Southern Africa
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This article concerns the region in Africa. For the present-day country in this region, see South Africa; for the former country, see South African Republic.Southern Africa is the
southernmost region of the
African
continent, variably defined by
geography or
geopolitics. Within the
region are numerous territories â€" including the
Republic of South Africa, a successor
country to the
South African Republic (Transvaal Republic).
In the
UN scheme of geographic regions, five countries constitute Southern Africa:
*
Botswana*
Lesotho*
Namibia*
South Africa*
SwazilandThe region is often reckoned to include other territories:
*
Angola â€" also included in
Central Africa*
Mozambique and
Madagascar â€" also included in
Eastern Africa*
Malawi,
Zambia, and
Zimbabwe â€" sometimes included in Southern Africa and formerly of the
Central African Federation*
Comoros,
Mauritius,
Seychelles,
Mayotte, and
Réunion â€" small island territories in the
Indian Ocean east of the African mainlandThe
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"
Bantustans that were re-incorporated into South Africa following the end of
Apartheid in
1994.
Another geographic delineation for the region is the portion of Africa south of the
Cunene and
Zambezi rivers â€" that is, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and the southern half of Mozambique. This definition is most commonly used in South 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.
The region is distinct from the rest of Africa, with some of its main
exports 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,
corruption, and
HIV/
AIDS are some of the biggest factors impeding economic growth. The pursuit of
economic and
political stability is an important part of the region's goals, as demonstrated by the SADC.
The region has a broad diversity of ecoregions including
grassland,
bushveld,
karoo,
savanna and
riparian zones. Even though considerable disturbance has occurred in some regions from habitat loss due to human
overpopulation, there remain significant numbers of various
wildlife species, including
White Rhino,
lion,
leopard,
impala,
kudu,
Blue Wildebeest,
Vervet monkey and
elephant (which has grown vastly in numbers in the last decade tripling in population).
Southern Africa is home to many cultures and peoples. African tribes of the area include the
Zulu,
Xhosa,
Ndebele,
Tswana,
Pedi,
Venda,
Sotho,
Ndebele,
San,
Tsonga and
Shona peoples (though this list is far from exhaustive). The process of colonization and settling resulted in a significant population of European and Indian descent in many southern African countries.
