<style type="text/css"> .no-show { display: none; } .disable-fade-in{ opacity: 1 !important; transform: none !important; visibility: visible !important; } </style>
Skip to main content
Go to CIA.gov
Explore All Countries

South Africa

Africa

Photos of South Africa

view 9 photos
Robben Island located in Table Bay, Western Cape province, South Africa. The island, 13 sq km (5 sq mi) in area, is 8 km (5 mi) west of the mainland and 10 km (6 mi) north of Cape Town. After early efforts at settlement, the island became a Dutch and then a British penal colony. The island eventually housed a leper colony from 1846 to 1931 and an insane asylum. From the mid-1960s to 1991, Robben Island served as South Africa’s maximum-security prison incarcerating prisoners for political offenses with the most notable, Nelson Mandela, being jailed for 18 years before becoming president of South Africa. The last of the political prisoners were released in 1991, though the island continued serving as a medium-security prison for criminal offenders until 1996. In 1997, Robben Island became a museum and a national monument, receiving designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.
Country Flag

View Details

Arrow Right Icon
Country Map

View Details

Arrow Right Icon
World Factbook Glyph
Special Country Products

Country Factsheet

Arrow Right Icon

Travel Facts

Arrow Right Icon

Africa Demographic Atlas

File Icon

View All Files

Arrow Right Icon
Locator Map

View Details

Arrow Right Icon
Contents

Introduction

Tip
World Factbook Glyph

Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Definitions and Notes
Arrow Right Icon

Geography

Area

comparison ranking: total 26

Area - comparative

Area comparison map:
Area comparison map

People and Society

Age structure

2023 population pyramid:
2023 population pyramid

Median age

comparison ranking: total 136

Population growth rate

comparison ranking: 90

Birth rate

comparison ranking: 82

Death rate

comparison ranking: 124

Net migration rate

comparison ranking: 104

Maternal mortality ratio

comparison ranking: 59

Infant mortality rate

comparison ranking: total 71

Total fertility rate

comparison ranking: 78

Tobacco use

comparison ranking: total 84

Education expenditures

comparison ranking: 27

Environment

Revenue from coal

comparison ranking: 3

Government

Economy

Real GDP growth rate

comparison ranking: 177

Real GDP per capita

comparison ranking: 128

Labor force

comparison ranking: 25

Unemployment rate

comparison ranking: 207

Public debt

comparison ranking: 44

Taxes and other revenues

comparison ranking: 38

Current account balance

comparison ranking: 189

Exports

comparison ranking: 43

Imports

comparison ranking: 43

Debt - external

comparison ranking: 11

Energy

Communications

Transportation

Airports

comparison ranking: 13

Railways

comparison ranking: total 8

Roadways

comparison ranking: total 11

Merchant marine

comparison ranking: total 86

Military and Security

Military expenditures

comparison ranking: 146

Space

Terrorism

Transnational Issues

Contents