

the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scottish lowlands between Edinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Petoria; the eastern half of the country is more densly populated than the west

winter windstorms; floods

prolonged droughts

volcanism: the volcano forming Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands, which last erupted in 2004, is South Africa's only active volcano

continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but air pollution remains a concern, particularly in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats brought on by pressures from housing, tourism, and industry

lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel (the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel); because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini

United Kingdom 65,648,100

constituent countries:

England 55,268,100

Scotland 5,404,700

Wales 3,113,200

Northern Ireland 1,862,100 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

54,841,552

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)

adjective: British

noun: South African(s)

adjective: South African

white 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)

black African 80.2%, white 8.4%, colored 8.8%, Indian/Asian 2.5%

note: colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry (2014 est.)

English

note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 people in Cornwall) (2012 est.)

isiZulu (official) 22.7%, isiXhosa (official) 16%, Afrikaans (official) 13.5%, English (official) 9.6%, Sepedi (official) 9.1%, Setswana (official) 8%, Sesotho (official) 7.6%, Xitsonga (official) 4.5%, siSwati (official) 2.5%, Tshivenda (official) 2.4%, isiNdebele (official) 2.1%, sign language 0.5%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)

Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)

Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%), Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 est.)

total dependency ratio: 55.5

youth dependency ratio: 27.4

elderly dependency ratio: 28.2

potential support ratio: 3.5 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio: 52.5

youth dependency ratio: 44.8

elderly dependency ratio: 7.7

potential support ratio: 12.9 (2015 est.)

total: 40.5 years

male: 39.3 years

female: 41.7 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 49

total: 27.1 years

male: 26.9 years

female: 27.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 145

0.52% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 154

0.99% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 114

12.1 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 166

20.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 58

2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scotish lowlands between Endinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Petoria; the eastern half of the country is more densly populated than the west

urban population: 83.1% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.82% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population: 65.8% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

LONDON (capital) 10.313 million; Manchester 2.646 million; Birmingham 2.515 million; Glasgow 1.223 million; Southampton/Portsmouth 882,000; Liverpool 870,000 (2015)

Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni) 9.399 million; Cape Town (legislative capital) 3.66 million; Durban 2.901 million; PRETORIA (capital) 2.059 million; Port Elizabeth 1.179 million; Vereeniging 1.155 million (2015)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

28.5 years

note: data represent England and Wales only (2014 est.)

9 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 153

138 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 63

total: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 185

total: 31 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 34.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

total population: 80.8 years

male: 78.6 years

female: 83.1 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

total population: 63.8 years

male: 62.4 years

female: 65.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 190

1.88 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 142

2.29 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 91

84%

note: percent of women aged 16-49 (2008/09)

9.1% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 38

8.8% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 44

2.83 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

0.82 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

2.8 beds/1,000 population (2013)

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 81.4% of population

total: 93.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 18.6% of population

total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 99.1% of population

rural: 99.6% of population

total: 99.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.9% of population

rural: 0.4% of population

total: 0.8% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 69.6% of population

rural: 60.5% of population

total: 66.4% of population

unimproved:

urban: 30.4% of population

rural: 39.5% of population

total: 33.6% of population (2015 est.)

NA

18.9% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

NA

7.1 million (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

NA

110,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

27.8% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 36

28.3% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 30

5.6% of GDP (2015)

country comparison to the world: 36

5.9% of GDP (2016)

country comparison to the world: 42

total: 18 years

male: 17 years

female: 18 years (2014)

total: 13 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2012)

total: 14.6%

male: 16.2%

female: 12.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 91

total: 50.1%

male: 46.3%

female: 54.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

South Africa’s youthful population is gradually aging, as the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) has declined dramatically from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to roughly 2.2 in 2014. This pattern is similar to fertility trends in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and sets South Africa apart from the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, where the average TFR remains higher than other regions of the world. Today, South Africa’s decreasing number of reproductive age women is having fewer children, as women increase their educational attainment, workforce participation, and use of family planning methods; delay marriage; and opt for smaller families.

