Africa through space and time

Origins Atlas

Explore places, kingdoms, sites and people across the continent. Choose a country on the map or from the list.

Map of Africa

Africa: countries with atlas entries are links Modern country outlines for orientation, with major rivers and lakes. Every country and entry is also listed below the map.
Has atlas entries Site with a surveyed location Approximate location Territory with disputed status Modern borders shown for orientation only; historical kingdoms, peoples and cultural regions did not follow them. Map data: Natural Earth (public domain).

Country facts: South Africa

Country facts for South Africa, with year and source
FigureValueYear / dateSource
Population 64,747,319 2025 World Bank
Surface area 1,219,602 km² 2024 World Bank
Life expectancy at birth 66.3 years 2024 World Bank
Urban population 63.8% 2025 World Bank
Adult literacy rate (age 15+) 91.2% 2024 World Bank
Member of the United Nations since United Nations
African Union region Southern Africa joined the OAU/AU: 6 June 1994 African Union
World Heritage sites See the sites in South Africa on UNESCO’s World Heritage website UNESCO

Checked at the sources on October 24, 2026. World Bank figures are the latest available for each country (World Development Indicators, updated October 8, 2026) and are published under CC BY 4.0. UN and AU facts are as published on their member-state pages. UNESCO’s World Heritage list is linked rather than copied, because UNESCO requires written permission to republish it.

Atlas entries: South Africa

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