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South Africa with information on Travel to South Africa, Information for South Africa, Adventure Tours for over 35's, Tours South Africa, Vacations in South Africa, Holidays in South Africa, Safaris in South Africa, Safari South Africa |
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South Africa has a generally temperate climate, due in part to it being surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides, by its location in the climatically milder southern hemisphere and due to the average elevation rising steadily towards the north (towards the equator) and further inland. Due to this varied topography and oceanic influence, a great variety of climatic zones exist. |
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The climatic zones vary, from the extreme desert of the southern Namib in the farthest northwest to the lush subtropical climate in the east along the Mozambique border and the Indian ocean. From the east, the land quickly rises over a mountainous escarpment towards the interior plateau known as the Highveld. Even though South Africa is classified as semi-arid, there is considerable variation in climate as well as topography. The interior of South Africa is a vast, rather flat, and sparsely populated scrubland, Karoo, which is drier towards the northwest along the Namib desert. In contrast, the eastern coastline is lush and well-watered, which produces a climate similar to the tropics. The extreme southwest has a climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean with wet winters and hot, dry summers, hosting the famous Fynbos Biome. This area also produces much of the wine in South Africa. This region is also particularly known for its wind, which blows intermittently almost all year. The severity of this wind made passing around the Cape of Good Hope particularly treacherous for sailors, causing many shipwrecks. Further east on the south coast, rainfall is distributed more evenly throughout the year, producing a green landscape. This area is popularly known as the Garden Route. |
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SOCIETY AND CULTURE |
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South African cuisine is heavily meat-based and has spawned the distinctively South African social gathering known as a braai, or barbecue.
South Africa has also developed into a major wine producer, with some of the best vineyards lying in valleys around Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl and Barrydale
There is great diversity in music from South Africa. Many black musicians who sang in Afrikaans or English during apartheid have since begun to sing in traditional African languages, and have developed a unique style called Kwaito. Of note is Brenda Fassie, who launched to fame with her song "Weekend Special", which was sung in English.
More famous traditional musicians include Ladysmith Black Mambazo, while the Soweto String Quartet performs classic music with an African flavour.
White and Coloured South African singers are historically influenced by European musical styles including such western metal bands such as Seether (formerly Saron Gas).
South Africa has produced world-famous jazz musicians, notably Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa, Abdullah Ibrahim, Miriam Makeba, Jonathan Butler, Chris McGregor, and Sathima Bea Benjamin.
Afrikaans music covers multiple genres, such as the contemporary Steve Hofmeyr and the punk rock band Fokofpolisiekar. Crossover artists such as Johnny Clegg and his bands Juluka and Savuka have enjoyed various success underground, publicly, and abroad. |
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South Africa information, Travel South Africa, Information South Africa, Adventure Tours for over 35's, Tours South Africa, Vacations South Africa, Holidays South Africa, Safaris South Africa, Safari South Africa, South Africa history, South Africa provinces, South Africa climate |
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SPORTS |
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South Africa will be the host nation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which will be the first time the tournament is held on the African continent.
The main sports in South Africa are soccer, rugby, cricket, boxing and lawn bowls.
Other sports with significant support are swimming, golf and netball. Basketball, surfing and skateboarding are popular among the youth.
Famous boxing personalities include Baby Jake Jacob Matlala, Vuyani Bungu, Welcome Ncita, Dingaan Thobela, Gerrie Coetzee and Brian Mitchell.
Football players who have excelled in international clubs include Lucas Radebe of Leeds United and Quinton Fortune, formerly of Manchester United, Benni McCarthy and Aaron Mokoena of Blackburn Rovers and Steven Pienaar of Everton.
South Africa produced Formula 1 motor racing's 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter.
South Africa hosted and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup at their first attempt and again won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. South Africa was only allowed to participate from 1995 since the end of Apartheid. It followed the 1995 Rugby World Cup by hosting and winning the 1996 African Cup of Nations football tournament. It also hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup and the 2007 World Twenty20 Championship.
In 2004, the swim team of Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, simultaneously breaking the world record in the 4x100 freestyle relay. Penny Heyns won Olympic Gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
In golf, Gary Player is generally regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, having won the Career Grand Slam, one of five golfers to have done so. Other South African golfers to have successfully won a major tournament include Bobby Locke, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman.
South Africa also had a team represented in the 2006 World Baseball Classic going 0-3 with losses from the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
South Africa will also participate in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. |
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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Africa information, Travel South Africa, Information South Africa, Adventure Tours for over 35's, Tours South Africa, Vacations South Africa, Holidays South Africa, Safaris South Africa, Safari South Africa, South Africa history, South Africa provinces, South Africa climate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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