As the proportion of working-age South Africans has grown relative to children and the elderly, South Africa has been unable to achieve a demographic dividend because persistent high unemployment and the prevalence of HIV/AIDs have created a larger-than-normal dependent population. HIV/AIDS was also responsible for South Africa’s average life expectancy plunging to less than 43 years in 2008; it has rebounded to 63 years as of 2017. HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious public health threat, although awareness-raising campaigns and the wider availability of anti-retroviral drugs is stabilizing the number of new cases, enabling infected individuals to live longer, healthier lives, and reducing mother-child transmissions.

Migration to South Africa began in the second half of the 17th century when traders from the Dutch East India Company settled in the Cape and started using slaves from South and southeast Asia (mainly from India but also from present-day Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia) and southeast Africa (Madagascar and Mozambique) as farm laborers and, to a lesser extent, as domestic servants. The Indian subcontinent remained the Cape Colony’s main source of slaves in the early 18th century, while slaves were increasingly obtained from southeast Africa in the latter part of the 18th century and into the 19th century under British rule.

After slavery was completely abolished in the British Empire in 1838, South Africa’s colonists turned to temporary African migrants and indentured labor through agreements with India and later China, countries that were anxious to export workers to alleviate domestic poverty and overpopulation. Of the more than 150,000 indentured Indian laborers hired to work in Natal’s sugar plantations between 1860 and 1911, most exercised the right as British subjects to remain permanently (a small number of Indian immigrants came freely as merchants). Because of growing resentment toward Indian workers, the 63,000 indentured Chinese workers who mined gold in Transvaal between 1904 and 1911 were under more restrictive contracts and generally were forced to return to their homeland.

In the late 19th century and nearly the entire 20th century, South Africa’s then British colonies’ and Dutch states’ enforced selective immigration policies that welcomed “assimilable” white Europeans as permanent residents but excluded or restricted other immigrants. Following the Union of South Africa’s passage of a law in 1913 prohibiting Asian and other non-white immigrants and its elimination of the indenture system in 1917, temporary African contract laborers from neighboring countries became the dominant source of labor in the burgeoning mining industries. Others worked in agriculture and smaller numbers in manufacturing, domestic service, transportation, and construction. Throughout the 20th century, at least 40% of South Africa’s miners were foreigners; the numbers peaked at over 80% in the late 1960s. Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini were the primary sources of miners, and Malawi and Zimbabwe were periodic suppliers.

Under apartheid, a “two gates” migration policy focused on policing and deporting illegal migrants rather than on managing migration to meet South Africa’s development needs. The exclusionary 1991 Aliens Control Act limited labor recruitment to the highly skilled as defined by the ruling white minority, while bilateral labor agreements provided exemptions that enabled the influential mining industry and, to a lesser extent, commercial farms, to hire temporary, low-paid workers from neighboring states. Illegal African migrants were often tacitly allowed to work for low pay in other sectors but were always under threat of deportation.

The abolishment of apartheid in 1994 led to the development of a new inclusive national identity and the strengthening of the country’s restrictive immigration policy. Despite South Africa’s protectionist approach to immigration, the downsizing and closing of mines, and rising unemployment, migrants from across the continent believed that the country held work opportunities. Fewer African labor migrants were issued temporary work permits and, instead, increasingly entered South Africa with visitors’ permits or came illegally, which drove growth in cross-border trade and the informal job market. A new wave of Asian immigrants has also arrived over the last two decades, many operating small retail businesses.

In the post-apartheid period, increasing numbers of highly skilled white workers emigrated, citing dissatisfaction with the political situation, crime, poor services, and a reduced quality of life. The 2002 Immigration Act and later amendments were intended to facilitate the temporary migration of skilled foreign labor to fill labor shortages, but instead the legislation continues to create regulatory obstacles. Although the education system has improved and brain drain has slowed in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, South Africa continues to face skills shortages in several key sectors, such as health care and technology.

