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Whether you’re packing for an Easter getaway or an end-of-year road trip, make your next road journey fun and educational with these trivial questions with interesting answers:
AGRICULTURE
What is the most important crop in South Africa?
In South Africa, maize is a dietary staple, a source of livestock feed, and an export crop. In 2019/2020, the total production of maize in South Africa amounted to roughly 14.6 million metric tons. The Free State was the province with the highest production in all nine states with approximately 44.7% of the overall production.
Which South African town is perfect for growing apples?
Ceres has warm summers and cold frosty winters, making it perfect for growing these deciduous fruits. The town was named after the Roman goddess of agriculture. Ceres Fruit Growers is the largest South African producer of fruit juice for both local and export markets.
Where in South Africa is the world's longest wine route?
The meandering 850km Route 62 links Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and passes through Calitzdorp, Ladismith, historic Amalienstein, Zoar and the fruit-growing and wine-producing towns of Barrydale, Montagu, Ashton, Bonnievale, Robertson, McGregor, Rawsonville, Worcester, Ceres, Wolseley, Tulbagh, Wellington, and Paarl.
Which region in the Western Cape does rooibos tea grow?
The Cederberg is the only place in the world where rooibos tea can be grown.
Very few plants can survive in the dry, sandy terrain, but rooibos thrives in this region, living in symbiosis with micro-organisms in the soil.
CULTURE
What are the 11 official languages of SA from A-Z?
Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu.
Which town is known as the capital of South Africa’s Winelands?
Stellenbosch was the second town in South Africa to be established by the Dutch settlers and is one of the most well-known wine-producing regions in the world with approximately 130 wine estates in the valley.
What is South Africa’s population?
The population of South Africa as of Tuesday, November 9, 2021 was 60,319,266 – based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
GEOGRAPHY
Between which to oceans is South Africa located?
The Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet at Cape Point, a promontory at the South East corner of the Cape Peninsula. Named the 'Cape of Storms' by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488. By day, it was a navigational landmark and by night, and in fog, it was a menace beset by violent storms and dangerous rocks that over the centuries littered shipwrecks around the coastline.
Which country is completely landlocked by South Africa?
The Kingdom of Lesotho covers just over 30,000 km2 and forms an enclave within South Africa. It borders three South African provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Eastern Cape.
How many countries does South Africa border?
Five: Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe, and it surrounds the small Kingdom of Lesotho.
What is the highest point above sea level in South Africa?
At a height of 3,446.1m (11,306 ft), Mafadi is the highest mountain in South Africa, but is lower than Thabana Ntlenyana, the highest peak in Lesotho which is, at 3,482m (11,424 ft), the highest point in Southern Africa.
What are the two main deserts in Southern Africa?
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending for 900,000 km2, covering much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa.
The Namib is a cool coastal desert extending for 1,900 km along the Atlantic coast of Africa.
What is the longest river in South Africa?
The Orange River is one of the longest rivers in Africa and one of the longest south of the Tropic of Capricorn.
South Africa’s coastline stretches from the Namibian border in the west around the tip of Africa and meets up with which country on the eastern side?
Mozambique’s long Indian Ocean coastline stretches 2,500 kilometers and faces east to Madagascar.
Where is the southern-most point of South Africa?
Cape Agulhas, which lies about 120 km (75 miles) from Cape Town has a spectacular coastline, consisting of a gradually curving coastline with rocky and sand beaches.
Where in South Africa is the second largest granite outcrop in the world?
“Paarl” means “pearl” in Dutch, and it is believed that the name was given because these smooth granite rocks glistened like pearls after a rain shower. Out of the three granite outcrops, Paarl Rock is the largest and most famous.
What is the Vredefort Dome?
It is the oldest and largest verified meteor impact crater in the world and was 160–300 km across when it was formed. What remains of it is in the Free State, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Which river forms a natural border between South Africa and Namibia?
The Orange River originates in the Lesotho highlands and by the time it reaches the Atlantic Ocean on the Namibian border, it has travelled 2,340 km.
Which is the longest tunnel in South Africa?
The 3,900 m Huguenot Tunnel extends the N1 national road through the Du Toitskloof mountains that separate Paarl from Worcester.
HISTORY
What is Cape Town’s oldest tradition that still takes place every day except Sundays?
The Noon Gun canons have been firing since 1806 at precisely 12-noon Cape Mean Time in order for ships in the bay to check their chronometers.
Who were the first inhabitants of Southern Africa?
Recent DNA research shows that, for tens of thousands of years, the so-called Khoisan were the largest human population on the planet. “Khoisan” is the name for two peoples of Southern Africa: the San and the Khoikhoi.
Which South African won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984?
Desmond Mpilo Tutu, (born October 7, 1931 in Klerksdorp), a South African Anglican cleric, received the Nobel Prize for Peace for his role in the opposition to apartheid in South Africa.
Which two South African statemen were awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1993?
Nelson Mandela and F.W. De Clerk were jointly awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for momentous contribution to peaceful elimination of apartheid in South Africa.
What are the three capital cities of South Africa?
Executive Capital of Pretoria, the Judicial Capital of Bloemfontein, and the Legislative Capital of Cape Town.
What does the name ‘Soweto’ stand for?
‘Soweto’ is an acronym derived from ‘South-Western Townships’ and is now made up of 32 different "townships" clustered together, and represents a vibrant mix of cultures and tribes.
Who designed the Union Buildings in Pretoria?
Arguably South Africa's most famous architect in history, Sir Herbert Baker was commissioned to design the Union Buildings in 1909.
What is the Flying Dutchman?
According to folklore, this ghost ship was doomed to sail the oceans forever. The legend is said to have started in 1641 when a Dutch ship sank off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope, which is a famous landmark for maritime navigators.
SPORT
Who is the only South African racing driver to have won the Formula One World Championship?
Jody David Scheckter (born 29 January 1950) competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1980, winning the Drivers' Championship in 1979 with Ferrari.
Which three world cups is South Africa the only country in the world to have played host to all three?
The Football, Rugby, and Cricket World Cups
Which is South Africa’s most iconic running event?
Known as The Ultimate Human Race, the Comrades Ultramarathon is a hilly +- 89 km route between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is known as the biggest and oldest one-day ultramarathon in the world.
Conclusion
What a rich and diversely interesting country we live in. Mzanzi, we love you fo’ sho!
Before you pack up and go, make sure you pop in to your nearest Supa Quick for a free vehicle safety check. It’s always better to be safe than be sorry, and it won’t cost you a cent.
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