South Africa is divided into nine provinces. South Africa
previously had four provinces from 1910. The following provinces were:-
- The Cape of Good Hope
- Orange Free State
- Natal
- Transvaal
In 1994 this was change to nine provinces, they are as
follows:-
- The Eastern Cape
- The Free State
- Gauteng
- KwaZulu-Natal
- Limpopo
- Mpumalanga
- The Northern Cape
- North West
- Western Cape
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| 9 provinces of South Africa |
Before 1994 there were 10 ethnically based homelands created
for the black people of South Africa.
Four on them gained independence from South Africa but it is not
recognised by any other countries in the world.
Independent homelands
- Bophuthatswana - independent from 06/02/1977 Tswana
- Ciskei - independent from 04/12/1981 Xhosa
- Venda - independent from 13/09/1979 VhaVenda
Non-independent homelands
- Gazankulu - Shangaan
- KaNgwane - Swazi
- KwaNdebele - Ndebele
- KwaZulu - Zulu
- Lebowa - North Sotho
- Qwaqwa - South Sotho
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| homelands of South Africa |
The apartheid regime tried hard to get the other six
homelands to become independent, but these homelands were not interested. These six homelands were ruled by South
Africa. To be independent meant that
they could issues stamps and exchange ambassadors with South Africa as nowhere
else recognised their independence in the world. They had rights to vote in these areas but no
rights to vote anywhere else in the country.
All the homelands had their own “legislative” assemblies and a limited
amount of autonomy. All the homelands
had their own coat of arms and flags except KaNgwane which only had their flag
and they used the South African flag. In
the homelands that were not independent they use both their own flags and the
South African flag.
All these homelands were reincorporated into South Africa
from the 27th April 1994 and they no longer use the former symbols
of their homelands.
There are five countries that border South Africa, Namibia,
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Mozambique.
Lesotho and Swaziland are both enclaves of South
Africa. They are bordered on all sides
by South Africa but remain autonomous countries.
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| enclaves - Lesotho and Swaziland |
There are eleven official languages in South Africa
- Afrikaans
- English
- IsiNdebele (Ndebele)
- IsiXhosa (Xhosa)
- IsiZulu (Zulu)
- Northern Sotho (Sepedi)
- Sesotho (Southern Sotho)
- Setswana (Tswana)
- SiSwati (Swati)
- Tshivenda (Venda)
- Xitsonga (Tsonga)
Non-official languages
The official flag of South Africa
The flag was designed by Fred Brownell who was a former South African State Herald. The flag was first used on 27th April 1994. The design and colours present principal elements of the country's flag history. The colour combination could have different many to the people so no universal symbolism can be attached to any of the colours.
The central design of the flag, beginning at the flagpost in a "V" form and flowing into a single horizontal band to the outer edge of the fly, can be interpreted as the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity. The theme of convergence and unity ties in with the motto "Unity is Strength" of the previous South African Coat of Arms.
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| South African flat 27th April 1994 |
The Coat of Arms
The previous coat of arms was used from 1910 and was replaced with the present coat of arms on 27th April 2000 on Freedom Day, the day of the year when the election first took place when the ANC were first elected into power. The motto is written in the Khoisan language of the IXam people and it reads ǃke e: ǀxarra ǁke and it means "diverse people unite" which is a direct translation
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| South Africa's coat of arms 27th April 2000 |
The national bird of South Africa is the Blue Crane
The blue crane is on the critical endangered list. The primary decline of this bird is due to human population growth and that grasslands are used for commercial tree plantation and deliberate poisoning in order to protect crops or accidental poisoning from poison meant for other species. The blue crane is now under the protection of the South African government. Research and educating the people have been implemented.This bird is very special to the amaXhosa who have given the bird the name indwe. The chief would award a feather from this bird to those who did deeds or valour. The feathers would also be presented to the heroes after a battle. These men were know as men of ugaba (trouble) and wore the feathers in their hair. When men were given this name, they had to step in when trouble arose and reinstate order and peace.
