Exact population: 44,187,637 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Literacy: Total population: 86.4%; male: 87%; female: 85.7%

Ethnicities: Black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)

Area: Total: 1,219,912 sq km; land: 1,219,912 sq km; water: 0 sq km; note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

Land boundaries: Total: 4,862 km; border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

Terrain: Vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

Extremes: Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Imports: Germany 14.2%, US 8.5%, China 7.5%, Japan 6.9%, UK 6.9%, France 6%, Saudi Arabia 5.6%, Iran 5% (2004)

Exports: US 10.2%, UK 9.2%, Japan 9%, Germany 7.1%, Netherlands 4% (2004)

Industries: Mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

Source: CIA World Factbook