South Africa’s stability and economic growth has acted as a magnet for refugees and asylum seekers from nearby countries, despite the prevalence of discrimination and xenophobic violence. Refugees have included an estimated 350,000 Mozambicans during its 1980s civil war and, more recently, several thousand Somalis, Congolese, and Ethiopians. Nearly all of the tens of thousands of Zimbabweans who have applied for asylum in South Africa have been categorized as economic migrants and denied refuge.

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2016)

8.7% (2008)

country comparison to the world: 72

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 94.4%

male: 95.4%

female: 93.4% (2015 est.)

conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - the island of Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales

conventional short form: United Kingdom

abbreviation: UK

etymology: self-descriptive country name; the designation "Great Britain," in the sense of "Larger Britain," dates back to medieval times and was used to distinguish the island from "Little Britain," or Brittany in modern France; the name Ireland derives from the Gaelic "Eriu," the matron goddess of Ireland (goddess of the land)

conventional long form: Republic of South Africa

conventional short form: South Africa

former: Union of South Africa

abbreviation: RSA

etymology: self-descriptive name from the country's location on the continent; "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

parliamentary republic

name: London

geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 05 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its Crown dependencies or overseas territories

name: Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

England: 27 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 56 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*)

two-tier counties: Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire

London boroughs and City of London or Greater London: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster

metropolitan districts: Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Calderdale, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Kirklees, Knowlsey, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport, Sunderland, Tameside, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton

unitary authorities: Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, Bedford, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Darlington, Derby, Durham County*, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool, Herefordshire*, Isle of Wight*, Isles of Scilly, City of Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Northumberland*, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Shropshire, Slough, South Gloucestershire, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, West Berkshire, Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, York

Northern Ireland: 5 borough councils, 4 district councils, 2 city councils

borough councils: Antrim and Newtownabbey; Ards and North Down; Armagh, Banbridge, and Craigavon; Causeway Coast and Glens; Mid and East Antrim

district councils: Derry and Strabane; Fermanagh and Omagh; Mid Ulster; Newry, Murne, and Down

city councils: Belfast; Lisburn and Castlereagh

Scotland: 32 council areas

council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian

Wales: 22 unitary authorities

unitary authorities: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, The Vale of Glamorgan, Torfaen, Wrexham

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); notable earlier dates: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties remain part of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland)

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

history: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

amendments: proposed as a “bill” for an “Act of Parliament” by the government, by the House of Commons, or by the House of Lords; passage requires agreement by both houses and by the monarch (Royal Assent); note - recent additions include the Human Rights Act of 1998, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, and the House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015 (2016)

history: several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved by Constitutional Court 4 December 1996, effective 4 February 1997

amendments: proposed by the National Assembly of Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional sections on human rights and freedoms, non-racism and non-sexism, supremacy of the constitution, suffrage, the multi-party system of democratic government, and amendment procedures requires at least 75% majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council of Provinces, and assent by the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting the Bill of Rights, and those related to provincial boundaries, powers, and authorities requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council, and assent by the president; amended many times, last in 2013 (2017)

common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998

mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the United Kingdom

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa

dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission of the government

residency requirement for naturalization: 1 year

18 years of age; universal

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES, son of the queen (born 14 November 1948)

head of government: Prime Minister Theresa MAY (Conservative) (since 13 July 2016)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; election last held on 8 June 2017 (next to be held by 5 May 2022)

note: in addition to serving as the UK head of state, the British sovereign is the constitutional monarch for 15 additional Commonwealth countries (these 16 states are each referred to as a Commonwealth realm)

chief of state: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); Deputy President David MABUZA (26 February 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Jacob ZUMA resigned the presidency on 14 February 2018

head of government: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); deputy president David MABUZA (26 February 2018); note - Jacob ZUMA resigned the presidency on 14 February 2018