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| blue crane |
The National fish of South Africa is the Galjoen
The galjoen is a species of marine fish and only found along the coast of South Africa. It is found mostly in shallow water, and often found in rough surf. It is well know to the angler because it can stay very close to shore. Depend where they are found they look completely different in colour, near rocks they are completely back but when in sandy areas the colour is silver-bronze. Another name or them is the blackfish or black beam. They can grow to over 55cm and up to 7kg in weight. |
| Galjoen |
National flower of South Africa is the King Protea
The King Protea, (Protea cynaroides), is a flowering plant. Its flower head (what the layman will call the 'flower') is the largest in the genus Protea: the species is also known as Giant Protea, Honeypot or King Sugar Bush. It is widely distributed in the south-western and southern parts of South Africa of the fynbos region. The national cricket team of South Africa have the nickname Proteas.
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| king protea |
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| emblem South African Cricket Team |
The National animal of Sout Africa is the Springbox
The word in afrikaans, spring = jump, box = antelope, deer or goat. Its a small brown and white gazella about 75cm high. The males can weigh up to 50kg and the females around 37kg. Both sexes have horns but the male horns are thicker and rougher. These animals have adapted to the dry, barren areas and open grass plains. they are most found in the Free State, North West province and the Karoo up to the west coast of South Africa.
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| springbox |
The national rugby team is nicked named the springbox. They were also known as the Springbox in the apartheid era and they were supposed to be called the proteas when apartheid ended but the president at the time Nelson Mandela intervened and it was then allowed for the rugby team to keep their name. The springbox emblem is also used for the South African Airforce and the South African coat of arms. It was also used for a South African own car, the ranger in the early 1970's.
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| emblem South African Rugby Team |
The National Tree of South Africa is the Real Yellowwood
This true has been around for more than a million years in South Africa. The tree is widespread is found from the Table Mountain, along the southern and eastern Cape coats, and in the drakensberg up to the Soutpansberg and the Blouberg in Limpopo. When they grow in a forest these tree can be up to 40 meters in height and the base of the trunk can be up to 3 meters wide. But if they grown on unsheltered places, like mountain-slopes they are often short, busy and gnarled. The colour of the bark is khaki-coloured to grey when its old and peels of in strips. The male or female cones resembles the pine cones but are white, light green or pink. The female cone has a fleshy pedocarpium and the seeds take on the shape and colour of a cherry. The leaves are strap-shaped, 25-40mm long and mature trees about 100mm long and on young trees 5-12mm with a bluntly pointed tip. It is a slow growing tree and the wood is hard. The wood was used to make furniture, panelling, etc. Little of these trees are cut now due to the fact of over-exploitation.
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| real yellowwood tree |
National Athem
A proclamation issued by the then State President, Nelson Mandela, on 20 April 1994 in terms of the provisions of Section 248 (1) together with Section 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993 (Act 200 of 1993), stated that the Republic of South Africa would have two national anthems. They were Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and The Call of South Africa (Die Stem van Suid-Afrika). In terms of Section 4 of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), and following a proclamation in the Government Gazette No. 18341 (dated 10 October 1997), a shortened, combined version of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and The Call of South Africa is now the national anthem of South Africa.
It is the only neo-modal national anthem in the world, by virtue of being the only one that starts in one key and finishes in another. The lyrics employ the five most populous of South Africa's eleven official languages - isiXhosa (first stanza, first two lines), isiZulu (first stanza, last two lines), seSotho (second stanza), Afrikaans (third stanza) and English (final stanza).
Lyrics
| Nkosi sikelel' Afrika Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo, Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo. | (Xhosa and Zulu) |
| Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho, O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso, Setjhaba sa South Afrika - South Afrika. |
(Sesotho) |
| Uit die blou van onse hemel, Uit die diepte van ons see, Oor ons ewige gebergtes, Waar die kranse antwoord gee, |
(Afrikaans) |
| Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land. |
(English) |
The first people to settle in South Africa
The Khoi Khoi and the hunter gatherer San lived in Southern Africa about two thousands years ago and archaeologist have uncovered artwork and implements believed to be the oldest in the world
Today they are called the Khoisan, and were skilled hunter gatherers and nomadic farmers who lived of the land. Even though they were here first, they are the most persecuted people even when apartheid fall in South Africa. The Khoisan became the most forgotten.
