Group+3

= = =Southern Africa =   Important Days Southern Africa has many important days that the residents of Southern Africa celebrate. These days are New Year’s Day (January 1st), Good Friday (The Friday before Easter Sunday), Easter Sunday (Third Sunday of April), Family Day (The Monday Following Easter Sunday), Worker’s Day (May 1st), Day of Reconciliation (December 16th), Christmas Day (December 25th), and Day of Goodwill (December 26th). The former important days of South Africa are Easter Monday (The Monday Following Easter, 1910-1979), Van Riebeeck’s Day (April 6th, 1952-1974), Founder’s Day (April 6th, 1980-1994), Worker’s Day (1st Friday in May, 1987-1989), Ascension Day (40th day after Easter, 1910-1993), Empire Day (May 24th, 1910-1951), Union Day (May 31st, 1910-1960), Republic Day (May 31st, 1961-1993), Queen’s Birthday (2nd Monday in July, 1952-1960), Family Day (July 10th, 1961-1974), King’s Birthday (1st Monday in August, 1910-1951), Settler’s Day (1st Monday in September, 1952-1993), Kruger Day (October 10, 1952-1993), Dingaan’s Day (December 16, 1910-1951), Day of the Covenant (December 16, 1952-1979), Day of the Vow (December 16, 1979-1993), and Boxing Day (December 26, 1910-1979). As you can tell in South Africa they celebrate countless events through out the year. =ANIMAL LIFE =

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Southern Africa has a rich and varied mammal life, with more than 200 species. Some of these species have not been found anywhere else in the world. Besides the most well known animals like lions, leopards, cheetahs, and elephants there are species such as rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, baboons, mongooses, jackals, various cats and many kinds of antelopes living in South African. During the expansion of white settlement and because of inappropriate government policies in the past many unique species turned to be endangered and today large indigenous mammals occur mainly in wildlife reserves. Some of these endangered species include De Winton's Golden Mole, Riverine Rabbit, Giant Golden Mole, Van Zyl's Golden Mole, Marley's Golden Mole, Gunning's Golden Mole, Juliana's Golden Mole, White-tailed Rat, Sei Whale, Blue Whale, Fin Whale, African Wild Dog, and Mountain Zebra. The five most commonly seen animals in South Africa are elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, and rhinos. There are many exotic animals that are found all over Southern Africa! ======

 Government Southern Africa has many kinds of different governments. Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique have a Republic government. Having a Republic government means that the people who live in those places can vote for who they want to be their president. Malawi has a Multi - Party Democracy while on the other hand Namibia has a Multiracial Democracy. Lesotho has a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy and Swaziland has a monarchy. Botswana is part of a Parliamentary Republic and Madagascar has a Multi - Party Republic. And last but, not least Zimbabwe has a Parliamentary Democracy and South Africa has a Constitutional Democracy. From all of this information you can see that Southern Africa has a variety of different governments.

 Famous People  There are many famous people who have lived and are living in Southern Africa. One famous surgeon would be Christiaan Barnard. Barnard was born on November 8. 1922 and then later on died on September 2, 2001. He lived in South Africa and has been the first person to perform a heart transplant in 1967. He also preformed the first double-heart transplant in 1974. Another famous person from Southern Africa would be Laughter Chilembe he is know as a great football (soccer-that’s what they call it in the USA) player. He is a defender on the Nchanga Rangers. He was born on November 25, 1975 in Zambia and is still alive today living his dream, playing soccer. Adolph Jentsch is known as a famous painter and sketcher in Namibia. He was born in 1888 and then later on died in 1977. He liked to draw and paint people, but he liked to paint landscapes most of all. Another famous well know person from Southern America would be Mswati III. He was born in Swaziland on April 19, 1968. He is at the head of the Swazi Royal Family and is now 33 years old. Many people in Southern America have accomplished many important things. 

