South Africa in English translation. What country is South Africa? Features of the country and nation

    16 Oct.

    In fact, English is the first language of only 8% of the population, but it is becoming more and more important.

    During the apartheid regime (1948-1994) in the Republic of South Africa there were only 2 official languages ​​- English and Afrikaans - a variety of Dutch interspersed with French, German, Xhosa (Xhosa), Malaysian and Portuguese. However, the black population of South Africa spoke more English, considering Afrikaans the language of their main oppressor. English was a symbol of progress and prestige.

    Nowadays, English retains its leading position in South Africa. It dominates in business, finance, science, Internet communication, and is used in government, education, radio and television broadcasting, media, and the music industry. The country's president, Jacob Zuma, whose native language is Zulu, makes his speeches exclusively in English.

    But given the similar position of the English language in South Africa, can we say that it is close to one of the 2 dominant norms - British and American? To what extent do the vocabulary and phonetic structure reflect local color?

    South African English has constantly drawn from Dutch and Flemish, as well as many other languages ​​- local or introduced here as a result of European colonization. Due to this and other factors, communicating with South Africans may not be so easy: of course, South African English has vocabulary that is unique to this variety of English. This is usually attributed to Afrikaans or Zulu influences. Pay attention to the following words:

    • takkies, tackie or tekkie - sneakers (American) - trainers (British) - sneakers
    • combi or kombi - minivan, like the Volkswagen Kombi
    • bakkie - pick-up truck - pickup truck
    • lekker - nice - good
    • dagga - cannabis - marijuana
    • braai - barbecue - barbecue
    • jol - party - party.

    One of the features of the South African dialect, due to local color, is the use of the word "ja" [="yes"] (Afrikaans influence) in all situations where an English speaker would say "yes, yeah or well".

    South Africans also often say "ja-nee" (literally "yes-no", which means they partially agree with the point of view or opinion expressed). This combination is used everywhere, although it is recognized as a deviation from the language norm, and is not used in formal situations, for example, in court or during a job interview.

    On the other hand, there are words borrowed from both American and British English.

    With American words, everything is somewhat simpler: these are the well-known mom (in the British and Australian version mum), freeway or highway (British English "motorway"), cellphone (British and Australian English - mobile).

    The vocabulary that South African English owes to the British variety needs to be paid more attention to. For example, there are words common to British and South African English, but used with different meanings.

    Table 1. Features of South American English

    In addition, it often happens that words borrowed from British English have long gone out of use in Foggy Albion itself. This is, for example, geyser(=water-heater, boiler), robot(=a traffic light).

    There are other difficulties in communicating with South Africans. For example, if you are late for an excursion in the morning and order orange juice at a cafe, do not tell them to bring it to you just now, otherwise you risk missing the bus and getting to the place on your own.

    This is due to the fact that South Africans use both the word “just” and the word “now” in a non-standard way (compared to British and American norms). The combination “just now” does not mean “this very minute” (“now, this minute”), but “in a while” (“after some time”) or “later” (up to several hours). "Now now" can be used to refer to a period of time ranging from a few minutes to half an hour.

    This is how American Alexis Ditkowski, who works as a volunteer in South Africa as part of the Kiva program (microfinance for small businesses in third world countries with an underdeveloped banking system), describes her acquaintance with the expression “just now.”

    Table 2. Meaning of Just now in South American English

    I was making tea and asked my husband"s five year-old cousin if he"d like some.
    "Just now" he said.
    So I quickly made some tea, brought him a cup, and couldn't figure out why he was so surprised to see me and so disinterested in his cup of tea.
    "I wanted it "Just now", he said.
    "Right," I replied. "And I just brought it to you…."
    Fortunately, his mother intervened and informed me that “just now” doesn’t mean “right now”, nor does it mean “just a moment ago”.
    It actually means "perhaps in a bit" or "I"m not really interested but I"m going to put you off gently" or "yeah, that"s a nice idea - let"s leave it at that".

    The word "just" in relation to place also does not have a strictly limited meaning, as in British English. If you are told that the nearest ATM is “just around the corner”, “just there”, it is quite possible that you will have to walk several blocks in search of this money machine.

