FIND OUT MORE. Decolonization 434 • Endangered Species 124 • Medieval Africa 394–395 • Social Equality 304–305
People and Places^245
ANGOLA
Capital city: Luanda
Population: 18 million
Official language: Portuguese
Major religion: Roman Catholic
NAMIBIA
Capital city: Windhoek
Population: 2.1 million
Official language: English
Major religion: Christian
SOUTH AFRICA
Capital city: Pretoria; Cape
Town; Bloemfontein
Population: 48.7 million
Official languages: Afrikaans,
English, African languages
Major religion: Various
BOTSWANA
Capital city: Gaborone
Population: 1.9 million
Official language: English
Major religion: Traditional beliefs
ZAMBIA
Capital city: Lusaka
Population: 12.6 million
Official language: English
Major religion: Christian
ZIMBABWE
Capital city: Harare
Population: 12.5 million
Official language: English
Major religion: Syncretic (Christian/
Traditional beliefs)
LESOTHO
Capital city: Maseru
Population: 2 million
Official languages: English, Sesotho
Major religion: Christian
SWAZILAND
Capital city: Mbabane
Population: 1.2 million
Official languages: English, Siswati
Major religion: Christian
MOZAMBIQUE
Capital city: Maputo
Population: 18.9 million
Official language: Portuguese
Major religion: Traditional beliefs
MALAWI
Capital city: Lilongwe
Population: 14.8 million
Official language: English
Major religion: Protestant
COMOROS
Capital city: Moroni
Population: 768,000
Official languages: Arabic, French
Major religion: Muslim
MADAGASCAR
Capital city: Antananarivo
Population: 19.1 million
Official languages: French, Malagasy
Major religion: Traditional beliefs
MAURITIUS
Capital city: Port Louis
Population: 1.3 million
Official language: English
Major religion: HinduIS SOUTHERN AFRICA CHANGING?
The end of apartheid in South Africa has led to huge
changes. Many problems still remain, such as poverty,
violence, high crime rates, and more AIDS-related
deaths than any other country. However, it is hoped
that initiatives such as the hugely successful FIFA
World Cup 2010 will improve the economy, create
jobs, and bring about positive change in the region.WHAT IS APARTHEID?
The word apartheid means “apartness” in the
Afrikaans language. It was a policy introduced into
South Africa by the government (in which only white
people were allowed to participate) in 1948 that said
that black and white people must live and work
separately. It caused great hardship to black people
and was widely condemned. Apartheid was abolished
in 1994 when South Africa became a multiracial state.NELSON MANDELA 3
A leading member of the African
National Congress party, Nelson
Mandela spent 27 years in prison
for his opposition to the whites-
only South African government.
He was released in 1990, and
after winning the Nobel Prize
for Peace in 1993, led his
party to victory in the first
ever multiracial elections in
South Africa in 1994. He
remained president of his
country until 1999.SOUTH AFRICAN TOWNSHIPS 1
Under apartheid, many black people were forced from their homes and
made to live in “townships” on the edge of cities, often far from their
work. The biggest of these was Soweto, short for Southwestern
Township. Living conditions here are poor, with few facilities.
1 BLACK RHINOCEROS
This baby rhinoceros will grow into a huge 3.6-m (12-ft) long adult with a
50 cm (20 in) ivory horn. Although it can run extremely fast – 48 km/h
(30 mph) – it is endangered because its valuable horn makes it a target
for ivory hunters unless it can be protected in a wildlife park.
2 TABLE MOUNTAIN
The flat-topped Table Mountain
overlooks Table Bay and the
South African city of Cape
Town. The parliamentary capital
of South Africa, Cape Town is
also a major port and a tourist
destination for visitors from all
over the world.SOUTHERN AFRICAsouthern
Africa