Interesting things you didn’t know about SA

ALTHOUGH every South African might agree that South Africa is not without its faults, these facts, courtesy of Lark Tours, will shock even the biggest and proudest South African fans.

• Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world.
• Table Mountain alone has more than 1 500 species of plants, more than the entire United Kingdom.
• South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit in the world.
• South Africa has the longest wine route in the world.
• Kruger National Park supports the greatest variety of wildlife species on the African continent.
• South Africa is rated third in the world in supplying safe, drinkable tap water.
• The Palace of the Lost City resort hotel is the largest theme resort hotel in the world as well as the largest building project undertaken in the southern hemisphere.
• Walt Disney serves South African wine exclusively at its 73-acre Animal Kingdom Lodge in the United States.
• South Africa is the only country in the world to voluntarily abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
• The Tugela Falls is the second highest waterfall in the world, where the water tumbles down 2 789 feet. First place goes to the Angel Falls in Venezuela at 3 212 feet.
• Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world, and the largest green one. The Grand Canyon in the US is the biggest, and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia the second, but both are very dry.
• South Africa is home to the world’s smallest succulent plants (less than 0.39 inches) and the largest (the baobab tree).
• Kimberley may have the biggest man-made hole in the world, but did you know that the southern Free State town of Jagersfontein has the deepest vertical man-made hole?
• The only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace prizewinners is in Soweto. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both had houses on Vilakazi Street in Soweto.
• South Africa is the world’s largest producer of macadamia nuts.
• South Africa has the third highest level of biodiversity in the world.
• South Africa has the oldest meteor scar in the world, just across the Vaal River near Parys, called the Vredefort Dome. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• South Africa is the sole producer of the Mercedes Benz C Class, right-hand drive vehicles.
• The vast majority of South African coal exports are shipped through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT). With the capacity to export 79.4 mmst annually. RBCT is the world’s largest coal export facility.
• The world’s largest diamond was the Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3 106.75 carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40 carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless color and clarity. They now form part of the British crown jewels.
• There are about 280 000 windmills on farms across South Africa, second in number only to Australia.
• Three of the five fastest land animals live in South Africa – the cheetah (63 miles per hour), the wildebeest, and the lion.
• The oldest remains of modern humans were found in Klasies River Cave in the Eastern Cape. They are well over 100 000 years old.
• In eastern South Africa, scientists have found traces of blue-green algae dating back 3 500 million years. This is some of the earliest evidence of life on Earth.
• There are more than 2 000 shipwrecks, dating back at least 500 years, off the South African coast. More than one of these, including the Waratah, simply vanished without a trace.
• South Africa has the highest commercial bungi jump in the world (710 feet).
• Pietermaritzburg’s city hall is the largest red brick building in the Southern Hemisphere.
• South Africa has the oldest wine industry outside of Europe and the Mediterranean, featuring Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cinsault, Riesling, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage varietals.