    As for the phonetic features of the language, they are so diverse and great that it would be quite difficult to tell about all of them. The task is complicated by the need to use purely linguistic vocabulary, which will certainly have a soporific effect on you. Therefore, as a “primer”, I will say that in many words that come from Afrikaans, the letter g is pronounced as -x, as in the Scottish word “loch” or the German “achtung”. You can judge for yourself other, no less interesting phonetic features of South African English ,

What association do you have when you hear the word “Africa”? Probably the same as mine. Desert, lions, elephants and wild tribes with bows. But Africa is also large cities, civilization and modern technology. And one of such modern and developed countries on the African continent is South Africa.

What country is South Africa?

South Africa- stands for " South Africa" This country is a whole kaleidoscope of nationalities. Lives here large white, Asian and mixed population in Africa. She has rich mineral resources and high enough developed economically. This the only African country which is included in The Big Twenty.

One of the most important events in history became apartheid regime, which lasted from 1 948 to 1990.Apartheid- This racial segregation policy white and black populations, that is, separate work, separate living, etc. At that time black population was almost completely limited in their civil rights.


Note for travelers

South Africa is a country that every self-respecting traveler needs to visit. Here beautiful beaches. For scuba diving enthusiasts there is a great opportunity to visit Coral reefs. And of course, who wouldn’t want to see it live? African five: elephant, lion, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard. I definitely want to! Best time for a holiday in South Africa - with October to April. Mostly climateT Here soft. takes one of the first places in terms of the number of sunny days per year. Therefore, you don’t need to take umbrellas with you. Tourist season lasts here all year round.


What to visit in South Africa

This country has many interesting places that make lasting impressions.

  • Kruger National Park. It is home to the largest number of wild animals in the world. There are also excursions here!
  • Table Mountain. This is a flat top mountain. You can get here by cable car.
  • Robbenaylan. This island is an open air museum and national monument. And he is also very dangerous for shipping. In the waters around the island lie still undiscovered treasures.

South Africa is explosive mixprimitive exoticism and modernity. Here civilization walks alongside nature.

South African Republic of South Africa (English Republic of South Africa; Afrikaans. Republiek van Suid Afrika), a state in extreme South Africa. Pl. 1221 thousand km²; 43.6 million people (2001). The capital is Pretoria, the head of state is the president, seat... ... Geographical encyclopedia

South Africa- unchangeable; and. [capital letters] South African Republic. * * * South Africa see Republic of South Africa. * * * South Africa South Africa, see Republic of South Africa (see REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICAN) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

South Africa- South African Republic Dictionary of Russian synonyms. South Africa noun, number of synonyms: 1 South African Republic (2) ... Synonym dictionary

South Africa- South Africa, uncl. abbrev., proper. Joking. South Azerbaijan Republic. rethinking. common use abbrev. "South Africa" ​​South African Republic... Dictionary of Russian argot

South Africa- South African Republic... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

South Africa- South African Republic Dictionary: S. Fadeev. Dictionary of abbreviations of the modern Russian language. St. Petersburg: Politekhnika, 1997. 527 pp.... Dictionary of abbreviations and abbreviations

South Africa

South Africa- Coordinates: 28°37′00″ S. w. 24°20′00″ E. d... Wikipedia

South Africa- a state in southern Africa. On May 31, 1910, the Union of South Africa was created, which included self-governing British colonies (Cape, Natal) and Boer republics (Orange Free State and Transvaal). On May 31, 1961 the country was... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

South Africa- Population 45.603 million people. Military budget $2.5 billion (2003). Regular aircraft 55.75 thousand people. Reserve 69.5 thousand people, including 13 thousand ground forces, 500 air force, 1 thousand navy, 55 thousand territorial troops. Recruitment: on a voluntary basis. Mobile resources 11.3... Armed forces of foreign countries

South Africa- uncl., w (abbr.: South African Republic) ... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

Books

  • South Africa in the economy of sub-Saharan Africa. Textbook, V. N. Shitov. The textbook highlights the historical features of the formation of the economic complex of South Africa, the position of South Africa in the agriculture and industry of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as national... Buy for 467 rubles
  • SOUTH AFRICA. Illustrated Guide, Brett M.. 408 pp. Nature Reserves. Vineyards. Beaches. Holidays. Crafts. Sport. - More than 1200 photographs, illustrations and maps. - Schemes and plans of all main attractions. - Hiking,...

