on: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 87%
female: 85.7% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

5.4% of GDP (2006)

Government
South Africa

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:

name: Pretoria (administrative capital)
geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial
capital)

Administrative divisions:

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape

Independence:

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British
colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31
May 1961 (republic declared) 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

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 4
February 1997

Legal system:

based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 25 September
2008); Executive Deputy President Baleka MBETE (since 25 September
2008); note - Thabo MBEKI resigned as president effective 25
September 2008; the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 25 September
2008); Executive Deputy President Baleka MBETE (since 25 September
2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on
25 September 2008 (next to be held in April 2009); note - Kgalema
MOTLANTHE is serving out the term of Thabo MBEKI
election results: Kgalema MOTLANTHE elected president; National
Assembly vote - Kgalema MOTLANTHE 269, Joe SEREMANE 50, other 41;
note - Thabo MBEKI resigned as president effective 25 September