Interesting facts about South Africa
South Africa is a richly diverse country, lovingly referred to as the “Rainbow Nation”. A wide variety of cultures, landscapes, traditions and colourful history make the country well deserving of this name, appointed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1994 to describe post-apartheid South Africa.
You’ve no doubt heard many famous facts about South Africa, but here are 10 interesting facts you may not yet have stumbled across.
-
South Africa is classed as one of the top three biodiverse countries
With over 95,000 known species of plants, animals and ecosystems, South Africa is one of the richest countries in the world from a biodiversity standpoint. The unique physical topological location of its geography means that most of the country is built lying on high-lying plateaus between two contrasting oceans, which contributes to the country’s diversity of plants, animals and levels of endemism.
-
It’s the only country to have three official capitals
The South African government is divided into three divisions, each based in a different province creating three divergent capitals within the country: Pretoria being the administrative capital, Bloemfontein the judicial capital and Cape Town is the country’s legislative capital.
-
South Africa has the most official languages in the world
Proving just how diverse the South African people are, the country has 11 official languages, more than any other country in the world. These are isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda and isiNdebele. Although these are the eleven languages with recognized official status there are at least 35 indigenous languages spoken throughout South Africa.
-
South Africa is home to one of the oldest mountains in the world
One of South Africa’s most famous attractions, Table Mountain, around 300 million years old, making it one of the oldest mountains in the world. The iconic landmark’s layers of sandstone were flattened by ice sheets which is it came to be named Table Mountain.
-
Table Mountain is a unique ecosystem for flora and fauna
Home to over 1500 species of plants, this magnificent mountain boasts more flower species than England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales combined. It is also home to endemic and rare animals such as the “dassie” (rock rabbit) and the ghost frog.
-
Johannesburg – the largest man-made forest in the world
Originally an area of grassland, all of the trees in Johannesburg were planted in the 19th century to provide wood for the growing mining industry. Although hotly contested, today the city is considered by many to be the largest man-made forest in the world.
-
The longest continuous wine route in the world is here
Spanning a distance of 850km, South Africa’s Route 62 stretching from the Cape Winelands to the Klein Karoo, is the longest wine route in the world and a big tourist attraction for locals and foreigners alike. A top wine exporting region the country also ranks 8th among the largest wine-producing countries in the world.
-
South Africa’s annual fish migration is visible from space
Every year between May and July billions of small fish called sardines travel in shoals from the cold ocean off South Africa’s Cape Point to the warmer coastlines along the northern Eastern Cape and southern Kwa-Zulu Natal. Measuring up to 15 kilometres long these vast shoals of migrating fish, termed the “sardine run”, are so large they can even be seen by satellite from space.
-
South Africa is the only country to voluntarily dismantle its nuclear weapons
To this day South Africa remains the only country to have built its own nuclear weapons and disarmed them of its own accord in 1993. The country then joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear-weapon state under F.W. de Klerk’s rule.
-
It’s home to the Cradle of Humankind
The Cradle of Humankind is a rich paleoanthropological site in South Africa where many fossils, tools, and other traces of early humans have been found, making it famous for being the birthplace of humankind. It is one of the ten official UNESCO world heritage sites found in the country, with other notable UNESCO sites including geological wonders, nomadic cultural landscapes, and historic buildings linked to freedom over oppression and the triumph of democracy.
These ten lesser-known facts about South Africa are but a few examples of the fascinating natural and historical uniqueness of this vibrant country that sits at the southern tip of Africa.
Do you have any interesting facts about South Africa to share with our readers? If so, add your voice to the comments box below.
