| 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: 4,862 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km |
| Coastline: |
2,798 km |
| Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin |
| 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: 12.1%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.11% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: |
14,980 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: |
prolonged droughts |
| Environment - current issues: |
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 |
| Environment - international 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 |
| Geography - note: |
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland |
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