 Economy  Some of South Africa’s major exports are platinum, diamonds, gold, and uranium. Corruption, poverty, and HIV/AIDS are some of the biggest factors impending economic growth. South Africa’s economy suffered for years due to economic sanctions imposed by foreign countries in protest against the nation’s system of apartheid. Today the country has a mixed economy with an agricultural sector, great mineral wealth, and a diverse manufacturing sector. 80% of the country’s total land area is available for farming. Mining is the country’s most important industry, and since the end of the 19th <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; display: block; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> century, the South African economy has been based on the production and export of its huge mineral reserves. South Africa today is the world’s largest gold producer, but this industry is facing long-term decline due to its high production costs and falling gold prices. About 1/6 of South Africa’s workforce is employed in the manufacturing industry. The country’s largest industries are metal products, chemicals, food and beverages, electrical machinery, motor vehicles, and textiles.

<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 0, 74); font-size: 160%; text-align: center; display: block;"> Religions   <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 74); background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); font-size: 110%; text-align: center; display: block;"> Some of the religions in the countries of this region are Christian, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodists, Baptists, Kimbanguist, Hindus, Zion Christian, and Pentecostal. Main religions are Muslim, Hindu, or Jewish. More Southern Africans practice Christianity than any other religion. They celebrate Christmas Day on December 25, and Good Friday and Easter in either March or April. **<span style="font-size: 16pt; color: rgb(255, 0, 110); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Southern Africa Landforms ** Southern Africa has many different landforms. Southern Africa has two deserts. One is the Kalahari Desert, the other is the Namib Desert. The Kalahari Desert is about 100,000 square miles in size and covers most of southwestern Southern Africa. The Namib Desert is on the coast of Namibia and also covers southwestern Angola. The Namib Desert is only 31,200 square miles and is the second oldest desert in the world. It is at least 55 million years old. There are also two small mountain ranges in the Namib Desert. They are the Kara Mountains and the Duns Mountains. The eastern part of Southern Africa is mostly savannahs and mountain ranges. Southern Africa has a wide range of landforms.

**<span style="font-size: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">South African Climate ** Southern Africa is supposed to be hit very hard by climate change from now and the next 70 years. This change will cut agricultural production in half. This climate change will effect many people because about 70% of the people who live in Southern Africa are farmers. The tempature is predicted to rise about six degrees celsious. There will also be 40% less rainfall than normal. Southern Africa will most likely have longer droughts and more crop failures. In some places the pastures will disappear because of water shortages. Natural disasters will be a lot worse than they are now. There will also be more pest outbreaks. The next 70 years will be hard for Southern Africa.

**<span style="font-size: 170%; color: rgb(6, 178, 150);">Southern African Mineral Resources **<span style="font-size: 170%; color: rgb(6, 178, 150);"> Southern Africa is very rich in minerals. They are very rich in gold and diamonds. Southern Africa also has many other minerals like hematite crystals, aquamarine, amethyst, schorls, garnets, hyalite, red iron oxide quarts, alexandrite, iron ore, fer, cobalt, uranium, coal, copper, manganese, Platinum, and mimetite. Most of these minerals are found in Namibia and South Africa. Southern Africa is truly a gold mine.

<span style="display: block; text-align: center; font-size: 170%; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Culture of southern Africa The people of southern Africa are referred to as the “rainbow nation” because of their cultural differences. The population of southern Africa is one of the most diverse and complex in the world. In southern Africa there are eleven official languages; English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Sepedi, Xhosa, Venda, Tswana, Southern Sotho, Zulu, Swazi, and Tsonga. The most popular sport among southern African men is soccer. Rugby is another very popular sport in southern Africa. They also play cricket and they surf. In southern Africa barbeque is widely popular especially cooking spicy sausages. Milk tart is very popular. Vegetarianism is becoming widely accepted.

