Factbook of the Durbanite Commonwealth

[Durban City]

Above: A Map of the Durbanite Commonwealth.
Basic Information
Country Name
conventional long form The Durbanite Commonwealth
conventional short form Durban; Natal
abbreviation DC
Capital City
name Durban
geographic co-ordinates 29°53′S 31°03′E
time zone SAST (GMT+2)
World Assembly Status Member
wa category Capitalist Paradise
civil rights Excellent
political rights Good
economy Powerhouse
Time Zone
SAST (GMT+2)
note Daylight saving not used
Other Basic Information
motto Unity in Creativity
national anthem "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
official languages English and Hindi
drives on the Left
National Symbols
national animal Wildebeest
national bird Albatross
national fish Zambezi Shark
national flower Crane Flower
national tree Coral Tree
cot of arms

[Durban City]

The Durbanite Commonwealth was founded on October the 12^th 1972 after the disintegration of the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The aforementioned disintegration of the RSA was the direct result of the imposition of a totalitarian, racist regime called "Totale Apartheid" (meaning "Total Apartheid") -- a version of the pre-existing apartheid system that appalled even the majority of that system's supporters -- by an extremist faction within the then-ruling National Party. This faction was brought into power by the "Party Coup" of 1967, and by 1970 they had initiated a programme of systematic genocide against the country's non-white population. At first the government managed to keep its death camps secret; but secrets of this nature are seldom kept for long, and on February the 2^nd 1971 a former guard at one of these camps, named Kobus du Preez, left South Africa and leaked information about the camps to the British press (he was later found dead in his hotel room and it is suspected that the South African National Intelligence Service (NIS) had a hand in his death). The news sent shock-waves throughout the world, and on February the 12^th, the World Assembly Security Council imposed absolute economic and military sanctions on the RSA; in addition, a joint NATO-Warsaw Pact force was deployed to prevent any attempts at breaking these sanctions. With no imports or exports possible, and with foreign military forces in plain sight along all of South Africa's land and sea borders, the people of South Africa began demanding explanations. It was at this point that the government of the RSA was forced to reveal the existence of the death camps to its own population (the news leak to the foreign press had been kept secret in the RSA, although rumours had spread). In shock and outrage, the South African population rose up in revolt, and it wasn't long before different regions of the RSA started declaring independence. One of the first to do so was Durban, the largest city in what was then called Natal Province.

Upon declaring independence, Durban declared itself a commonwealth; and soon other parts of Natal province started joining the new nation until eventually the whole of the former province was united as the Durbanite Commonwealth. A constitution was drawn up -- an explicitly non-racialist one -- that took effect on January the 1^st 1973. With the breakup of South Africa, the World Assembly lifted all sanctions; and the Durbanite Commonwealth soon became the wealthiest nation in the former RSA. Today, despite including the whole of the former Natal province, the nation still calls itself the Durbanite Commonwealth.

[Durban City]

Location
Southern Africa, near the southern tip of the African continent
Geographic Co-ordinates
29°53′S 31°03′E
Area
92,100 km²
Maritime Claims
territorial sea 12 nm
contiguous zone 24 nm
exclusive economic zone 200 nm
continental shelf 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Climate
Subtropical along the coastline, temperate in the Drakensberg mountain range
Terrain
A flat coastal plain with rising elevations further west culminating in the Drakensberg mountain range along the western border
Elevation Extremes
lowest point Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point Njesuthi 3,408 m
Natural Resources
coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land Use
arable land 12.1%
permanent crops 8.79%
other 91.21%
Natural Hazards
Prolonged droughts
Environment -- Current Issues
Lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures
Environment -- International Agreements
party to Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified None of the selected agreements

[Durban City]

Population
12,000,000
Age Structure
0-14 years 16.7%
15-64 years 67.1%
65 years and over 16.2%
Median Age
total 39.8 years
male 38.6 years
female 40.9 years
Population Growth Rate
0.279%
Birth Rate
10.65 births/1,000 population
Death Rate
10.02 deaths/1,000 population
Net Migration Rate
2.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Urbanisation
urban population 90% of total population
rate of urbanisation 0.5% annual rate of change
Sex Ratio
at birth 1.054 male(s)/female
under 15 years 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.76 male(s)/female
total population 0.98 male(s)/female
Infant Mortality Rate
total 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female 4.28 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at Birth
total population 79.01 years
male 76.52 years
female 81.63 years
Total Fertility Rate
1.66 children born/woman
Nationality
noun Durbanite
adjective Durbanite
Literacy Rate
total population 99%
male 99%
female 99%

[Durban City]

