Surname1
Name
Course
Instructor
Date
Outline
Introduction
The introduction will provide an overview of what will be discussed in the paper in regards to all the aspects of the chosen non-western country. The thesis statement would also be included to give a hint of what the paper aims at achieving.
Body:
History of the Country:
This section will present the historical aspect of the country including prehistoric archaeology, Colonization, revolution, war. This would also include the liberation of the country to its independence and the end of the apartheid rule which had suppressed the indigenous races.
Political Situation:
The political situation provides an analysis of how the country is run from the president to other arms of the government including the political parties, the government, and the parliament.
Economic Situation:
This section presents the current economic situation in South Africa in terms of agriculture, industry, tourism, infrastructure, recession, depression, privatization, nationalization. An overview of the balance of payment in regards to imports and exports is also extensively analyzed.
Key macroeconomic Variables:
Microeconomic variables imply the various factors of the economy that the country depends like Economic (GNP or GDP) growth, Income (GNP or GDP per capita), Inflation rate, unemployment rate, spending (consumer/government) and investment.
Justice/Judiciary System:
This section would look into the judiciary system of the country thus breaking it down into various aspect of the justice system such as the Constitution, laws, regulations, legal reform, and the Courts.
Environment Concerns:
Under the above topic, the paper would analyze the growing concerns over the climatic changes as a result of Air pollution, water pollution, soil erosion, solid waste, deforestation, and desertification. This section would also include the various strategies the country is putting in place to control environmental degradation.
Health Concerns:
Under health concerns, the paper would provide a brief analysis of the health system in the country and identify some of the major strongholds and weaknesses of the system. Additionally, an evaluation of various health issues like HIV/Aids, health care system, access to health care, tropical diseases, life expectancy
Society/Family/Culture:
This section provides an overview of the social aspects of the different people living in the country in regards to Culture, ethnic groups, languages, gender issues, sports, Family size (small vs. large), classes (low, middle, upper), marriage (polygamy vs. monogamy).
Religion:
Under this topic, the paper evaluates some of the mainstream religions like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism.
Education:
Lastly, the paper would analyze the education system in South Africa by looking more into Primary, secondary, and higher education, literacy rate…
Conclusion
The conclusion would provide a summation of all the ideas and facts presented in the paper and any developing issues in regards to the country.
PART 2
History of the Country:
Prehistoric archaeology
Study suggests that South Africa has some of the oldest human fossils and archaeological sites in the world. Extensive fossil remains have been recovered from various caves in Gauteng Province. The area is widely regarded as “the cradle of mankind” and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of these sites include; Swartkrans, Sterkfontein, Coopers Cave, Malapa f Makapansgat, Cornelia, Florisbad and Gondolin Cave Kromdraai. This implies that various hominid species lived in South Africa in three million years. The preceding species including Australopithecus, Homo erectus, and Homo sapiens have existed in that area for a minimum of 170,000 years.
Colonization
The Dutch were the first people to colonize South Africa, and this can be dated back in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck built a station at the Cape of Good Hope which is now known as Cape Town for the Dutch East India Company. At this time, Cape of Good Hope became the home of a huge number of former company employees who lived in overseas Dutch colonies after serving their contracts. Great Britain took control of Cape Town between 1795 and 1803 in the bid to prevent the French First Republic which had invaded the lower countries from taking control over the area. After the end of the Napoleon wars, it was considered a British colony. British immigration into the country began in 1818 which resulted in the arrival of 1820 settlers. Even though there are communities that resisted the British rule like the Boer republics, most of the areas were under the control of the British until the early 1900s.
Independence
In South Africa, anti-British policies, especially among white South Africans, mainly garnered towards independence. During the British and Dutch colonial years, racial segregation was not formal even though there were some laws that controlled the movement and settlement of the natives. After the end of the second Boer war, the South Africa act of 1909 granted the country nominal independence which led to the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910. In 1931, the Union of South Africa became fully sovereign from the British as the National party and South African party combined to form the united party in pursuit of seeking reconciliation between English-Speaking Whites and Afrikaans.
The apartheid regime
After the national party was elected to power in 1948, it strengthened the racial segregation laws that had been established during the British and Dutch rule. It grouped people into three races and came up with limitations and rights for each group. The whites who were the minority controlled the hugely dominant blacks. This form of segregation was referred to as the apartheid. It was characterized by the whites enjoying the high standards of living while the blacks had to cope with a very standard life. However, it did not last long as the Freedom Chatter adopted in 1955 demanded the end of discrimination.
Political Situation:
Government
South Africa is a democratic country with a three-tier system of government which consists of an independent judiciary. In another dimension, the national, provincial and local governments have their own executive and legislative authority. These spheres are described in the constitution as interrelated, interdependent, and distinctive. The three branches of the government include executive, legislative and judiciary. The judiciary consists of the national government and the national council of provinces. Executive authority stems from the president and consists of the cabinet which is made up of ministers and the deputy president. Additionally, the South African judiciary consists of the supreme court of appeal, constitutional court, magistrate’s courts, and high courts.
Political parties
South Africa enjoys a vibrant multiparty system with more than ten political parties represented in the parliament. The African National Congress is the majority party in the parliament boasting 254 seats out of the possible 400 seats in the parliament. The party is also dominant across eight of the nine provinces in the country. The African National Congress is also dominant across five of the six municipalities even though South African opposition groups remain vocal and robust.
Parliament
The South African parliament is made up of two houses, the national council of provinces and the national assembly. The national assembly is more influential than the national council of provinces in the sense that it oversees the performance of the government and passes legislation. Members of both houses are elected on a five year term. Additionally, all citizens of South Africa are eligible to vote if they have reached the legal age of 18.
Opposition
In South Africa, the coalition or party with the majority seats in each of the legislative body forms the government. The second largest party is acknowledged as the official opposition which has the role of keeping the government in check.
Describe at least four components related to the political situation of the country.
Economic Situation
Exports
South Africa’s primary exports are hugely dependent on the country’s natural resources which include platinum, gold, diamond, other metals, machinery, and equipment.
Imports
Some of the major import products in the country include petroleum products, chemicals, food materials, and scientific instruments. The country is open to trade due to the country’s aspiration towards economic growth. Thus, South Africa has flexible import regulations which are convenient to most of the countries making a reliable trade prospect.
Agriculture
The South African agriculture industry contributes to close to 5% of the overall formal employment and contributes to 2.85 of GDP in the country which considerably low compared to other African countries. However, due to harsh weather conditions which have resulted to the aridity of the land, only 3% is considered high potential land and only less than 15% of the country’s land can be used for crop production. The industry continues to face challenges with the increase of crime rates and steep competition being some of the major drawbacks in the industry.
Tourism
South Africa is one of the most popular tourist destinations around the globe with more than 800,000 arrivals per month. World Travel & Tourism Council suggests that tourism and travel contributed more than ZAR 100 billion to the GDP of South Africa. The sector also produces close to 15% of the countries employment. Some of the main tourist attractions include the landscape, local wines, and game reserves.