s, and health and educational
standards equal to those of Western Europe. In contrast, most of the
remaining population suffers from the poverty patterns of the Third
World, including unemployment, lack of job skills, and barriers to
movement into higher-paying fields. Inputs and outputs thus do not move
smoothly into the most productive employments, and the effectiveness
of the market is further lowered by international constraints on
dealings with South Africa. The main strength of the economy lies in
its rich mineral resources, which provide two-thirds of exports.
Average growth of less than 2% in output in recent years falls far short
of the 5-6% level needed to cut into the high unemployment rate.

_#_GDP: $101.7 billion, per capita $2,600; real growth rate - 0.9%
(1990)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.4% (1990)

_#_Unemployment rate: 22% (1989); blacks 25-30%, up to 50% in
homelands (1988 est.)

_#_Budget: revenues $28.9 billion; expenditures $32.8 billion,
including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (FY92 est.)

_#_Exports: $23.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);

commodities--gold 39%, minerals and metals 33%, food 5%,
chemicals 3%;

partners--Italy, Japan, US, FRG, UK, other EC, Hong Kong

_#_Imports: $17 billion (c.i.f., 1990);

commodities--machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%,
oil, textiles, scientific instruments, base metals;

partners--FRG, Japan, UK, US, Italy

_#_External debt: $19.5 billion (July 1990)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for about
45% of GDP

_#_Electricity: 34,941,000 kW capacity; 158,000 million kWh produced,
4,100 kWh per capita (1989)

_#_Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold,
chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron
and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs

_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GDP and 30% of labor force;
diversified agriculture, with emphasis on livestock; products--cattle,
poultry, sheep, wool, milk, beef, corn, wheat; sugarcane, fruits,
vegetables; self-sufficient in food

_#_Economic aid: NA

_#_Currency: rand (plural--rand); 1 rand (R) = 100 cents

_#_Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1--2.5625 (January 1991),
2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685
(1986), 2.1911 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 20,638 km route distance total; 35,079 km of