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South Africa

 
     
    • Names: 
     
        conventional long form: 
        Republic of South Africa 
     
        conventional short form: 
        South Africa 
     
    • Abbreviation: 
      RSA 
     
    • Digraph: 
      SF 
     
    • Type: 
      republic 
     
    • Capital: 
      Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial) 
     
    • Administrative divisions: 
      9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Eastern Transvaal, KwaZulu/Natal, Northern Cape, Northern Transvaal, Northwest, Orange Free State, Gauteng, Western Cape 
     
    • Independence: 
      31 May 1910 (from UK) 
     
    • National holiday: 
      Freedom Day, 27 April (1994) 
     
    • Constitution: 
      27 April 1994 (interim constitution, replacing the constitution of 3 September 1984) 
     
    • Legal system: 
      based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations 
     
    • Suffrage: 
      18 years of age; universal 
     
    • Executive branch: 
     
        chief of state and head of government: 
        Executive President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Frederik W. DE KLERK (since 10 May 1994) 
     
        note: 
        any political party that wins 20% or more of the National Assembly votes in a general election is entitled to name a Deputy Executive President 
     
        cabinet: 
        Cabinet appointed by the Executive President 
     
    • Legislative branch: 
      bicameral 
     
        National Assembly 
     
        Senate
     
        note: 
        when the National Assembly meets in joint session with the Senate to consider the provisions of the constitution, the combined group is referred to as the Constitutional Assembly 
     
    • Women's Share of Seats in Parliament:

      • 22% (1997 est.)
       
    • Judicial branch: 
      Supreme Court 
     
    • Political parties and leaders: 
      African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; National Party (NP), Frederik W. DE KLERK, president; Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president; Freedom Front (FF), Constand VILJOEN, president; Democratic Party (DP); Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Clarence MAKWETU, president; African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), leader NA 
     
        note: 
        in addition to these seven parties which received seats in the National Assembly, twelve other parties won votes in the national elections in April 1994 
     
    • Other political or pressure groups: 
      NA;; 
     
    • Member of: 
      BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC 
     
    • Diplomatic representation in US: 
     
        chief of mission: 
        Ambassador Franklin SONN 
     
        chancery: 
        3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 
     
        telephone: 
        [1] (202) 232-4400 
     
        consulate(s) general: 
        Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, and New York 
     
    • US diplomatic representation: 
     
        chief of mission: 
        Ambassador Princeton N. LYMAN 
     
        embassy: 
        877 Pretorius St., Arcadia 0083 
     
        mailing address: 
        P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 
     
        telephone: 
        [27] (12) 342-1048 
     
        FAX: 
        [27] (12) 342-2244 
     
        consulate(s) general: 
        Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg 
     
    • Flag: 
      two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horozontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side, embracing a black isoceles 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 
     
        note: 
        prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one - three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side