Long-form name: Republic of South Africa; abbreviated RSA

Type: republic

Capital: administrative, Pretoria; legislative, Cape Town; judicial, Bloemfontein

Administrative divisions: 4 provinces; Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal; there are 10 homelands not recognized by the US--4 independent (Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, Venda) and 6 other (Gazankulu, Kangwane, KwaNdebele, KwaZulu, Lebowa, Qwaqwa)

Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)

Constitution: 3 September 1984

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Republic Day, 31 May (1910)

Branches: state president is chief of state, head of government, and chairman of Cabinet; tricameral legislature--House of Assembly (whites), House of Representatives (Coloreds), and House of Delegates (Indians) elected directly by respective racial electorates; judiciary maintains substantial independence of government influence

Leader: @m5Chief of State and Head of Government State President Frederick W. DE KLERK (since 6 September 1989, previously Acting State President since 15 August 1989)

Suffrage: general suffrage limited to whites over 18 (17 in Natal Province) and to Coloreds and Indians over 18

Elections: must be held at least every five years; last white election held 6 September 1989; last Colored and Indian election held August 1984

Political parties and leaders: white political parties and leaders--National Party (NP), Frederik W. de Klerk; Progressive Federal Party (PFP), Zach De Beer; Conservative Party (CP), Dr. Andries P. Treurnicht (official opposition party); Herstigte National Party (HNP), Jaap Marais; National Democratic Movement (NDM), Wynand Malan; Independent Party (IP), Denis Worrall; New Republic Party (NRP), Bill Sutton--now dissolved but still holds a seat; Colored political parties and leaders--Labor Party, Allan Hendrickse (majority party); Democratic Reform Party, Carter Ebrahim; People's Congress Party, Peter Marais; Indian political parties and leaders--New Solidarity, J. N. Reddy (majority party), National People's Party, Amichand Rajbansi

Voting strength: (May 1987 election) total white parliamentary seats--178 (166 elected, 12 nominated or appointed); NP, 132 seats (52.6%); CP, 23 seats (26.6%); PFP, 17 seats (14.1%); NDM, 3; NRP, 1 (1.9%); IP, 1 seat (1.3%); HNP, no seat, (3.5%)

Communists: small Communist party illegal since 1950; party in exile maintains headquarters in London, Daniel Tloome (Chairman) and Joe Slovo (General Secretary)

Other political groups: (insurgent groups in exile) African National Congress (ANC), Oliver Tambo; Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), Zephania Mothopeng

Member of: CCC, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IHO, ILZSG, IMF, INTELSAT, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, Southern African Customs Union, UN, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG (membership rights in IAEA, ICAO, ITU, WHO, WIPO, and WMO suspended or restricted)

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Piet G. J. KOORNHOF; Chancery at 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-4400; there are South African Consulates General in Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, Houston, and New York; US--Ambassador Edward J. PERKINS; Embassy at Thibault House, 225 Pretorius Street, Pretoria; telephone Õ27å (12) 28-4266; there are US Consulates General in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg

Flag: actually four flags in one--three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side

NOTE: The information regarding South Africa on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of South Africa Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about South Africa Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.