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Region

Southern Africa

Africa

The southernmost region of the African continent, comprising Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa under the UN Geoscheme definition, though the term is sometimes used more broadly to include Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is Africa's smallest and least populous subregion by the narrow definition, spanning terrain from the Kalahari and Namib deserts to the temperate Cape.

Facts
Area (sq km)
2,650,670 2
UN Geoscheme five-country definition: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa.
Population
74,000,000 2
2025 estimate, UN Geoscheme definition.
Classification
Region Type
Cultural Region 1
Region Type
Cultural Region 1
FAQs

Which countries does the United Nations place in Southern Africa?

The UN lists Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.

The United Nations geographic classification known as M49 gives its Southern Africa subregion, code 018, five countries: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. Wider uses of the term can differ, because the UN lists neighbouring countries under other subregions.
Connections

Associated With

Africa, Continents
Source Africa (Wikipedia)
Botswana, Countries
Eswatini, Countries
Lake Malawi, Bodies of Water
Source Lake Malawi (Wikipedia)
Lesotho, Countries
Mozambique, Countries
Namibia, Countries
South Africa, Countries

South Africa is one of the five states of the narrow UN Geoscheme definition of Southern Africa.

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sub-Saharan Africa, Regions
Source United Nations M49 Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use (Geoscheme)
Victoria Falls, Landforms
Source Victoria Falls (Wikipedia)
Zambezi River, Bodies of Water
Source Zambezi River (Wikipedia)
Zambia, Countries
Zimbabwe, Countries
In the Other Atlases

Origin Of

Nguni Homestead

Also in Architecture and Design Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Kiwano

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Pap

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Pap (redirects to Ugali on Wikipedia)tier 2
Ugali

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Ugali (Wikipedia)tier 3
Watermelon Seed Oil

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Izibongo

Also in Literature Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Izibongo, Wikipedia
Khoisan

Also in Society and Culture Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Khoisan (Wikipedia)Lead
Quote, Lead
Khoisan ( KOY-sahn) or Khoe-Sān (pronounced [kʰoɪˈsaːn]) is an umbrella term for the various non-Bantu indigenous peoples of Southern Africa who traditionally speak non-Bantu languages, combining the Khoekhoen and the Sān peoples.
San

Also in Society and Culture Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source San (Wikipedia)Introduction
Quote, Introduction
The San peoples, or Bushmen, are the members of any of the indigenous hunter-gatherer cultures of southern Africa, and the oldest surviving cultures of the region.

Location Of

Bantu Expansion

Also in History Atlas: which took place in this subject.

Source Bantu expansion, WikipediaLead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
The Bantu expansion was a major series of prehistoric migrations of the original Proto-Bantu-speaking group, which spread from an original nucleus around West-Central Africa across Central Africa, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa.
Second Boer War

Also in History Atlas: which took place in this subject.

Found There

Nguni Cattle

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Human African Trypanosomiasis Elimination Programme

Also in Health and Wellness Atlas: found in this subject.

Mfecane

Also in History Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Mfecane, WikipediaLead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
The Mfecane was a historical period of heightened military conflict and migration associated with state formation and expansion in Southern Africa.
Bantu

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Germanic

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Wikipedia: Germanic LanguagesLead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia articletier 2
Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of about 515 million people mainly in Europe, Northern America, Oceania, and Southern Africa.
Khoisan

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Kx'a

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Nguni

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Wikipedia: Nguni languagesLead sentence 1tier 2
Quote, Lead sentence 1
The Nguni languages are a group of Bantu languages spoken in southern Africa (mainly South Africa, Zimbabwe and Eswatini) by the Nguni people.
Shona

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Sotho-Tswana languages

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Sotho-Tswana languages, WikipediaLead sentence 1
Quote, Lead sentence 1
The Sotho-Tswana languages are a group of closely related Bantu languages spoken in Southern Africa.
Tswa-Ronga languages

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Acinonyx

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

African Penguin

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Balanus Glandula

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Beadlet Anemone

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Cistugidae

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Wikipedia: CistugoLead paragraphtier 2
Quote, Lead paragraph
Cistugo is a genus of bats from southern Africa.
Coffea

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Cricket

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Dioscoreales

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Giant Tiger Prawn

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Katydid

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Onychophora

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Velvet Worm

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Ubuntu Philosophy

Also in Philosophy Atlas: found in this subject.

Sources
1. Southern Africa (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction
Quote, Introduction
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa.
View the Source
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
  • Southern Africa
  • Associated With: South Africa
View the Source
Wikidata: Southern Africa
Wikidata Q27394, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Africa (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Africa, History, Prehistory section
Quote, Associated With: Africa, History, Prehistory section
evidence of early human settlement found in southern Africa, Southeast Africa, North Africa, and the Sahara.
View the Source
United Nations M49 Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use (Geoscheme)
United Nations Statistics DivisionAssociated With: Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa regional structure
Quote, Associated With: Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa regional structure
Sub-Saharan Africa (202): Eastern Africa (014), Middle Africa (017), Southern Africa (018), Western Africa (011)
View the Source
Victoria Falls (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Victoria Falls, Lead
Quote, Associated With: Victoria Falls, Lead
Located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe
View the Source
Zambezi River (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Zambezi River, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Zambezi River, Lead section
The 2,574 km (1,599 mi) river rises in Zambia and flows through eastern Angola, along the north-eastern border of Namibia and the northern border of Botswana, then along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique, where it crosses the country to empty into the Indian Ocean.
View the Source
Lake Malawi (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Lake Malawi, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Lake Malawi, Lead section
And Lago Niassa in Mozambique
View the Source
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