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 February 2018 to elect Cyril RAMAPHOSA as acting president to replace ZUMA for the remainder of his term (next to be held in May 2019)

election results: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Lords (membership not fixed; as of May 2018, 780 lords were eligible to participate in the work of the House of Lords - 664 life peers, 90 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy; members are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister and non-party political members recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission), and the House of Commons (650 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve 5-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier); note - the House of Lords total does not include ineligible members or members on leave of absence

elections: House of Lords - no elections; note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain; elections held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons - last held on 8 June 2017 (next to be held by 5 May 2022)

election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative 42.3%, Labor 40.0%, SNP 43.0%, Lib Dems 7.4%, DUP 0.9%, Sinn Fein 0.7%, Plaid Cymru 0.5%,other 0.6%; seats by party - Conservative 317, Labor 262, SNP 35, Lib Dems 12, DUP 10, Sinn Fein 7, Plaid Cymru 4, other 3

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10-member delegations appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms; note - this council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections: National Council of Provinces and National Assembly - last held on 7 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

election results: National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 60, DA 20, EFF 7, IFP 1, NFP 1, UDM 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 62.2%, DA 22.2%, EFF 6.4%, IFP 2.4%, NFP 1.6%, UDM 1.0%, other 4.2%; seats by party - ANC 249, DA 89, EFF 25, IFP 10, NFP 6, UDM 4, other 17

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices including the court president and deputy president); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in October 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom

judge selection and term of office: judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations to the prime minister, and appointed by the monarch; justices appointed for life

subordinate courts: England and Wales - Court of Appeal (civil and criminal divisions); High Court; Crown Court; County Courts; Magistrates' Courts; Scotland - Court of Sessions; Sheriff Courts; High Court of Justiciary; tribunals; Northern Ireland - Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland; High Court; county courts; magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), a 23-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes other judges and judicial executives, members of parliament, practicing lawyers and advocates, a teacher of law, and several members designated by the national president; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service by an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 12-year non-renewable terms or until age 70

subordinate courts: High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts

Alliance Party (Northern Ireland) [Naomi LONG]

Conservative and Unionist Party [Theresa MAY]

Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Arlene FOSTER]

Green Party of England and Wales or Greens [Caroline LUCAS and Jonathan BARTLEY]

Labor (Labour) Party [Jeremy CORBYN]

Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Sir Vince CABLE]

Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Leanne WOOD]

Scottish National Party or SNP [Nicola STURGEON]

Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]

Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Colum EASTWOOD]

Ulster Unionist Party or UUP (Northern Ireland) [Robin SWANN]

UK Independence Party or UKIP [Gerard BATTEN]

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]

African Independent Congress or AIC [Mandla GALO]

African National Congress or ANC [Cyril RAMAPHOSA]

African People's Convention or APC [Themba GODI]

Agang SA [Mike TSHISHONGA]

Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]

Democratic Alliance or DA [Mmusi MAIMANE]

Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF [Julius Sello MALEMA]

Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter GROENEWALD]

Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]

National Freedom Party or NFP [Zanele kaMAGWAZA-MSIBI]

Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC [Luthanado MBINDA]

United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Isaac Sipho MFUNDISI]

United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Confederation of British Industry

National Farmers' Union

Trades Union Congress

Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Sdumo DLAMINI]

South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE]

South African National Civic Organization or SANCO [Richard MDAKANE]

note: COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the African National Congress

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Nigel Kim DARROCH (since 28 January 2016)

chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500

FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

consulate(s): Orlando (FL), San Juan (Puerto Rico)

chief of mission: Ambassador Mninwa Johannes MAHLANGU (since 23 February 2015)

chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 [1] (202) 232-4400

FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Wood (Woody) JOHNSON IV (since 29 August 2017)

embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6AH; note - a new embassy is scheduled to open in early 2018 in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth

mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040

telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000

FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124

consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jessica "Jessye" LAPENN (since 16 December 2016)

embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria

mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone: [27] (12) 431-4000

FAX: [27] (12) 342-2299

consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories

two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era

note: the South African flag is one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Sudan's

lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland); national colors: red, white, blue (Britain in general); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)

springbok (antelope), king protea flower; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

name: "God Save the Queen"

lyrics/music: unknown

note: in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem of the UK; it is known as either "God Save the Queen" or "God Save the King," depending on the gender of the reigning monarch; it also serves as the royal anthem of many Commonwealth nations

name: "National Anthem of South Africa"

lyrics/music: Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers

note: adopted 1994; a combination of "N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English (i.e., the five most widely spoken of South Africa's 11 official languages); music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems

