South Africa

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<p>Some of the earliest human remains in the fossil record were found in South Africa. By about A.D. 500, Bantu-speaking groups began settling into what is now northeastern South Africa, displacing Khoisan-speaking groups to the southwest. Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of present-day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many settlers of Dutch descent -- known then as "Boers," or farmers, but later called Afrikaners -- trekked north to found their own republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State. In the 1820s, several decades of wars began as the Zulus expanded their territory, moving out of what is today southeastern South Africa and clashing with other indigenous peoples and the growing European settlements. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred mass immigration, predominantly from Europe.<br><br>The Zulu kingdom's territory was incorporated into the British Empire after the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879, and the Afrikaner republics were incorporated after their defeat in the Second South African War (1899-1902). Beginning in 1910, the British and the Afrikaners ruled together under the Union of South Africa, which left the British Commonwealth to become a fully self-governing republic in 1961 after a Whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid -– billed as "separate development" of the races -- which favored the White minority and suppressed the Black majority and other non-White groups. The African National Congress (ANC) led the resistance to apartheid, and many top ANC leaders such as Nelson MANDELA spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency, as well as boycotts from some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to unban the ANC and negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule.</p> <p>The first multi-racial elections in 1994 ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa has since struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in wealth, housing, education, and health care under successive administrations. President Cyril RAMAPHOSA, who was reelected as the ANC leader in 2022, has made some progress in reigning in corruption. </p>

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Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

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29 00 S, 24 00 E

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Africa

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<strong>note:</strong> includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

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slightly less than twice the size of Texas

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2,798 km

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mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

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vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

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gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

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<strong>note: </strong>South Africa was the World's leading chromite ore producer in 2022 with an output of 18,000 mt

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16,700 sq km (2012)

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Orange (shared with Lesotho [s], and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km; Limpoporivier (Limpopo) river source (shared with Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Vaal [s] - 1,210 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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Karoo Basin, Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin

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the population is concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Pretoria; the eastern half of the country is more densely populated than the west, as shown in this population distribution map

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prolonged droughts <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> the volcano that formed Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands is South Africa's only active volcano

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<strong>note 1:</strong> South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> sometimes mistaken for the southernmost point of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope is more accurately described as the southwestern-most point of the African continent; Cape Agulhas, the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, is the southernmost point of the African continent

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Black African 80.9%, Colored 8.8%, White 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.6%  (2021 est.)

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<strong>note:</strong> Colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry who developed a distinct cultural identity over several hundred years

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<strong>note:</strong> data represent language spoken most often at home

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Christian 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional African religions 5.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other 1.5%, nothing in particular 5.2% (2015 est.)

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1.06% (2025 est.)

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17.21 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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6.56 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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the population is concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Pretoria; the eastern half of the country is more densely populated than the west, as shown in this population distribution map

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10.316 million Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni), 4.890 million Cape Town (legislative capital), 3.228 million Durban, 2.818 million PRETORIA (administrative capital), 1.296 million Port Elizabeth, 934,000 West Rand (2023)

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118 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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2.23 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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1.1 (2025 est.)

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0.79 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

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28.3% (2016)

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4.9% (2017 est.)

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33.6% (2020 est.)

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limited freshwater resources due to lack of major rivers or lakes; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban waste; air pollution resulting in acid rain; deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; desertification; solid waste pollution; significant floral extinctions

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mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

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17 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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51.35 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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parliamentary republic

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9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

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mixed system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law

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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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18 years of age; universal

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<strong>note:</strong> the president is both chief of state and head of government

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<strong>note:</strong> the Council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities

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African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP <br>African Independent Congress or AIC <br>African National Congress or ANC <br>African People's Convention or APC <br>Agang SA <br>Congress of the People or COPE <br>Democratic Alliance or DA <br>Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF <br>Freedom Front Plus or FF+ <br>GOOD <br>Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP <br>National Freedom Party or NFP <br>Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC <br>United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP <br>United Democratic Movement or UDM 

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ACP, AfDB, AIIB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 22 August 1934 (Status of the Union Act); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

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Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

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<strong>description:</strong> two equal-width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y; a black isosceles triangle is in the Y, with narrow yellow bands around it; the red and blue bands are bordered by narrow white stripes<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the colors have no official meaning, but the Y stands for "the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"

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<strong>note:</strong> South Africa has one of two national flags that display six colors as part of the primary design -- the other is South Sudan's