ricky's link [] =<span style="font-size: 170%; color: rgb(233, 1, 229);"> Vegetation = Multiple eco-systems (grasslands, mountains, fertile coastal areas and deserts) the most famous vegetation group is the southern coast’s Cape Floral Kingdom, one of the smallest and most diverse floral eco-systems on the planet. Fynbos is the major vegetation type in the Cape floral region. It defines a series of shrubs and reedy plants with various shapes and sizes, but they all share small, leathery leaves. These include species of protea, (leathery leafed) Ericas (tny leafed), several variety of geranium (thick leafed) and Bruniacea, a group of plant families unique to the area. Southern Africa has many types of vegetation including corn, wheat, sugarcane, hay, citrus fruits, grapes, and potatoes. Corn is the biggest agricultural crop in southern Africa. There are ten vegetation zones that cover southern Africa. Some of them are the Kalahari Savannah, the Karoo Schrubland, and the Mixed Woodland area. The largest zone is the Kalahari Savannah, which has grasslands and small groups of trees and covers most of Botswana, Namibia, and Part of South Africa. The second largest zone is the Karoo Schrubland area that covers most of South Africa and is rugged in parts with canyons and valleys. The largest game parks in southern Africa are founding the Mixed Woodland area, which has grassland, many trees and mountainous vegetation areas. There are also many forests that are dominated by many large evergreen trees.

**//__ Historical influences __//** One of the most important historical influences in southern Africa is a man named Nelson Mandela. He was born in South Africa. You could relate him to America’s Martin Luther King Jr. He wanted black and white people to be equal. Like Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson stood up for all people to be equal. Nelson wanted the government to be fair, but he was put in jail for 27 years because he talked against the government. He got out of jail early because the government changed. When he got out of jail he became president. He is still alive today. The southern African government was also inspired by the American government.

<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; font-size: 170%; color: rgb(0, 139, 255); background-color: rgb(88, 255, 0);"> Southern Africa Interview McKenzie and Hanna – Interviewers Bryce - Duna, Ricky - Fudu, and Jack P - Kobe. – from Southern Africa Where – News station in America

Kenzie and Hanna – Welcome to the nightly news show! Kenzie – Today we are going to be interviewing some people from southern Africa. Hanna – So lets get started! (boys walk out)

Kenzie – So, what are your names? Bryce – My name is Duna and I come from Swaziland. Ricky – I’m Fudu and am living in Botswana Jack – My name is Kobe and I am from Madagascar Hanna - Well, welcome to our show! Would you mind if we ask you some questions? All boys – Nope!

Kenzie – Do you celebrate any holidays there or have any other special days there that we don’t have in America? Bryce – Well, most of the holidays you have there we celebrate here. Although we do celebrate our King’s birthday on April 19 and Boxing Day which is on December 26. Ricky – In our country we also celebrate your holidays along with Sir Seretse Khama Day which is on July 1. We also celebrate Botswana Day on September 30 and Boxing Day on December 26. Hanna – What do you celebrate on Sir Seretse Khama Day? Ricky – It celebrates the life of Botswana’s last prime minister during the colonial era and the independent nation’s first president. Jack - Where I live we celebrate Martyrs' Day which is on March 29. We also celebrate the basic holidays that you would celebrate in America.

Kenzie - What types of government do you have where you live? Bryce - In Swaziland we have a monarchy. Ricky - Well, where I live we have a Parliamentary Republic. Hanna - What is a Parliamentary Republic? Ricky- A Parliamentary Republic is a type of republic which operates under parliamentary system of government. Kenzie - What type of government do you have where you live, Kobe? Jack - In Madagascar we have a Multi - Party Republic. Hanna - Sounds interesting!

Kenzie - Do you belong to any religious group? Jack - Yeah, I am a Christian but some of my other friends are Muslim. Bryce - I was raised as a Roman Catholic. But, my dads ancestors were Zionist. Hanna - What about you Fudu? Ricky - I’m a Christian but most of my country doesn’t have a religion. Kenzie - What is the landscape like where you live? Ricky - There are two major deserts where we live. Bryce - Yeah, there are the Kalahari Desert and the Namib Desert. Jack - There are also two small mountain ranges in the Namib Desert. They are called the Kara Mountains and the Duns Mountains. Hanna - What about the eastern part of southern africa? Ricky - Savannas and mountain ranges make up that part of southern africa.

