The diverse communities, however, have not had much representation for long.

OVERVIEW

Until 1994 South Africa was ruled by a white minority which considered itself superior, and which was so determined to hang onto power that it took activists most of last century before they succeeded in their fight to get rid of apartheid and extend democracy to the rest of the population.

The white governments had grand social engineering schemes which separated the races and involved the forced resettlement of hundreds of thousands of people. They poisoned and bombed opponents and encouraged trouble in neighbouring countries.

 The apartheid government eventually negotiated itself out of power, and the new leadership encouraged reconciliation. But the cost of the years of conflict will be paid for a long time yet, not least in terms of lawlessness, social disruption and lost education.

South Africa faces major problems, but having held three successful national elections as well as local polls since the end of white rule, a democratic culture appears to be taking hold, allowing people at least some say in the search for solutions.

FACTS

• Population: 45.3 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Pretoria
• Area: 1.22m sq km (470,693 sq miles)
• Major languages: 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu
• Major religion: Christianity, Islam, indigenous beliefs
• Life expectancy: 45 years (men), 51 years (women) Monetary unit: 1 Rand = 100 cents
• Main exports: Gold, diamonds, metals and minerals, cars, machinery
• GNI per capita: US $2,780 (World Bank, 2003)
• Internet domain: .za
• International dialling code: +27

LEADERS

President: Thabo Mbeki

Thabo Mbeki was elected by parliament to a second five-year term in April 2004 following the landslide general election victory of his ruling ANC.

Mr Mbeki took over as president when Nelson Mandela stepped down in mid-1999, but he is considered to have in fact ruled the country almost since the ANC became South Africa's first democratically elected government in April 1994.

He was born in 1942 into one of the leading families of black politics and has been close to the heart of the struggle against apartheid all his life. His father, Govan, was a leading thinker in the South African Communist Party.

Mr Mbeki played a central role both in planning the armed insurrection that caused the first cracks in the edifice of white rule and in the talks that led to its end.

He has been criticised for questioning the link between HIV and Aids and for failing to condemn the land invasions in Zimbabwe.

• Deputy president: Jacob Zuma
• Foreign minister: Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
• Finance minister: Trevor Manuel

MEDIA

South Africa is the continent's major media player, and its many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population as a whole. Well-established state-run and commercial TV networks broadcast nationally, and hundreds of thousands of viewers subscribe to pay-TV services operated by major cable and satellite company Multichoice.

Deregulation in 1996 led to a proliferation of radio stations. Listeners in Johannesburg alone can choose from among some 40 radio services, from the national broadcasts of the state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to community stations targeting local neighbourhoods or ethnic groups.

The constitution provides for freedom of the press, and this is generally respected in practice. Laws, regulation and political control of media content are considered to be moderate and there is little evidence of repressive measures against journalists.

Newspapers and magazines publish reports and comment critical of the government and the state-owned SABC is far more independent now than during the apartheid era.

The press

• The Star - Johannesburg-based daily, city's oldest newspaper
• The Sowetan - Johannesburg-based tabloid
• Daily Sun - mass-circulation tabloid
• Beeld - largest Afrikaans daily
• Mail and Guardian - upmarket weekly
• Business Day - daily
• Financial Mail - business weekly
• Sunday Times - South Africa's oldest Sunday newspaper

Television

• SABC - state broadcaster, operates three national TV networks, two pay-TV channels
• e.tv - free-to-air commercial network
• M-Net - pay-TV, pan-African audience

Radio

• SABC - state broadcaster with 20 regional and national services in 11 languages, including: national English-language network SAfm; contemporary music station 5 FM; national Afrikaans station Radio Sonder Grense; national Zulu station Ukhozi FM; Sesotho station Lesedi FM
• Channel Africa - SABC's external radio service, targeted at the African continent
• YFM - popular Johannesburg commercial R&B, soul and hip-hop station
• 702 Talk Radio - Johannesburg commercial news and talk station

News agency

South African Press Association (SAPA)