The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil resources, but its oil and natural gas reserves are declining; the UK has been a net importer of energy since 2005. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, are key drivers of British GDP growth. Manufacturing, meanwhile, has declined in importance but still accounts for about 10% of economic output.

In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Falling home prices, high consumer debt, and the global economic slowdown compounded the UK’s economic problems, pushing the economy into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompting the then BROWN (Labour) government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, in 2010 the then CAMERON-led coalition government (between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) initiated an austerity program, which has continued under the Conservative government. However, the deficit still remains one of the highest in the G7, standing at 3.6% of GDP as of 2017, and the UK has pledged to lower its corporation tax from 20% to 17% by 2020. The UK had a debt burden of 90.4% GDP at the end of 2017.

The UK’s economy has begun to slow since the referendum vote to leave the EU in June 2016. A sustained depreciation of the British pound has increased consumer and producer prices, weighing on consumer spending without spurring a meaningful increase in exports. The UK has an extensive trade relationship with other EU members through its single market membership and economic observers have warned the exit will jeopardize its position as the central location for European financial services. Prime Minister MAY is seeking a new “deep and special” trade relationship with the EU following the UK’s exit. However, economists doubt that the UK will be able to preserve the benefits of EU membership without the obligations.

South Africa is a middle-income emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; and a stock exchange that is Africa’s largest and among the top 20 in the world.

Economic growth has decelerated in recent years, slowing to an estimated 0.7% in 2017. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality - among the highest in the world - remain a challenge. Official unemployment is roughly 27% of the workforce, and runs significantly higher among black youth. Even though the country's modern infrastructure supports a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, unstable electricity supplies retard growth. Eskom, the state-run power company, is building three new power stations and is installing new power demand management programs to improve power grid reliability but has been plagued with accusations of mismanagement and corruption and faces an increasingly high debt burden.

South Africa's economic policy has focused on controlling inflation while empowering a broader economic base; however, the country faces structural constraints that also limit economic growth, such as skills shortages, declining global competitiveness, and frequent work stoppages due to strike action. The government faces growing pressure from urban constituencies to improve the delivery of basic services to low-income areas, to increase job growth, and to provide university level-education at affordable prices. Political infighting among South Africa’s ruling party and the volatility of the rand risks economic growth. International investors are concerned about the country’s long-term economic stability; in late 2016, most major international credit ratings agencies downgraded South Africa’s international debt to junk bond status.

$2.88 trillion (2017 est.)

$2.833 trillion (2016 est.)

$2.783 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 10

$757.3 billion (2017 est.)

$752.1 billion (2016 est.)

$750 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 31

$2.565 trillion (2017 est.)

$344.1 billion (2017 est.)

1.7% (2017 est.)

1.8% (2016 est.)

2.2% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 165

0.7% (2017 est.)

0.3% (2016 est.)

1.3% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 193

$43,600 (2017 est.)

$43,200 (2016 est.)

$42,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 40

$13,400 (2017 est.)

$13,500 (2016 est.)

