South ˈAfrica BrE AmE ( also the Republic of South Africa )
a country in southern Africa south of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, officially called the Republic of South Africa. Population: 43,786,115 (2008). Capitals: Pretoria the ↑ administrative capital), Cape Town (the ↑ legislative capital), and Bloemfontein (the ↑ judicial capital). Largest city: Johannesburg. Although almost 75% of South Africa's population is black, the country was ruled for many years by an all-white government using the system of ↑ apartheid , which separated people of different races and gave no political rights to black people. People who actively opposed apartheid were often treated violently by the South African police and army. Because of this, South Africa was disapproved of all over the world. It was forced to leave the British Commonwealth in 1960, and in the 1980s, many countries established trade ↑ sanction s against South Africa (=restrictions on buying and selling goods) . In the early 1990s, the white government finally agreed to get rid of apartheid, and in 1994 the African National Congress (ANC), led by Nelson Mandela, won South Africa's first fully ↑ democratic election and became the government. South Africa has many industries and produces many farm products, including fruit and wine, but its best known products are gold and ↑ diamond s . It is also a popular place for tourists who come especially to see wild animals such as lions and elephants in its ↑ wildlife parks. Some parts of South Africa are known for having a high level of crime. ⇨ ↑ ANC , ↑ Biko, Steve , ↑ Boer War , ↑ Mandela, Nelson , ↑ Sharpeville , ↑ Soweto