Forex Trading Business

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 subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.

Main Airports

Bloemfontein (BFN) (Bloemfontein International), Cape Town (CPT) (Cape Town International), Durban (DUR) (Durban International)

U.S. Embassy

877 Pretorius St, Pretoria; PO Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
tel: (27-12) 431-4000

Statistics

GDP: purchasing power parity:

$187.3 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity:

12,000 (2005 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4% (2005 est.)

Labor force:

15.23 million economically active (2005 est.)

Exports:

$50.91 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - partners:

UK 11.5%, US 9.5%, Japan 8.7%, Germany 6.6%, China 5.4%, Italy 4.7% (2005)

Imports:

$52.97 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - partners:

Germany 15.1%, US 7%, UK 6.9%, China 6.9%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Japan 5.9%, Iran 5.8%, France 4.4% (2005)

Population:

44,187,637 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.4% (2006 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line:

50% (2000 est.)

Major Industries:

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

Employing Workers: 87*

Registering Property: 69*

Enforcing Contracts: 43*

Closing a Business: 65*

*2006 World Bank rank out of 175 countries