South Africa

South Africa is the only country in the world with three capital cities. Pretoria is the administrative capital, Cape Town the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein the judicial capital. It has 11 official languages. Its flag has six colors, more than any other national flag. Nothing about South Africa is simple, and that's precisely what makes it one of the most fascinating countries on Earth.

The country occupies the southern tip of Africa where the Atlantic and Indian oceans collide. Table Mountain rises flat-topped above Cape Town in one of the most spectacular urban settings anywhere. The Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, teeming with the Big Five. The Winelands around Stellenbosch produce world-class wines. And the Drakensberg mountains form a dramatic escarpment of basalt cliffs. But South Africa's greatest story is human. The transition from apartheid to democracy, led by Nelson Mandela, was one of the most remarkable political transformations in modern history. The Rainbow Nation is messy, complicated, and still healing - but its capacity for reinvention is extraordinary.