UMzantsi Afrika

UMzantsi Afrika, ngokusesikweni ubizwa ngokuba yirhiphabhlikhi yaseMzantsi Afrika (RSA), lilizwe elibuthume kwincakami yeAfrika. Ubukhulu bawo buziikhilomitha ezingama-2,798 kunxweme olunwebela lunxusa umzantsi wolwandle iAtlantika kunye nolwandle iIndiya.  Emantla nango ethe natya amazwe asebumelwaneni anjengeNamibia, i Botswana kunye neZimbabwe; ukuya empuma yiMozambique kunye naseSwazini; phakathi kwala mazwe kukho ilizwe laseLuSuthu, ingingqi engqongwe ziziphaluka zasemZantsi Afrika.  UmZantsi Afrika lilizwe elikhulu kakhulu kangangokuba libambe indawo yama-25 ngobukhulu bomhlaba kwihlabathi lonke jikelele, kwaye phantse zizigidi ezingama-53 zoluntu, lilizwe elibambe indawo yama-25 ukuba lelona lizwe laziwayo. 

 Amasiko 
UmZantsi Afrika sisizwe leentlanga-ngeentlanga elididiyelwe ngamasiko ngamasiko, ngeelwimi-ngeelwimi, nangeenkolo-ngeenkolo. Njengelizwe elingunozala weentlanga-ngeentlanga, oku kubonakala kakhulu xa umgaqo siseko ukwamkela ngokungazenzisiyo ummiselo wokusetyenziswa kweelwimi ezili-11 nje ngeelwimi ezisemthethweni kwiinkonzo zaseburhulumenteni, nekuzezona zinenani eliphakamileyo kunawo onke amazwe emhlabeni. Ezimbini kwezi lwimi imvelaphi yazo iseYurophu: isiNgisi nesiBhunu, isiBhunu lisiDatshi olusetyenziswa njengolwimi lweenkobe luninzi lwabamhlophe kunye nabebala kweli laseMzantsi Afrika. Nangona isiNgesi ilulwimi olusetyenziswa imihla-ngemihla kwiinkonzo zikawonke-wonke nakwiintengiso, lulwimi lwesine olusetyenziswa njengolwimi lweenkobe. [9]

 Abantu baseNingizimu Afrika 
Abantu abamalunga nama-80% kubemi boMzantsi Afrika ngabantu abantsundu nekungabantu abaziinzalelwane zeli,[3] baziintlanga-ngeentlanga, bathetha iilwimi-ngeelwimi zakwaNtu, eziluthoba kuzo zinikwe isidima sokokuba zibe ziilwimi zaseburhulumenteni ngokusesikweni.  ezinye iintlanga ezingekho kweli nani ngabahlali bezixekokazi zaseAfrika ngamaYurophu, ngamaamaAsia, kunye nabamvelaphi yabo ikwiintlanga-ngeentlanga. Onke amaqela ezi ntlanga-ngeentlanga neelwimi-ngeelwimi amelwe ngokwezopolitiko kweli lizwe, kumgaqo siseko osekwe ngokwentando yabantu, opalamente yawo uyiRhiphablikhi, nawo osithoba amaphondo. Okoko kwathi kwaphela urhulumente wocalu-calulo, ubumbejembeje ngamasiko-ngamasiko boMzantsi afrika bulenze bangumahluko eli lizwe latsho laziwa de labaluleka ngakumbi, njengoko bubonakalisiwe kwintetho enguMmnyama weSizwe omabala-bala.

 Ezoqoqosho 

Ngokwezoqoqosho ingeniso yaseMzantsi Afrika ibekwe kwinqanaba elingaphezu kwesiqingatha yiBhanki yeHlabathi, kwaye uMzantsi Afrika uthathwa nje ngelizwe elithi liseyimveku libe sele liphuhle ngokupheleleyo kwezoqoqosho. Uqoqosho lwayo lubambe indawo yesibini eAfrika, kwaye ngobukhulu libambe indawo yama-28 kwihlabathi.  Xa kuthethwa ngokuthelekiswa kwamndla okuthenga oMzantsi Afrika kunye nawamanye amazwe, uMzantsi Afrika lilizwe lesixhenxe kwathenga kakhulu ngokwengeniso  yonyaka eAfrika, nangona ubuhlwempu nokungalingani kwabantu ngokobuhlwempu nobutyebi busahamba phambili kweli lizwe, njengoko ikota yabantu ingaphangeli ibe iphila ngemali engaphantsi kwe-US$1,25 (R21,23) ngosuku.  Nangona kunjalo, uMzantsi Afrika uthe wachongwa njeamandla akwizinga eliphezulu ngokwehlabathi, yaza yahlala iliziko elinomfutho kwingingqi.

Igama elithi Mzansi, lisuka esiXhoseni kwisibizo esithi umzantsi, oko kuthetha ukuthi "mzantsi", igama elisetyenziswa ekuhlaleni mihla le eMzantsi Afrika.

 iJografi 
Umzantsi Afrika umi kanye ezantsi kwingingqi esingathi kusezinyaweni zelizwekazi i-Afrika, nonxweme lwayo olude nolugama walo utsaleke ngokungaphezulu kweekhilomitha ezingama-2,500 nolugudla iilwandle ezimbini (i-South Atlantic kunye nolwase-India)

 iReference