Government Type
Liberal Democracy
Administrative Divisions
11 provinces; Newcastle, Zululand, Mkuze, Richard's Bay, Dundee, Ladysmith, Pietermaritzburg, Stanger, Durban, Port Sheptsone, Ixopo
Independence
October the 12^th 1972 (from South Africa)
National Holiday
Independence Day, October 12 (1972)
Constitution
November the 24^th 1972 -- certified by the Constitutional Court on November the 20^th 1972; was signed by then Prime Minister Francis COURTENAY on November the 24^th 1972; and entered into effect on January the 1^st 1973
Legal System
Based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; includes juries
Suffrage
16 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
head of state President Vallalabhai PATEL (since October 17 2010); Executive Deputy President Dominic FERREIRA (since October 17 2010)
head of government Prime Minister Nicolas EVERY (since October 17 2010); Executive Deputy Prime Minister Christina WATRIDGE (since October 17 2010)
cabinet Cabinet is appointed by the Prime Minister
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries John MACLEOD
Minister of Arts and Culture Sarah SINGH
Minister of Communications Muhammad MALIK
Minister of Correctional Services Andrea WATRIDGE
Minister of Defence Monil PILLAY
Minister of Economic Development Shailini NARSING
Minister of Education Alexander DE MENEZES
Minister of Environmental Affairs Jessica GOVENDER
Minister of Finance Indira NEHRU
Minister of Foreign Affairs Saoirse COLLINS
Minister of Health Sean O'CONNOR
Minister of Home Affairs Abdullah KHAN
Minister of Justice Motilal JOSHI
Minister of Labour Affairs Racquel MACEDO
Minister of Minerals and Energy Nicole MACLAREN
Minister of Public Enterprises Mandla GADUKA
Minister of Public Service and Administration Jacqueline SHARMA
Minister of Public Works David LE ROUX
Minister of Safety and Security Petrus VAN DER MERWE
Minister of Science and Technology Daniel VISSER
Minister of Social Development Lillian NAYI
Minister of Sports and Recreation Roberto RODRIGUES
Minister of Tourism Eugene SMITH
Minister of Trade and Industry Saoirse MAHARAJ
Minister of Transport Trent O'REILLY
Minister of Water Affairs Rabindranath SINGH
National Planning Commissioner Connor FERREIRA
elections President elected by National Assembly for a five year term (eligible for a second term); Prime Minister elected by popular vote for a five year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on October 12 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
Legislative Branch
Bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate (110 members; 10 members elected by each provincial legislature for five year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (600 members; members elected by popular vote under a system of mixed member constituency/proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections Senate and National Assembly -- last held on October 12 2010 (next to be held in October 2015)
national assembly speaker Catherine NAIDOO
senate chair Salvador MOITA
Judicial Branch
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts
chief justice Henry COURTENAY

[Durban City]

Gross Domestic Product
total $357,773,532,506.04
per capita $29,814.46
Consumption
$266,049,000,000.00
Labour Force -- by Occupation
agriculture 1.4%
industry 18.2%
services 80.4%
Unemployment Rate
2.59%
Population Below Poverty Line
NA%
Budget
revenues $97,798,152,375.00
expenditures $94,864,207,803.75
Agriculture -- Products
Sugar Cane, Maize, Rice, Vegetables, Tropical Fruit, Cattle, Goats, Poultry, Fish
Industries
Sugar Processing, Machine Tools, Electric Power Equipment, Electronics and Communications Equipment, Automation Equipment, Railroad Equipment, Shipbuilding, Aircraft, Arms Manufacturing, Motor Vehicles and Parts, Metals, Chemicals, Coal, Natural Gas, Paper and Paper Products, Food Processing, Textiles, Clothing, Other Consumer Goods
International Trade
exports $39,826,182,774.17
imports $42,965,858,071.88
trade deficit $3,139,675,297.71
Currency
Durban Rand (DCR)
exchange rate DCR 1 = USD 1.3583
Miscellaneous Statistics
worker enthusiasm 87%
consumer confidence 88%
government efficiency 97%

[Durban City]

Telephone System
general assessment Technologically advanced domestic and international system
domestic Equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fibre-optic systems
international Country Code +42; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas; satellite earth stations -- 10 Durbsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 7 Indian Ocean), 1 Josat (Pacific Ocean region), and 1 Afrisat; at least 8 large international switching centres
Broadcast Media
Public service broadcaster DBC (Durban Broadcasting Corporation) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the region; operating multiple tv networks in Durban and around the world. Within Durban, multiple international and local networks operate.
Internet TLD
.dc

[Durban City]

Airports
505
Airports -- With Paved Runways
total 306
over 3,047 m 9
2,438 to 3,047 m 32
1,524 to 2,437 m 124
914 to 1,523 m 77
under 914 m 64
Airports -- With Unpaved Runways
total 199
over 3,047 m 1
1,524 to 2,437 m 3
914 to 1,523 m 22
under 914 m 173
Heliports
11
Pipelines
condensate 43 km; gas 7,992 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 699 km; refined products 4,417 km
Railways
total 16,454 km
Roadways
total 394,428 km
paved 394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of freeways)
Merchant Marines
total 527
by type bulk carrier 30, cargo 70, carrier 3, chemical tanker 71, container 190, liquefied gas 10, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 67, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 29, vehicle carrier 24
foreign-owned 292
Ports and Terminals
Durban, Richard's Bay, Port Shepstone

[Durban City]

Military Branches
Durbanite National Defence Force (DNDF) Durbanite Army, Durbanite Navy, Durbanite Air Force
Military Service Age and Obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in all roles; 2-year service obligation
Manpower Available, Fit and Signed Up for Military Service
total 60,000
male 39,000
female 21,000
Manpower by Branch
army 21,000
navy 21,000
air force 18,000
Military Expenditure
$13,280,989,092.53 (14% of Government Budget)