Population: 43,586,097

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

Background: After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the...

Currency: South African Rand (ZAR, ZAR (7.64 = US$1))

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.