South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. With over 60 million people, covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres (471,445 square miles).
South Africa has a mixed economy. gross domestic product(GDP) US$11,750 at purchasing power parity as of 2012. Principal international trading partners of South Africa include Germany, the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Spain. The South African agricultural industry contributes around 10% of formal employment, South Africa is a popular tourist destination, and a substantial amount of revenue comes from tourism.
South Africa has always been a mining powerhouse. Diamond and gold production were in 2013 well down from their peaks, though South Africa is still number five in gold and remains a cornucopia of mineral riches. It is the world's largest producer of chrome, manganese, platinum, vanadium and vermiculite. It is the second largest producer of ilmenite, palladium, rutile and zirconium. It is also the world's third largest coal exporter. South Africa is also a huge producer of iron ore, in 2012, it overtook India to become the world's third-biggest iron ore supplier to China, the world's largest consumers of iron ore.