Important Export For South Africa example essay topic

The republic of South Africa LAND AND RESOURCES The republic of South Africa is located one the southern-most tip of Africa. It's bordered on the north by Namibia, Bost wana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland; on the east and south by the Indian Ocean; and on the west by the Atlantic ocean. South Africa occupies a land area of about 1,221,037 sq km (471,445 sq mi). SouthAfrica's population almost reached 39 million people in 1991.

SouthAfrica is a multiethnic, multiracial society comprised of 75.2% black Africans, 13.6% whites, 8.6% are known as coloureds, and 2.6% are of Asian decent. South Africa consists primarily of a great plateau, it takes up approximately two-thirds of the country. It reaches its great heights along the Drakensberg Mountains, a Mountain range that is part of the Great Escapement. The Great escarpment separates the plateau from the coastal areas of South Africa. There are three regions distinguished in the plateau: The Highveld, the Bushveld, and theMiddleveld.

The Highveld is characterized by mostly level or gently rolling ground. The Highveld covers the majority of the plateau and is mostly higher than 5000 ft above sea level. The northern limit of the highveld is marked by a great rock ridge called the Witwatersrand. The city of Johannesburg is located here.

North of the Highveld is the Bushveld or as also referred to the Transvaal Basin. The Bushveld averages some 4000 ft in height. This veld is characterized by basins and rock ridges which slope westerly toward the Limpopo River. The Westernmost section of the plateau is known as the Middle Veld it too slopes in a westerly direction and the average height is 3000 ft. Between the edge of the plateau and the eastern and southern coastline the landscape descends towards the sea in a series of abrupt, steep drop offs. There are also other Mountain Ranges in South Africa such as the Swat berg mountain range, the Langer berg mountain range.

SouthAfrica include parts of two major deserts, in the northwest the Kalahari Desert and a small section of the Namib Desert in the west. The major rivers of South Africa are the Orange, Vaal, and Limpopo. The Orange is the longest river in the country, it originates in Lesotho (a small country located inside of South Africa). South Africa happens to enjoy a mild yet temperate climate. Laden with moisture the Trade Winds bring about 35 inches of rain yearly to the Eastern Lowveld, the Eastern Uplands and as far west as the Drakensberg. The Highveld receives about 15 to 30 inches of rain annual.

The amount of annual precipitation decreases amazingly as you move west. On the western coast the annual rain fall often goes as low as 2 inches. The extreme Southwest receives 22 inches of rain annually, mostly because this region is dominated by the western winds that originate over thee Atlantic Ocean. The average daily temperature in January in Durban, which is located on a low lying part of the northeastern coast is about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The corresponding temperature in Johannesburg, in the north central area is about 66 degrees Fahrenheit. The average daily temp in January in Cape Town is about 69 degrees Fahrenheit.

The average daily July temperature in Durban is 62 degrees, 49 degrees in Johannesburg, and about 54 degrees in Cape Town. Peoples mentioned earlier South Africa is a multiethnic, multiracial country. Comprised of Black Africans, Whites, Coloureds and Asians. The income gap between blacks and whites is among the largest in the world.

The average household income for a white is more than 12 times that of the common black family. More than half the blacks in South Africa live below the poverty line. In rural areas the living standards gap is even larger. Due to residential segregation laws, whites generally live in the center of major urban areas, relatively close to the central business district, while blacks live in outlying townships. Incomes from the poorest 40% of black South Africans decreased significantly and steadily since 1975. Although on a better note the number of wealthy blacks has increased since 1975.

The official languages of South Africa are Afrikaans and English. English is the primary language for almost all whites and for some Asians and blacks. Most blacks though speak or use a Bantu language. About four-fifths of South Africans are Christians, mainly protestant.

Most Asians come from Hindu or Muslim decent. Blacks on the other hand belong to the Dutch Reformed church, and most. South African whites who speak English as their primary language belong to the Anglican, Congregational, Methodist, or Roman Catholic churches. South Africa has a Jewish community of some 120,000 members.

