les age 15-49:
6,977,328 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 466,399
(2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2 billion (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (FY99/00)

Military - note: the National Defense Force continues to integrate
former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces

South Africa Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Swaziland has asked South Africa to open
negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African
territories that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long
ago part of the Swazi Kingdom

Illicit drugs: transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana,
and possibly cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's
largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally
from India through various east African countries; illicit
cultivation of marijuana

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@Southern Ocean

Southern Ocean Introduction Top of Page

Background: A decision by the International Hydrographic
Organization in the spring of 2000 delimited a fifth world ocean -
the Southern Ocean - from the southern portions of the Atlantic
Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends
from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude
which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit. The Southern Ocean
is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the
Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the
Arctic Ocean).

Southern Ocean Geography

Location: body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and
Antarctica

Geographic coordinates: 65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the
Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large
circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of
Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south
latitude and the coast of Antarctica, and encompasses 360 degrees of
longitude

Map references: Antarctic Region

Area: total: 20.327 million sq km

note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake
Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and
other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of the US

Coastline: 17,968 km

Climate: sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2
degrees Celsius; cyclonic