Southern Africa

This is an article about the region named Southern Africa; see South Africa for the country of similar name.

Southern Africa refers to the southern part of the African continent. The region is generally considered to include the countries of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Some definitions also include Comoros and the Seychelles, while narrower definitions sometimes exclude the island nations of Madagascar and Mauritius.

The region is distinct from the rest of Africa, with some of its main exports including diamonds, gold and uranium. The region also faces similar problems to the rest of the continent: while colonialism has left its mark on the development over the course of history, today corruption and HIV/AIDS are some of the biggest factors impeding growth. The pursuit of economic and political stability is an important part of the region's goals, and the Southern African Development Community has been established in an effort to facilitate co-operation among member nations.

South Africa is probably the wealthiest country in Southern Africa because of the amount of gold and diamonds in the area

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