Fun Facts About SA!

With less than a month left, I realize that I haven't done a post on the most simple facts about South Africa! After being here for four months, it's time that I share some of the things I have learned! 

This is the national flag of South Africa. It was adopted in 1994 after the end of Apartheid. Since SA was becoming a new country, they needed a new flag to complete the image. 

The national flower is the protea. 

The national animal is the Springbok, which is also the name of the national rugby team. 

The Springboks (of locally known as the "boks") are the national rugby team. They are known for their green and gold jerseys. The Boks are internationally known as one of the strongest rugby teams in the world. They have won the Rugby World Cup (which is held every five years, the next being 2015 in England) twice in 1995 and 2007 and have usually made an appearance in the semi-finals or finals. The 1995 victory was such a big deal because it happened only a year after Apartheid ended and South Africa hosted the tournament that year. The movie Invictus was based off of that World Cup. Other rugby powerhouses include New Zealand, Australia, and England. 

Nelson Mandela with Springbok's captain Francois Pienaar after the Springboks won the 1995 Rugby World Cup held in South Africa. The movie Invictus was based off of this series (watch it if you have a second-- besides the terrible accents, it's pretty good).

There are nine providences in SA: Western Cape, Eastern Cape (where I live!), Northern Cape, Northwest, Kwazulu-Natal, Free State, Limpopo, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga.

The current president is Jacob Zuma. He was elected into power in 2009 and is the leader of the ANC (African National Congress) party (the same party that Mandela was apart of). Zuma has faced significant legal challenges in the past few years. In 2005 he was charged with rape, but was acquitted. In addition, he has fought a long legal battle over allegations of racketeering and corruption. Zuma is a polygamist who has been married six times and is estimated to have somewhere near 20 children. 

One thing I have found so interesting is the cultual differences in regards to political leaders. Needless to say, we in the States would never have a president who had been accused of rape, had multiple wives, and have faced severe corruption charges for multiple years. There is much more of a separation between one's private and public lives than there is in the States. Here, what Zuma does at home is his own business and does not impact his ruling. While this is a vast generalization I have found it interesting that he was even elected in the first place. While im sure there are many who speak out against Zuma, he is still in power. 

South Africa is also the only country with two other countries inside of it. Both Swaziland and Lesotho reside inside South Africa's boundaries. 

South Africa is home to the "big 5" (lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, and rhinos).

Table Mountain (located in Cape Town--which I climbed!) is one of the seven new natural wonders of the world.

 The other seven include: 
1. The Amazon
2. Halong Bay (Vietnam)

3. Iguazu Falls (One of the largest waterfalls in the world. Located on the Iguazu Rive, the falls are on the border of Brazil and Argentina)

4. Jeju Island (South Korea-- A volcanic island, 130km from the coast of Korea)

5. Komodo National Park (Indonesia. National Park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon but is now dedicated to protecting other species such as marine animals)

6. Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines) 

 While there are many more amazing facts about this incredible country, this is it for now!