South Africa (South African Republic) is the southernmost and richest country in Africa. The capital of South Africa (this is what it is usually called in everyday life) is the city of Pretoria. It's a little unusual that South African cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg are much larger.

South Africa is a very contrasting state. Its population is one of the most diverse in the world. Representatives of a large number of nationalities live here; the number of white people and Asians is the largest in the entire African continent. South Africa has also acquired the unofficial name “Rainbow Country” due to its national diversity.

The subsoil of the Republic of South Africa is very rich in minerals and diamonds against the backdrop of widespread poverty throughout the continent. While the tribes of central Africa continue centuries-old wars, South Africa has become one of the most peaceful countries, voluntarily giving up its nuclear weapons. This country remembers its bloody history - the struggle of oppressed nationalities against apartheid.

History of the South African Republic

The Dutch were the first to colonize these lands. They founded the Cape Colony. But in 1806 this land was reclaimed by Great Britain. Dutch settlers had to move deeper into the continent.

For about 100 years, Great Britain pursued a policy similar to genocide - the black population was oppressed and sometimes simply exterminated. After independence, the situation did not change - representatives of the white race, mainly descendants of Dutch, French and German settlers, came to power. Although they were a national minority, nevertheless, power was concentrated in their hands and they began to pursue the policy of apartheid in South Africa.

For example, the Bantu people could only live in a territory specially allocated for them, and to leave these reservations it was necessary to obtain special permission. The social obligations of the state were completely different for blacks and non-blacks. So in South Africa there was separate healthcare and education for blacks. The apartheid government claimed that the level of social services for the black population was on par with whites, but this was completely contrary to the true state of affairs. Often blacks were even deprived of political rights. In 1974, a large part of the black population was stripped of their citizenship. It is interesting that all the legislative acts aimed at oppressing the black population took place at a time when segregation began to be abandoned throughout the world.

The fight against apartheid became one of the main directions in the work of the UN in the 1970s and 1980s.

One of the main fighters against apartheid was Nelson Mandella, who was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Interestingly, after the fall of the regime, the white population in South Africa almost halved.

However, millions of black South Africans still live in poverty and without adequate education. These segments of the population join the army of street criminals, which is one of the main problems of the modern Republic of South Africa.

Geography of South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is located in the very south of the African continent. With an area of ​​1,1221,038 sq. km in terms of area, this country is ranked 24th in the world. The highest point in South Africa is Mount Njesuti, which is located in the mountain range with the poetic name of the Drakensberg Mountains. The length of the coastline is 2798 sq. km

The climatic zones of the Republic of South Africa are striking in their diversity. From the arid Namib Desert to the subtropical Indian Ocean coast. The east of South Africa is mostly mountainous - this is where the Drakensberg Mountains are located. This may probably sound funny, but here, in the south of the hottest continent, skiing is thriving.

The southwest of South Africa has an extremely pleasant climate, very similar to the Mediterranean. Famous South African wine is produced here.

In the very south of South Africa is the infamous Cape of Good Hope and the southernmost point of Africa

In terms of borders, South Africa is a unique state: Lesotho is located entirely within South Africa. Also in the north, South Africa borders Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Zimbabwe

Beaches of South Africa

South Africa can be proud of such wonderful beaches that it is almost impossible to find similar ones in the world. The ocean temperature during the season will please even the most fastidious tourist. The beaches of Port Elizabeth and East London are very good for surfing. One of the most famous beaches in the country, Cape Vidal is famous for its sand the color of snow. But undoubtedly the most beautiful is the Wild Coast beach located in the Eastern Cape province. Rocks and raging waves crashing against them are a spectacle of unprecedented beauty that attracts tourists. In addition, there is a large penguin colony on the coast of South Africa.

