Maganews, South Africa's World Cup...

The World Cup

Ten facts about South Africa

A country full of natural beauty but which also suffers with social problems and violence in the big cities. Maganews offers you the following facts and trivia [1] on the country that will host the biggest soccer event in the world

One – The South African team is nicknamed [2] ana Bafana” by the fans. And when it comes [3] to shouting [4] “goaaaaal” the fans simply shout: “Ladumaaaaa”.

Two – The official World Cup mascot is a cute [5] leopard called Zakumi. The name is a mixture of the two words: “Za” is the abbreviation of South Africa – “Zuid-Afrika”, in Dutch – [6] and Kumi, meaning “ten” in several African countries.

Three – A survey carried out by BMI Sport has revealed that the second team in the affections of South African fans is Brazil.

Four – The country is bathed [7] by the Atlantic and Indian [8] oceans.  The local currency [9]  is the rand. There are eleven official languages in the country – one of which is English, used mainly in the political and trade arenas [10]. The predominant religion (almost 80% of the population) is Christian.

Five – It is the wealthiest [11] and most industrialized nation in Africa. South Africa is also known for its large reserves of gold and diamonds.

Six - South Africa has three capital cities: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (legal). In total, the country has a population of just over 49 million people.

Seven – The South African shantytowns [12] are known as “townships”. Soweto, in Johannesburg, is the most famous of them. The neighborhood became known around the world as the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle [13].

Eight – The archeological site [14] considered by UNESCO as the “Cradle [15] of Humanity” is less than 50 km from Johannesburg.

Nine – When it comes to safaris, one of the most famous places in the world is the Kruger National Park (see photo), an area that is home to thousands of wild animals. Tourists can see lions, elephants, hippopotamuses, buffalos, leopards, zebras, giraffes....

Ten – Three South Africans have won the Nobel Peace Prize because of their struggle against apartheid (racial segregation): former Bishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu (in 1984) and the former presidents Nelson Mandela and Frederik Klerk (sharing [16] it in 1993).

Matéria publicada na edição de número 54 (abril / maio) da Revista Maganews.

Áudio – Andy Sheperd

Fotos –  Chris Kirchhoff (Media Club South Africa)

Maganews Next Issue - A edição de junho da Revista Maganews vai trazer matérias especiais sobre a Copa do Mundo da África.

Vocabulary

1 trivia - curiosidades

2 nickname – apelido

3 when it comes to – quando o assunto é

4 to shout – gritar

5 cute – simpático

6 Dutch – holandês

7 bathed –  banhado

8 Indian Ocean – Oceano Índico

9 currency – moeda

10 trade arena – área comercial

11 the wealthiest – o mais rico

12 shantytown – favela

13 struggle – luta

14 archeological site – sítio arqueológico

15 cradle – berço

16 to share – dividir / compartilhar