Kenzie - So, what is the climate like there? Bryce - It’s really hot and dry there. Jack - Everyone is saying how there is going to be a major climate change over the next 70 years. Ricky - A lot of the farmers will be effected by this because they think the rain fall will be 40% less than normal. Hanna - Do you think that there is going to be many droughts? Bryce - Yeah, we’ve been expecting that.

Kenzie - How is your economy there? Jack - We have a mixed economy and great mineral wealth. Ricky - Our economy has been based on the production and export of its huge mineral reserves. Bryce - And, one sixth of south Africa’s work force is employed in the manufacturing industry. Jack - The largest industries are metal products, chemicals, food and beverages, electrical machinery, motor vehicles, and textiles.

Hanna - Do you have any major mineral resources? Ricky - Yes, we are very rich in gold and diamonds. Bryce- We also have other resources like coal, iron ore, platinum, copper, and uranium. Jack - Also, most of the minerals that we find are from Namiba and South Africa.

Kenzie - What is your culture like in Southern Africa? Ricky - We are called the “Rainbow Nation” because of all the different cultures here. Bryce - People where I live love spicy food and are becoming vegitarians. Jack - In South Africa there are 11 offical languages. Hanna -Do you play any sports there? Bryce - Yeah, I love to surf. Ricky - My favorite spot is soccer! Jack - I would have to say mine would be rugby or cricket. Kenzie - Do you listen to any different types of music there? Bryce - Well, I listen to most of today’s music like rap and hip hop. Jack - There’s also a variety of other kinds of music like Afrikaans, instrumental, or jazz. Ricky - I like opera music the best!

Hanna - Have there been any famous people in Southern Africa? Ricky - One famous person that I look up to is Laughter Chilembe. He’s an amazing soccer player and a defender for the Nchanga Rangers. Jack - I’m amazed at Christiaan Barnard. He was the first person to preform a heart transplant in 1967. Even though he died in 2001 I still look up to him. Bryce - I am a fan of Adolph Jentsch. He painted landscapes and sometimes people too. Although he died in 1977 I still think he was a great artist.

Kenzie - Has there been any historical influences that have changed your world today in southern Africa? Jack - I’d have to say that the most important influence in southern Africa would have to be Nelson Mandela. Bryce - He was born in South Africa and wanted human rights. He spoke out about how blacks should be equal to whites. Everyone started listening to him and what he had to say about equality. Ricky - The government didn’t like what he was doing though, so he was put in jail for 27 years. Jack - He got out of jail early though because the government had changed. Because of the government everyone there was told they were going to be treated equally. Mandela got what he wanted. Hanna - Sounds like he is an amazing man. Bryce - He really is. He even became the president and is still alive today! Kenzie - So I guess you could say he was just like Martin Luther King Jr. Ricky - Yep!

Hanna - So, what kind of vegetation do you have there? Jack - Fynbos is a major vegetation type in the Cape floral region. It defines a series of shrubs and reedy plants. Bryce - My family grows corn, wheat, sugarcane, and hay. We grow corn because it is the biggest agricultural crop in southern Africa. Ricky - We also have vegetation zones in southern Africa where there is grassland and small groups of trees.

Kenzie - Finally, before we run out of time I have one more question to ask. What types of animal life do you have there? Bryce - Well, the list of the top five major animals we have here in southern Africa are elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, and rhinos. Jack - We have more than 200 species of animals that live in southern Africa. Ricky - Some animals are going extinct though, such as the Mountain Zebra, African Wild Dog, Fin Whale. Those are just a few examples. Hanna - Sounds like you have many amazing species of animals that live in southern Africa. All boys - You could say that again.

Kenzie - Well, I guess it’s time for you to leave but I can’t wait to have you guys come talk on the show again. It has been a great pleasure to hear what you had to say about southern Africa. Hanna - We’re looking forward to seeing you again. All boys - Us too. See you soon... ( walk away)

Kenzie - I guess thats all folks. Hanna - Can’t wait to see you on our next show. Both Girls - See you later on the nightly new!