$13,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 115

13.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

12.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

13% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

16.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

16.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

16.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 116

household consumption: 65.3%

government consumption: 19%

investment in fixed capital: 16.6%

investment in inventories: 0.7%

exports of goods and services: 30.1%

imports of goods and services: -31.7% (2017 est.)

household consumption: 59.8%

government consumption: 20.7%

investment in fixed capital: 20%

investment in inventories: -0.4%

exports of goods and services: 26.9%

imports of goods and services: -27% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 0.6%

industry: 19%

services: 80.4%

(2017 est.)

agriculture: 2.8%

industry: 29.7%

services: 67.5% (2017 est.)

cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

0.7% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 176

0.5% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

33.5 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

22.19 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

agriculture: 1.3%

industry: 15.2%

services: 83.5% (2014 est.)

agriculture: 4.6%

industry: 23.5%

services: 71.9% (2014 est.)

4.4% (2017 est.)

4.9% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 61

27.6% (2017 est.)

26.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 199

15% (2013 est.)

16.6% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%: 1.7%

highest 10%: 31.1% (2012 est.)

lowest 10%: 1.2%

highest 10%: 51.3% (2011 est.)

32.4 (2012 est.)

33.4 (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world: 116

62.5 (2013 est.)

63.4 (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

revenues: $984.4 billion

expenditures: $1.076 trillion (2017 est.)

revenues: $92.38 billion

expenditures: $103.3 billion (2017 est.)

38.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

26.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 104

-3.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 134

-3.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

90.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

89.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

country comparison to the world: 26

50.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

50.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

6 April - 5 April

1 April - 31 March

2.6% (2017 est.)

0.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 120

5.4% (2017 est.)

6.3% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 175

0.25% (31 December 2016 est.)

0.5% (31 December 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 142

5.75% (31 December 2014 est.)

7% (31 December 2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 73

4.3% (31 December 2017 est.)

4.44% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 155

10.4% (31 December 2017 est.)

10.46% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

$104.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$96.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

$116.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$117.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

$3.066 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.778 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

$183.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$189.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

$3.042 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.785 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

$237.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$244.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

$3.019 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.903 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.107 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

$735.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$933.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$942.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

$-91.42 billion (2017 est.)

$-114.5 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 200

$-9.81 billion (2017 est.)

$-9.624 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

$436.5 billion (2017 est.)

$407.3 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

$78.25 billion (2017 est.)

$75.16 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment

US 14.8%, Germany 10.7%, France 6.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Ireland 5.6%, Switzerland 4.6%, China 4.4% (2016)

China 9.2%, Germany 7.5%, US 7.4%, Botswana 5%, Namibia 4.8%, Japan 4.6%, India 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2016)

$602.5 billion (2017 est.)

$588.4 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

$80.22 billion (2017 est.)

$74.17 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs

machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs

Germany 13.6%, US 9.3%, China 9.2%, Netherlands 7.4%, France 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Switzerland 4.5% (2016)

China 18.1%, Germany 11.8%, US 6.7%, India 4.2% (2016)

$135 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$129.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

$48.18 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$47.23 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$8.126 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)

$8.642 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

$144.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$144.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

$2.027 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.858 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

$139.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$136.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$1.634 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.611 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

$176.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$172.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -

0.78 (2017 est.)

0.74 (2016 est.)

0.74 (2015 est.)

0.61 (2014 est.)

0.64 (2013 est.)

rand (ZAR) per US dollar -

13.67 (2017 est.)

14.69 (2016 est.)

14.69 (2015 est.)

12.76 (2014 est.)

10.85 (2013 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

population without electricity: 7,700,000

electrification - total population: 85%

electrification - urban areas: 90%

electrification - rural areas: 77% (2013)

309.8 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 13

229.2 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

301.6 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

207.7 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

2.153 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

16.55 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

19.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

10.56 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

94.64 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

47.28 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

55.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 140

86.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 72

9.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

3.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

1.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 138

1.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 144

33.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

7.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 82

933,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

2,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 89

636,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 186

808,800 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

434,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

2.564 billion bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

15 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 88

1.28 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

431,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

1.586 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

660,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

632,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

78,110 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

941,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

164,700 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 41

41.34 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

1.1 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 66

186.2 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

8.66 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 57

14.22 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 178

44.5 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

3.8 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

207.2 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

15.01 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 79

568.3 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

482 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

total subscriptions: 33,513,212

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 52 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

total subscriptions: 4,522,850

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

total: 78,931,386

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

total: 82,412,880

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system

domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems

international: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers (2016)

general assessment: the system is the best-developed and most modern in Africa

domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 145 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

international: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber-optic submarine cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; the EASSy fiber-optic cable system connects with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service; a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations throughout the world; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; a large number of commercial radio stations, as well as satellite radio services are available (2008)

the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well-developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)

