SOUTH AFRICA Located at the southern tip of the African continent, South Africa is roughly twice the size of Texas with almost 3,000 km of coastline bordering the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. About 49 million South Africans are spread out over nine provinces. South Africa is a pluricultural country and multiethnic society with 11 recognized official languages, nine of which are indigenous, plus English and Afrikaans. - Travel logistics for GCE MyCOE TechCamp-South Africa DieReënboognasie The GCE MyCOE Youth TechCamp will be held in Pretoria, South Africa from July 14 to July 23, 2014 with a mandatory orientation in WashinGton, DC July 11-13, 2014. Travel and lodGinG costs will be provided for your orientation in WashinGton, DC. All GCE MyCOE participants and chaperones will fly from Washington, DC to Pretoria, South Africa as a group for the Youth TechCamp on July 14, 2014. All GCE MyCOE participants will fly together from Pretoria, South Africa to Washington, DC on July 23, 2014. FliGht arranGements will be made by AAG Staff for students and chaperones. Unaccompanied minors proGram available upon request. Visa information for US Citizens traveling to South Africa: - Tourist Visa not required for stays under 90 days Nation Rainbow The REQUIRED: 2 BLANK pages in passport for entry stamp* *If you do not have two blank pages, please submit a DS-4085 form for additional visa pages! ProcessinG time is 4-6 weeks. For more information, please see: http://travel.state.Gov/content/passports/english/passports/services/paGes.html Vaccines and other Health information for travelling abroad The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that before travelinG internationally; make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. The Government of South Africa requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arrivinG from a country with risk of yellow fever. This does not include the US. If you are travelinG from a country other than the US, check this list to see if you may be required to Get the yellow fever vaccine: Countries with risk of yellow fever virus (YFV) transmission. For more information on health information for travel to South Africa, please visit: http://wwwnc.cdc.Gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/south-africa Before you go, prep information for international travel http://travel.state.Gov/content/passports/english/Go.html Smart packing tips: • Pack summer clothes for WashinGton DC Orientation, but pack warmer clothinG for South Africa (June/July is Southern Hemisphere winter) • Make a packinG list and pack liGhtly. The workshop is business casual attire but we also want participants to be comfortable during field exercises. • Pick the riGht bag or suitcase! You will need to brinG enouGh clothes for both the orientation and workshop. You may want to leave some extra room for souvenirs if you plan on buying some. Most importantly, make sure you make your baG easy to identify as yours! Colored ribbons or luGGaGe taGs or even a fun sticker will make your baG stand out. • Protect your valuables. Keep all your valuables with you, either in your purse or in your carry- on. Do not put them in your checked lugGaGe and risk them being missing when you pick up your bag. • Be ready to re-charGe. Make sure to take everythinG you need to keep your electronics charGed and Going strong: camera case and cord, MP3 player cord, and phone charger. • Carry on the essentials. Make sure you can reach things you’ll need during the fliGht or trip. Consider including a book, music player, lotion, lip balm, hair bands, Gum and ear plugs. • DON’T FORGET: Your prescriptions and copies of all prescriptions (make sure prescriptions include Generic names), Glasses (Consider packinG spare glasses in case yours are damaGed) or Contacts (Consider packing spare contacts in case yours are damaGed), proof of yellow fever vaccination, and health insurance documents (health insurance card and copies of claim forms) Tips for long plane rides: The fliGhts to Africa can seem quite lonG - prepare in advance for the time and it will Go much smoother. - Dress comfortably in loose-fittinG clothes — don’t wear anythinG tiGht enouGh to block blood flow or cause your ankles to swell. - Get an aisle seat or exit row so you can get up and walk around whenever possible - Drink plenty of fluids before, durinG, and after your flight - Avoid heavily caffeinated drinks APPENDIX - SOUTH AFRICA ii Tips for jet lag: We will be flyinG throuGh several time zones and it will take you some time to adjust to the new clock. While there are not any remedies that can fix the bioloGical confusion completely, think about these tips from About.com: - Use Discipline: The most effective jet laG remedy is to force your body into its new routine. Avoid the temptation to lay down in the middle of the afternoon; instead, wait until proper