South Africa is actually a rather large country covering over 471,011 square mile of land making it about one fourth the size of The United States. Countries that border South Africa include Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and Mozambique. Lesotho a small country is also located near the center of South Africa and is completely surrounded by South African borders.
The country is also divided into individual territories. South Africa contains 9 separate provinces, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Limpopo, North West, and Mpumalanga. These provinces also contain 52 districts with their own local governments. Large cities can also be found in South Africa, many with over 1 million people living in them. Just a few major ones are Johannesburg, Capetown, and eThekwini. Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa coming in with over 3,888,180 people.
South Africa’s geography is very unique. One feature that makes it unique is that most of the country is surrounded by ocean. Not just one ocean but the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. With over 1,500 miles of coastline going to the beach is definitely an option when in South Africa. Some other interesting geographical attractions in South Africa include Table Mountain a 2 mile wide plateau, and The Limpopo Highlands a small mountain range.
Since it is classified as a semi-arid country, droughts can be a very serious issue associated with South Africa, especially since the country only has two major rivers, The Limpopo, and the Orange River. With such a small amount of water, farming is not very popular in the country, with only about 12.1 percent of the land being arable and only about .79% of the land holding permanent crops.
Based upon its geography, South Africa seems like an interesting place not only to live but also to visit. Many natural attractions including beaches, mountain ranges, and national parks provide points of interest not only for residents but also for tourists. Based upon its geography I would say that South Africa is a unique country.
