Southern Africa 459850 225194647 2008-07-12T11:41:07Z Motyka 4824008 /* See also */ {{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]]