4 things you didn’t know about South Africa

Located on the southernmost tip of Africa (hence the name) South Africa is one of the most beautiful, culturally diverse and exciting places on earth.

With around 52 million people living there, it has a rich history. But there are few things that you might not know about South Africa, and we’re going to look at them here…

It has 11 languages

Most countries have 1 or 2 official languages. But not South Africa. Because of its wide array of cultures and ethnic groups it has 11. Yes, 11.

There’s *deep breath* isiZulu, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Sesotho sa Leboa, English, Setswana, siSwati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Sesotho.

That’s more than the USA.

It has 3 capitals too: Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein.

Table Mountain has a lot of species of plants

Overlooking Cape Town, Table Mountain is one of the most famous landmarks in the country. It brings tourists in from all over the world, and the view from the top is said to be one of the best in the world.

You might not know however, that it has more species of plants on it than the entirety of the United Kingdom has. 1,500 to specific. The region it’s in is less than 0.5% of the area of Africa, but is home to 20% of the continents flora population.

It’s home to the ‘cradle of humankind’

Northwest of the largest city in the country (Johannesburg) you’ll find a 180-square mile chunk of land full of limestone caves. This was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because nowhere else on Earth have we found as many hominid fossils as they have in those caves. They date back 3.5 million years and the dig site is the world’s longest running.

It has the 3^rd highest level of biodiversity in the world

Two oceans, a wildly varying topography and prevailing winds have created an environment that has everything. From lush green forests to savannah deserts, you’ll see everything here.

Only Brazil and Argentina out do South Africa here.

So there you have it. 4 things you probably didn’t know about South Africa!