Southern Africa
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Motyka
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{{for|the country in this region|South Africa}}
[[Image:LocationSouthernAfrica.png|right|thumb|350px|
{{legend|#00a000|Southern Africa ([[subregion|UN subregion]])}}
{{legend|#00d000|geographic, including above}}
{{legend|#00ff00|[[Southern African Development Community]] (SADC)}}]]
'''Southern Africa''' is the [[south]]ernmost [[region]] of the [[Africa]]n [[continent]], variably defined by [[geography]] or [[geopolitics]]. Within the region are numerous territories – including the [[South Africa|Republic of South Africa]], a successor [[country]] to the [[Union of South Africa]].
==Definitions and usage==
In the [[UN]] [[subregion|scheme of geographic regions]], five countries constitute Southern Africa:
* [[Botswana]]
* [[Lesotho]]
* [[Namibia]]
* [[South Africa]]
* [[Swaziland]]
The region is often reckoned to include other territories:
* [[Angola]] – also included in [[Central Africa]]
* [[Mozambique]] and [[Madagascar]] – also included in [[East Africa|Eastern Africa]]
* [[Malawi]], [[Zambia]], and [[Zimbabwe]] – sometimes included in Southern Africa and formerly of the [[Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland|Central African Federation]]
* [[Comoros]], [[Mauritius]], [[Seychelles]], [[Mayotte]], and [[Réunion]] – small island territories in the [[Indian Ocean]] and near [[East Africa]] mainland.
The [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and [[Tanzania]], though more commonly reckoned in Central and Eastern Africa respectively, are occasionally included in Southern Africa. ''Apropos'', the [[Southern African Development Community]] (SADC) was established in 1980 to facilitate co-operation in the region, which includes all of the above except Comoros (totalling 15 members).
The [[Southern African Customs Union]] (SACU), created in 1969, comprises the five countries in the UN subregion of Southern Africa.
The term ''Southern Africa'' was also used to refer to South Africa and the "independent" [[Bantustan]]s that were re-incorporated into South Africa following the end of [[Apartheid]] in [[1994]]. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
Another geographic delineation for the region is the portion of Africa south of the [[Cunene River|Cunene]] and [[Zambezi]] rivers – that is, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and the southern half of Mozambique. This definition is most commonly used in South Africa. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
==Geography==
[[Image:Composite satellite image of South Africa in November 2002.jpg|thumb|375px|A composite satellite image of southern Africa.]]
The terrain of Southern Africa is varied, ranging from forest and grasslands to deserts. The region has both low-lying coastal areas, and mountains.
In terms of natural resources, the region has the world's largest resources of [[platinum]] and the platinum group elements, [[chromium]], [[vanadium]], and [[cobalt]], as well as [[uranium]], [[gold]], [[titanium]], [[iron]] and [[diamonds]].
==Economy==
The region is distinct from the rest of Africa, with some of its main [[export]]s including platinum, diamonds, gold, and uranium, but it is similar in that it shares some of the problems of the rest of the continent. While [[colonialism]] has left its mark on the development over the course of history, today [[poverty]], [[political corruption|corruption]], and [[HIV]]/[[AIDS]] are some of the biggest factors impeding economic growth. The pursuit of [[economics|economic]] and [[politics|political]] stability is an important part of the region's goals, as demonstrated by the SADC.
==Environmental factors==
The region has a wide diversity of ecoregions including [[grassland]], [[bushveld]], [[karoo]], [[savanna]] and [[riparian zone]]s. Even though considerable disturbance has occurred in some regions from habitat loss due to human [[overpopulation]], and there remain significant numbers of various [[wildlife]] species, including [[White Rhino]], [[lion]], [[leopard]], [[impala]], [[kudu]], [[blue Wildebeest]], [[Vervet monkey]] and [[elephant]].
==Culture and peoples==
Southern Africa is home to many cultures and peoples. It was once populated by [[Bushmen|San]], [[Namaqua]] and [[Pygmies]] in widely-dispersed concentrations. Due to the [[Bantu expansion]] which edged the previous peoples to the more remote areas of the region, the majority of ethnic groups in this region, including the [[Zulu]], [[Xhosa]], [[Swazi]], [[Ndebele]], [[Tswana]], [[Sotho people|Sotho]], and [[Shona people]], [[BaLunda]], [[Mbundu]], [[Kikuyu]] and [[Luo]], speak languages which share common [[Bantu languages|Bantu language]] traits. The process of colonization and settling resulted in a significant population of European ([[Afrikaners]], [[Anglo-African]]s, [[Portuguese Africans]], etc.) and Indian descent ([[Cape Malays]], [[Koreans in Africa|Koreans]], [[Tamil South Africans|Tamils]], etc.) in many southern African countries.
==See also==
*[[History of Southern Africa]]
*[[Sub-Saharan Africa]]
{{Regions of the world}}
[[Category:Southern Africa]]
[[af:Suider-Afrika]]
[[frp:Africa ôstrâla]]
[[zh-min-nan:Lâm Hui-chiu]]
[[be-x-old:Паўднёвая Афрыка]]
[[bs:Južna Afrika (regija)]]
[[bg:Южна Африка]]
[[ca:Àfrica Austral]]
[[cs:Jižní Afrika]]
[[cy:De Affrica (rhanbarth)]]
[[da:Sydlige Afrika]]
[[de:Südliches Afrika]]
[[et:Lõuna-Aafrika]]
[[es:África austral]]
[[eo:Suda Afriko]]
[[fa:جنوب آفریقا]]
[[fr:Afrique australe]]
[[ko:남아프리카]]
[[hr:Južna Afrika (regija)]]
[[he:אפריקה הדרומית]]
[[id:Afrika bagian selatan]]
[[is:Sunnanverð Afríka]]
[[it:Africa del Sud]]
[[sw:Afrika ya Kusini]]
[[ht:Afrik disid (zòn)]]
[[hu:Dél-Afrika (régió)]]
[[mk:Јужна Африка]]
[[ms:Selatan Afrika]]
[[nl:Zuidelijk Afrika]]
[[ja:南部アフリカ]]
[[no:Sørlige Afrika]]
[[pl:Afryka Południowa]]
[[pt:África Austral]]
[[ru:Южная Африка]]
[[sq:Afrika jugore]]
[[sk:Južná Afrika (časť)]]
[[sr:Јужна Африка (регија)]]
[[sh:Južna Afrika (regija)]]
[[fi:Etelä-Afrikka (alue)]]
[[sv:Södra Afrika]]
[[tl:Katimogang Aprika]]
[[th:แอฟริกาใต้ (ภูมิภาค)]]
[[vi:Nam Phi (khu vực)]]
[[tr:Güney Afrika (bölge)]]
[[uk:Південна Африка]]
[[vec:Africa del Sud]]
[[wo:Bëj-saalumu Afrig]]
[[yo:Apa Guusu Afrika]]
[[zh:南部非洲]]