NATURAL RESOURCES The mining industry has been a leading segment of the Southafrica economy since the late 19th century, when the large-scale diamond and gold productions started. South Africa is very rich in mineral resources. Gold, coal and diamonds are the chief minerals mined in South Africa. Witwatersrand located in South Africa is the site of the richest gold field in all the world, it was discovered in 1886.

Diamonds are the other important source of mineral wealth SouthAfrica, most diamonds come from fields near the city of Kimberly. These diamond fields were discovered in 1870. Some of the other minerals found, mined, and extracted from South Africa are copper, nickel, platinum, asbestos, chromite, fluorite, phosphates, vanadium, tin, titanium, and manganese and iron ores. Agricultural South Africans severely restricted in crop raising because of the infertile soil and limited rainfall. Because of that almost all (85%) of the farmland is dedicated to raising livestock. The livestock includes sheep, goats cattle, hogs, and poultry.

Even though 85% is used for livestock they still produce all the crops that they need for food. The whites own the large farms while the blacks own the smaller less modern farms. Here are some figures on South Africa's estimated annual agricultural output in the early 1990's: sugarcane, 18.7 million metric tons; maize, 9.4 million; wheat, 1.8 million; grapes, 1.4 million; potatoes, 1.3 million; citrus fruit, 650, 00; sorghum, 400,000; and apples, 450, 00. Livestock included an estimated 29.8 million sheep, 11.8 million cattle, 5.8 million goats, 1.5 million pigs, and 37 million chickens. Forestry and timber production in South Africa comes mostly from stands of eucalyptus, pine and wattle planted under the forestation program of the government. The bark from the wattle tree, used in tanning products, isa very important export for South Africa.

In the late 80's annual timber harvest was somewhere around 27 million cu m (953 million cu ft). Inthe late Fishing is also one of the more important industries in SouthAfrica. The fish caught in the waters around South Africa are most commonly hake, anchovy, pilchard, herring, and mackerel. Most of the fish caught are processed into forms of fish meal.

In the 1990's annual fish catch was somewhere upwards of 536,400 metric tons. Prior tothe second world war manufacturing was of much less importance than mining and agriculture. After and during the second world war is when substantial expansion of manufacturing took place, and in the early 90's this specific sector of South Africa's economy contributed and estimated 25 percent to the gross domestic product of South Africa. Most of the money for this manufacturing expansion came from private sources and funds, both domestic and foreign. The leading manufactures of South Africa include the following chemical products, petroleum and coal products, tobacco products, processed food and beverages, transportation equipment, iron and steel, metal products, machinery, paper, and textiles. In the early 90's South Africa yearly export earned quite a bit more that its exports, this was most largely the result of great revenue from the foreign sales of gold.

Annual exports totaled approximately $23.1 billion and the imports to tall a so called$16.9 billion. Gold totals about 30% of the total annual value of exports, which also include metals and steel products, foodstuffs, diamonds and other precious stones, iron and steel, and chemicals. Major imports include machinery and electrical equipment, transportation equipment, chemicals, and foodstuffs. Their main tradingpartner's are and include Japan, Great Britain, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and the Netherlands. The railroad system, which links all main centers, is almost but not entirely owned by the state and is controlled by a government agency (the South African Transport Services Board). The country is also served by some 115,000 miles (185,000 km) of road, 30 percent of which a repaved.

Approximately 3.4 million passenger cars are in use. The major airline is South African Airways, and the country also is served by several smaller carriers and charter services as well as foreign airlines. South Africa's main seaports are located in the following cities CapeTown, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Saldanha, and Richard's Bay. Television Broadcast began in 1976. Telegraph, postal, and telephone services are operated by the government. Radio broadcasting is provided by the state-controlled South African Broadcasting Corporation, which produces many local programs in native black African languages.

Amazingly the country has more than 20 daily newspapers. GOVERNMENT South Africa is a parliamentary government that is split into three parts the legislature, executive, and judiciary branches much like are own. Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa at the first session of the new parliament. Thabo Mbeki was elected first deputy president and F.W. de Kl erk was named second deputy president.

Bibliography

1. Microsoft Encarta 1995, 95 edition 2.
Smith, Linda M. South Africa and its People, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: running press, 19733.