Geography Of South Africa

Location	Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Geographic coordinates	29 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references	africa
Area	total: 1,219,912 sq km land: 1,219,912 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island) water: 0 sq km
Area comparative	slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries	total: 4,862 km border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline	2,798 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Terrain	vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m
Natural resources	gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land use	arable land: 12.08% permanent crops: 0.79% other: 87.13% (2001)
Irrigated land	13,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards	prolonged droughts
Environment - current issues	lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements	party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography note	South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

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This information was reproduced in part from the CIA World Fact book.

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Geography Of South