.uk

.za

total: 61,064,454

percent of population: 94.8% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

total: 29,322,380

percent of population: 54.0% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

number of registered air carriers: 28

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1,242

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 131,449,680

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,466,504,676 mt-km (2015)

number of registered air carriers: 23

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 216

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 17,188,887

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 885,277,991 mt-km (2015)

G (2016)

ZS (2016)

460 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 18

566 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 11

total: 271

over 3,047 m: 7

2,438 to 3,047 m: 29

1,524 to 2,437 m: 89

914 to 1,523 m: 80

under 914 m: 66 (2013)

total: 144

over 3,047 m: 11

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7

1,524 to 2,437 m: 52

914 to 1,523 m: 65

under 914 m: 9 (2013)

total: 189

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 26

under 914 m: 160 (2013)

total: 422

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 31

914 to 1,523 m: 258

under 914 m: 132 (2013)

9 (2013)

1 (2013)

condensate 502 km; condensate/gas 9 km; gas 28,603 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,256 km; oil/gas/water 175 km; refined products 4,919 km; water 255 km (2013)

condensate 94 km; gas 1,293 km; oil 992 km; refined products 1,460 km (2013)

total: 16,837 km

broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)

standard gauge: 16,534 km 1.435-m gauge (5,357 km electrified) (2015)

country comparison to the world: 16

total: 20,986 km

standard gauge: 80 km 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

other: 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified) (2014)

country comparison to the world: 13

total: 394,428 km

paved: 394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009)

country comparison to the world: 18

total: 747,014 km

paved: 158,952 km

unpaved: 588,062 km (2014)

country comparison to the world: 10

3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2009)

country comparison to the world: 31

total: 1,551

by type: bulk carrier 117, container ship 112, general cargo 175, oil tanker 173, other 974 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 17

total: 82

by type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 1, oil tanker 5, other 74 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 96

major seaport(s): Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Teesport (England); Forth Ports (Scotland); Milford Haven (Wales)

oil terminal(s): Fawley Marine terminal, Liverpool Bay terminal (England); Braefoot Bay terminal, Finnart oil terminal, Hound Point terminal (Scotland)

container port(s) (TEUs): Felixstowe (3,676,000), London (1,185,000), Southampton (2,349,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Isle of Grain, Milford Haven, Teesside

major seaport(s): Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

container port(s) (TEUs): Durban (2,770,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Mossel Bay

2.2% of GDP (2016)

2.05% of GDP (2015)

2.22% of GDP (2014)

2.25% of GDP (2013)

2.51% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 46

1.07% of GDP (2016)

1.09% of GDP (2015)

1.11% of GDP (2014)

1.12% of GDP (2013)

1.13% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 109

Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2013)

South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services (2013)

16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); no conscription; women serve in military services including ground combat roles; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2016)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2012)

in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproved of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory); in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 - 1973, were granted UK citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied the right of return; in addition, the UK created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration; the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River

refugees (country of origin): 14,363 (Iran); 13,720 (Eritrea); 9,752 (Afghanistan); 8,790 (Zimbabwe); 8,269 (Syria); 7,326 (Sudan); 6,814 (Pakistan); 5,954 (Somalia); 5,809 (Sri Lanka) (2016)

stateless persons: 64 (2016)

refugees (country of origin): 28,695 (Somalia); 17,776 (Ethiopia); 5,394 (Republic of the Congo) (2016); 66,528 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018)

producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy