Mountain buzzardThe mountain buzzard (Buteo oreophilus) is a bird of prey that lives in montane forests in East Africa, it and the forest buzzard (Buteo trizonatus) of southern Africa were, until recently, considered to be a single species.
South AfricaCountry in Southern AfricaFlag Coat of armsMotto: "ǃke e꞉ ǀxarra ǁke" (ǀXam)"Unity in diversity"Anthem: "National Anthem of South Africa" Show globeShow map of South AfricaCapitalPretoria (executive)Cape Town (legislative)Bloemfontein (judicial)Largest cityJohannesburgOfficial languages12 languagesAfrikaansEnglishNdebeleSepediSesothoSetswanaSouth African Sign LanguageSwaziTshivendaXhosaXitsongaZuluLanguages with special statusKhoe languagesNamaKhoisan languagesGermanGreekGujaratiHindiPortugueseTeluguTamilUrduArabicHebrewSanskritEthnic groups (2022)81.4% Black8.2% Coloured7.3% White2.7% Indian or Asian0.4% otherReligion (2022)85.3% Christianity7.8% Traditional faiths3.1% No religion1.6% Islam1.1% Hinduism1.1% otherDemonymSouth AfricanGovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency• PresidentCyril Ramaphosa• Deputy PresidentPaul Mashatile• Speaker of the National AssemblyThoko Didiza• Chairperson of the National Council of ProvincesRefilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane• Chief JusticeMandisa MayaLegislatureParliament• Upper houseNational Council of Provinces• Lower houseNational AssemblyIndependence from the United Kingdom• Union31 May 1910• Statute of Westminster11 December 1931• Republic31 May 1961• Tricameral Parliament3 September 1984• Current constitution4 February 1997Area • Total1,221,037 km (471,445 sq mi) (24th)• Water (%)0.380Population• 2024 estimate 63,015,904 (23rd)• 2022 census 62,027,503 (23rd)• Density50.8/km (131.6/sq mi) (169th)GDP (PPP)2026 estimate• Total $1.071 trillion (33rd)• Per capita $16,740 (107th)GDP (nominal)2026 estimate• Total $479.964 billion (39th)• Per capita $7,503 (107th)Gini (2023) 63.0very high inequalityHDI (2023) 0.741high (106th)CurrencySouth African rand (ZAR)Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)Date formatShort formats: dd/mm/yyyydd-mm-yyyyCalling code+27ISO 3166 codeZAInternet TLD.zaSouth Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa.
FeatherFeathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and an example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They are among the characteristics that distinguish the extant birds from other living groups.
KwaZulu-NatalKwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulubantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province. It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean. It shares borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho.
Eastern CapeThe Eastern Cape (Afrikaans: Oos-Kaap; Xhosa: eMpuma-Kapa; Khoekhoe: Aiǂoas!hub) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). Due to its temperate climate and Victorian towns, it is a common location for tourists.
DrakensbergThe Drakensberg (Zulu: uKhahlamba; Sotho: Maloti; Afrikaans: Drakensberge) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – 2,000 to 3,482 metres (6,562 to 11,424 feet) within the border region of South Africa and Lesotho.
Common buzzardSpecies of bird of preyThe common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-sized bird of prey with a large range. It is a member of the genus Buteo in the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across much of the Palearctic as far as northwestern China (Tian Shan), far western Siberia and northwestern Mongolia. Over much of its range, it is a year-round resident.
MpumalangaMpumalanga (; Portuguese: Mepumalanga) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Nguni languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique and accounts for 6.3% of South Africa's total land area. It shares borders with the South African provinces of Limpopo to the north, Gauteng to the west, the Free State to the southwest, and KwaZulu-Natal to the south.
EswatiniCountry in Southern AfricaEswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini (historically called KaNgwane), also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa on all sides except the east, where it shares a border with Mozambique. At no more than 200 km (120 mi) north to south and 130 km (81 mi) east to west, Eswatini is the second smallest country in continental Africa.
EndemismEndemism is the state of a species being found only in a singular defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, the Cape sugarbird (Promerops cafer) is found exclusively in southwestern South Africa and is therefore said to be endemic to that particular part of the world.
LesothoCountry in Southern AfricaLesotho ( ; Sotho pronunciation:), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of the three sovereign enclaves. Lesotho is located in the Maloti Mountains, with the highest peak in southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km (11,600 mi), with a population of about 2.3 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.
Western CapeThe Western Cape (Afrikaans: Wes-Kaap [ˈvɛskɑːp]; Xhosa: iNtshona-Kolini; Khoekhoe: Huri!hub) is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is geographically the fourth largest of the country's nine provinces, with an area of 129,449 square kilometres (49,981 sq mi), and the third most populous, with an estimated 7.43 million inhabitants in 2022.
EucalyptusGenus of flowering plantsEucalyptus () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of Eucalyptus are trees, often mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including Corymbia and Angophora, they are commonly known as eucalypts or "gum trees". Species of Eucalyptus have bark that is either smooth, fibrous, hard, or stringy and leaves that have oil glands.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.