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springbok (antelope), king protea flower

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red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

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<p>upper-middle-income, largest southern African economy; Government of National Unity facing slow growth, fiscal gaps, and structural challenges; high income inequality, unemployment, and poverty; reforms to address electricity generation, transport, and logistics; leading producer and exporter of critical minerals</p>

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$400.261 billion (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

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sugarcane, maize, milk, soybeans, potatoes, wheat, grapes, chicken, oranges, apples (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

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-0.4% (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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27.766 million (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP

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26% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

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<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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China 19%, USA 8%, Germany 7%, India 7%, UK 6% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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gold, platinum, coal, cars, iron ore (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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China 21%, India 7%, USA 7%, Germany 6%, UAE 4% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, cars, broadcasting equipment (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 6 free-to-air TV stations; 1 private TV station; multiple subscription TV services with mix of local and international channels; mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; state-owned SABC radio network has 18 stations, including one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; over 100 community stations with rural coverage

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.za

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ZS

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573 (2025)

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49 (2025)

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South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army (includes Reserve Force), South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services<br><br>Ministry of Police: South African Police Service (SAPS) (2025)

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approximately 65-70,000 active-duty National Defense Forces (2025)

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the SANDF's inventory is a mix of domestically produced and foreign-supplied equipment; South Africa's domestic defense industry produced most of the Army's major weapons systems (some were jointly produced with foreign companies), while the Air Force and Navy inventories include a mix of European, Israeli, and US origin armaments, alongside some domestic systems, such as combat helicopters and some naval vessels; South Africa has one of Africa's leading defense industries (2025)

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18-22 (18-26 for college graduates) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation (2025)

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<strong>note:</strong> in 2023, women comprised nearly 30% of the military

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approximately 2,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO and Southern African Development Community) (2025)

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the South African National Defense Force's (SANDF) primary responsibilities include territorial and maritime defense, supporting the Police Service, protecting key infrastructure, responding to disasters, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; border security and maintaining a rapid reaction capability for regional security missions and disaster response have been priorities; in recent years, it has been deployed internally to assist the Police with quelling unrest and assisting with border security; the SANDF also regularly participates in African and UN peacekeeping missions and is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force<br><br>the SANDF was created in 1994 to replace the South African Defense Force (SADF); the SANDF was opened to all South Africans who met military requirements, while the SADF was a mostly white force (only whites were subject to conscription) with non-whites only allowed to join in a voluntary capacity; the SANDF also absorbed members of the various anti-apartheid opposition groups, including the African National Congress, the Pan Africanist Congress, and the Inkatha Freedom Party, as well as the security forces of the formerly independent Bantustan homelands (2025)

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South African National Space Agency (SANSA; established 2010) (2025)

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Arniston launch facility (Western Cape) used to support space launch vehicle and ballistic missile program (1980s-1990s); it is now a weapons testing facility called the Denel Overberg Test Range (2024)

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key areas of emphasis for its national space program include Earth observation/remote sensing (RS) capabilities, weather monitoring, research, engineering, and operations (tracking, telemetry, etc.); produces and operates satellites; has a sounding rocket program for carrying experimental payloads for research; cooperates with a range of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, France, India, Russia, and the US; member of the African Space Agency; participates in international programs such as the Square Kilometer Array Project; has a number of state- and privately-owned aerospace companies, as well as academic and research institutions involved in space-related activities (2025)

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1976 - established a satellite remote sensing (RS)/radio astronomy center (originally built by the US in 1961 to receive data from US space missions)<br><br>1980s - conducted program to launch reconnaissance satellites on a domestically produced satellite launch vehicle (abandoned in 1994 along with nuclear program)<br><br>1999 - first domestically built RS/technology demonstrator microsatellite (Sunsat-1) launched by US<br><br>2009 - first government-owned and -operated RS/scientific/technology demonstrator satellite (SumbandilaSat) launched by Russia<br><br>2018 - inaugurated a radio space telescope array (Karoo Array Telescope or MeerKAT)<br><br>2021 - began construction of the international Square Kilometer Array radio telescope observatory; launched a sounding rocket for research purposes to an altitude of nearly 18,000 km (11,185 mi)<br><br>2022 - opened Africa's first regional space weather center<br><br>2023 - agreed to participate in China's international lunar research station project

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Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

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<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide