5-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 60.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 48.09 years

male: 47.64 years

female: 48.56 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.43 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 19.94% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 4.2 million (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 250,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: South African(s)

adjective: South African

Ethnic groups: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%

Religions: Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about
60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60%
of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%

Languages: 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English,
Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 81.8%

male: 81.9%

female: 81.7% (1995 est.)

South Africa Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa

conventional short form: South Africa

former: Union of South Africa

abbreviation: RSA

Government type: republic

Capital: Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and
Bloemfontein the judicial center

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State,
Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape,
Northern Province, Western Cape

Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)

National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Constitution: 10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified
by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then
President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3
February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

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: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16
June 1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June
1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government

head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note -
the