time to sleep at niGht. Eat meals at set times reGardless of whether or not you are hunGry. - Get Lots of SunliGht: Your melatonin cycles -- and ultimately your internal clock -- are dictated by the amounts of sunlight coming into your eyes. - Avoid Caffeine: Avoid drinking caffeine after midday until you get readjusted. - Start on the Plane: Set your watch to the time in your future destination, then do your best to sleep and eat based on the new timezone rather than the old. Get up, move around the plane to avoid letharGy, and avoid just snoozinG throuGh the entire flight. Safety while traveling internationally a. Signup for STEP Program: Smart Traveler Enrollment Program https://step.state.gov/step/ b. Tips for students abroad, this information portal is desiGned for student studying abroad on longer programs but it includes very helpful tips for first time travelers and young travelers: http://studentsabroad.state.Gov/ TechCamp Venue in South Africa Our partner EIS-Africa, is a pan African non-profit orGanization reGistered in the Republic of South Africa, headquartered in Pretoria, and is the leading regional orGanization promoting the use of Environmental and Geospatial Information, Science and TechnoloGy throuGh a variety of capacity buildinG activities including the hosting of the AfricaGIS conference and in-country traininG. www.eis-africa.orG The main learninG and traininG venue for the TechCamp is at the University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Centre for Geoinformation Science, Department GeoGraphy, Geoinformatics and MeteoroloGy, Students will stay at the university in campus lodGinG. Address: University of Pretoria, Private BaG X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa Phone Contact: +27 12 349 1068 https://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCateGoryID=16053 APPENDIX - SOUTH AFRICA iii Country Profile: South Africa South Africa is a parliamentary democracy and is, in many respects, a developed country, althouGh much of its population lives in poverty. All major urban areas have modern, world-class hotels and tourist facilities. Food and water are Generally safe, and a wide variety of consumer Goods and pharmaceuticals is readily available. The capital is Pretoria, while the seat of parliament is located in Cape Town. For more information, please visit: www.travel.state.Gov History According to www.south-africa.me.uk/pretoria.htm , South Africa is made up of three capital cities, Pretoria represents the executive branch of the Government (Capetown represents the legislative and Bloemfontein represents the judicial capitals). Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. Geography Pretoria’s Wikipedia paGe states that it is a metropolitan city located in the northern part of GautenG Province, South Africa. Pretoria is situated approximately 55 km (34 mi) north-northeast of Johannesburg in the northeast of South Africa, in a transitional belt between the plateau of the HiGhveld to the south and the lower-lyinG Bushveld to the north. It lies at an altitude of about 1,350 m (4,500 ft) above sea level, in a warm, sheltered, fertile valley, surrounded by the hills of the MaGaliesberG ranGe. Pretoria in South Africa is popularly known as The Jacaranda City due to the thousands of Jacaranda trees planted in its streets, parks and Gardens. Architecture The architecture of South Africa mirrors the vast ethnic and cultural diversity of the country and its historical colonial period. In addition, influences from other, distant, countries have contributed to the variety of the South African architectural landscape. Some of the notable structures in Pretoria include the Union BuildinGs, Voortrekker Monument, the main campus of the University of South Africa, Mahlamba Ndlopfu (the President's House), Reserve Bank of South Africa (Office Tower) and the Telkom Lukas Rand Transmission Tower. Other known structures and buildinGs include the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, The South African State Theatre, University of Pretoria, Head Quarters of the Department of International Relations and Co-Operation. Population DependinG on the extent of the area understood to constitute "Pretoria", the population ranGes from 500,000 to 2.950 million. The main lanGuaGe spoken in the Pretoria is Afrikaans (Africans); also widely spoken are Pedi, Sotho, Tswana, TsonGa, Zulu and EnGlish. APPENDIX - SOUTH AFRICA iv Weather Referencing www. Myweather2.com, the climate in South Africa is typically mostly semiarid, subtropical alonG east coast meaninG in July there are sunny days and cool niGhts. The terrain has vast interior plateau rimmed by ruGGed hills and a narrow coastal plain. Throughout the month of July daytime temperatures will Generally reach highs of around 70°F. At night the average minimum temperature drops down to 40°F (similar to San Francisco’s climate).