The Republic of South Africa occupies the southernmost parts of the continent. It is the only African country with an outlet on the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, which also provides it with a rich catch of fish. The southernmost point of the continent – Cape Agulhas, is located on the territory of RSA. Here are located the so called the Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains). They are part of the Royal Natal national park. At places the peaks of the mountain ridges reach 3,000 m above sea level. The western coastline of RSA is occupied by the Namib Desert, and in its northwestern end is the Kalahari Desert.

Nature in the RSA is distinguished by an exceptionally diverse plant and animal species. There are elephants, hippopotamuses, zebra, lions, etc. Many animals are protected in the 30 national parks. In the interior of the country there is greater precipitation, whereas in the desert regions the climate is hot.

The Tugela Falls - 947 m – are remarkable. They are located on the Tugela and are the second highest in the world.

Arable lands are insufficient, but people grow here sugar cane, vegetables, potatoes, etc. The country is famous for its high quality citrus fruits and the valuable grapes sorts. The RSA is among the leading producers of wine the world – about 1 bln l per year. By the number of flower plantations the RSA is among the first in the world – over 20,000 species of flower plants are grown here.

The RSA is the most industrialised country in Africa. Cape town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Durban are the most important industrial centres, with plants of the chemical, textile, machine building, electronic and military industries. The RSA is a leading world producer of gold. The Savuka mine and the Mponeng mine are among the deepest gold mines in the world – at 3,500 m depth. The country takes the top place in the world by extraction of platinum, manganese, chrome and diamonds.

Johannesburg was founded in 1886 as a mining settlement for gold extraction. The largest city Cape town is the capital of the RSA, one of its major ports and the biggest trade centre.

The RSA is a multinational country, in which 11 official languages are recognised but much more are spoken. The struggle of the black population for human rights has been long. The party of the African National Congress, which fought against the apartheid and racism, was banned, and its leader Nelson Mandela was thrown in prison. With the intervention of the UN the apartheid regime was denounced and in 1994 for the first time here there were general elections and Nelson Mandela became the first black President.