Population of South Africa

The Republic of South Africa has a population of 51.8 million people (according to 2010 data). In the modern demography of South Africa, two trends have emerged - a strong outflow of the white population to Europe, Australia and North America and a huge influx of dark-skinned people from other African countries. The country's population is practically not growing due to the massive spread of HIV infection (one of the highest levels in the world). At the same time, the mortality rate exceeds the birth rate, and a slight dynamics of population growth is present only due to mass migration from other countries.

80% of the South African population is black. About 9% are mulattoes, the same number are white. Indians and Asians about 2.5%

Of the blacks, the most numerous are:

  • Zulus – 38%
  • Soto – 28%
  • Kosa – 11.5%
  • Tswana - 6.6%.
  • Tsonga and Shangaan - 6.6%
  • There are also Bushmen and Hoggentoth societies.

The literacy rate of the population is one of the highest in Africa - about 86%. (about equally split between men and women. This female literacy rate is the highest in Africa)

Most of the population professes various movements of Christianity (of which there are many here). Including about 35 thousand people are Orthodox Christians. The proportion of the Muslim population is low - less than 1.5%

In South Africa there is a huge contrast between the population living in good conditions (15%) and half living in poverty. The unemployment rate is about 40%. Every third worker earns less than $50 per month. Despite all this and the relatively unstable economic situation, the local population lives much better than in other African countries where terrible poverty reigns.

The average life expectancy is 50 years. However, in 2000 it was only 43 years. South Africa is a rare country where the average life expectancy of women is lower than that of men.

Economy of the Republic of South Africa

South Africa's economy is the most developed in Africa. Thanks to this, it is the only country that is not considered part of the Third World. In terms of GDP, South Africa ranks 33rd in the world

The currency of South Africa is the South African rand, which is equal to 100 South African cents.

In the depths of South Africa there are more than 40 types of metals and minerals. Gold, platinum, diamonds, coal, and iron ores are mined here. South Africa ranks first in the world in gold production.

In addition, South Africa is the center of African automotive manufacturing. BMW, Hummer, Mazda, Ford and Toyota are assembled in South Africa

In addition, the Republic of South Africa can be called an agricultural country. Grains, citrus fruits, corn, cotton, sugar cane, and many other crops are grown here. South Africa also has one of the world's largest populations of cattle and sheep.

One of South Africa's main imports is oil, which is not available in the country at all. The main trade relations of the Republic of South Africa are with the USA, China, Germany, Japan and the UK.

At the moment, the economic policy of the state is aimed at stabilizing the economy as much as possible.

  • Painting is very developed in the Republic of South Africa (compared to other African countries)
  • The famous group Die Antwoord comes from South Africa.
  • An ultra-marathon is taking place in South Africa, 90 km long.
  • Desiree Wilson, the first and so far only female Formula 1 driver, was from South Africa.
  • South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup
  • The famous Limpopo River is located here
  • South Africa is a major wine producer
  • The reservations where blacks lived during apartheid are called Bantustan.
  • South Africa has 11 official languages: English, Africanas, Southern Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, Tswana, Swazi, Venda, Tsonga.
  • Black racists call the country Azania
  • It was on the territory of modern South Africa that the Transvaal and the Orange Republic were founded by the Boers. Subsequently, these dwarf states desperately resisted British colonization, which delighted many contemporaries.
  • During apartheid, an employer could officially refuse to hire a black person because... he was black.
  • South Africa is the only country in Africa where homosexual marriage is legal.
  • The capital Pretoria is several times smaller than the large cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town.
  • More than 8 million tourists visit South Africa every year
  • The only Muslim community lives in Cape Town. These are Cape Malays who make up 6% of the city's population
  • One of the official languages ​​is Afrikaans. It is spoken by the descendants of the colonialists. It is a mixture of German, Dutch, English with numerous borrowings from many other languages.
  • Afrikaans are taught in some universities. Including the most prestigious university in South Africa, Stellenbosch.
  • The Republic of South Africa is a country of hunters. This is where the famous safari comes from.
  • South African currency exchange rate: 14.5 rand = one dollar