Комментарии к слайдам презентации по теме «Южная Африка»

The Republic of South Africa is situated in the very south of the African continent. It is a big and beautiful country. The total area of the country is 1 233 404 square km. It is washed by the Indian Ocean in the east and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The country borders on Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the north and Swaziland in the east. The kingdom of Lesotho is situated inside the South African territory.

The capital city of South Africa is called Pretoria. It was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius and named after his father. It is the national capital and the administrative capital of South Africa since 1860. In fact, there are two more capitals in South Africa. They are Bloemfontein and Cape Town. Bloemfontein is a judicial capital of South Africa. It is also known as ‘the city of roses’. Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. National Parliament seats there. Johannesburg is the most populous city of South Africa and one of the most important economical centres of the country.

South Africa has the largest number of official languages in the world. There are 11 official languages in South Africa. Afrikaans and English are European languages, the rest of languages are African. Afrikaans is an African variant of the Dutch language and the most popular language in South Africa. English takes only the fourth place, though it is used in business.

The currency of South Africa is Rand. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents. The currency was named after the ridge near Johannesburg - Witwatersrand - where South Africans found the source of gold. On South African banknotes you can see images of national symbols – pants and animals, important historical personalities and industries.

The flag of South Africa first appeared in April, 1994. Its colours represent a combination of older flags used in South Africa – the flag of the British Empire and Holland flag.

On the South African coat of arms you can see elephant tusks, ears of wheat, human figures, European and African weapons, national flower, rising sun and national bird. Human figures are images of native African people, who lived in South Africa before Europeans came. The motto says “Diverse People Unite”. The coat of arms is relatively new. It was adopted in 2000.

For a long time European people didn’t know about South Africa. A Portuguese explorer Bartolomeo Diaz (1450 – 1500) discovered South Africa in February 1488. In 1477 King of Portugal sent Dias to find a trade route to India. The expedition took lots of time and wasn’t really easy, but after the discovery Europeans came to South Africa and started its development.

The national flower of South Africa is King Protea. It is a shrub with thick stems and glassy leaves. It can grow up to 2 meters with 30-cm flowers. It is a very wide-spread flower. People in South Africa grow it in gardens, use it to decorate the houses and to make bouquets. The national bird of South Africa is a blue crane. This bird was important for native people of South Africa. In the past African warriors decorated their hair with blue crane feathers. They symbolized bravery.

South Africa has a great variety of landscapes from mountains and a desert to vast grasslands and coastal landscapes. In the east of the country, there are the Drakensberg or Dragon’s Mountains with the highest peak 3, 482 metres. (Thabana Ntlenyana) In the south-west of the country, you can see Table Mountain, a prominent South African landmark. In 2011, it was named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. There are about 22 nature reserves and national parks in South Africa. De Hoop Nature Reserve is in the southeast of the country. It is a perfect place for dune walks, whale trails and biking. In the north of South Africa, there is Kalahari Desert famous for its red sands.

South Africa is a native country for many famous people. Everybody knows Nelson Mandela, the Nobel Prize winner and well-known human rights activist and J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote world famous books The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. South African actress and model Charlize Theron is very popular all over the world. A lot of famous sports people come from South Africa, for example, Chad le Clos, an Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games Champion in swimming.

South Africa is very popular among the tourists. Every year lots of people come to visit its national parks, enjoy its unique nature and experience new adventures.

Адрес публикации: https://www.prodlenka.org/metodicheskie-razrabotki/62190-kommentarii-k-slajdam-prezentacii-po-teme-juz