South Africa
Content
South Africa
History of South Africa
By the 14th century C.E, the region was settled by the Bantu people who migrated from central Africa.
South Africa was first inhabited by Europeans in 1488 when the Portuguese arrived at the Cape of
Good Hope. However, permanent settlement did occur until 1652 when the Dutch East India Company
established a small station for provisions on the Cape. In following years, French, Dutch and German
settlers began to arrive in the region.
By the late 1700s, European settlements were spread throughout the Cape and by the end of the 18th
century the British controlled the entire Cape of Good Hope region. In the early 1800s in an effort to
escape British rule, many native farmers called Boers migrated north and in 1852 and 1854, the Boers
created the independent Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State.
After the discovery of diamonds and gold in the late 1800s, more European immigrants arrived in
South Africa and eventually led to the Anglo-Boer Wars, which the British won, causing the republics
to become part of the British Empire. In May 1910 though, the two republics and Britain formed the
Union of South Africa, a self-governing territory of the British Empire and in 1912, the South African
Native National Congress (eventually called the African National Congress or ANC) was founded with
the goal of providing blacks in the region with more freedom.
Despite the ANC in an election in 1948, the National Party won and began passing laws enforcing a
policy of racial separation called apartheid. In the early 1960s the ANC was banned and Nelson
Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders were convicted of treason and imprisoned. In 1961, South
Africa became a republic after it withdrew from the British Commonwealth because of international
protests against apartheid and in 1984 a constitution was put into effect. In February 1990, President
F.W. de Klerk, unbanned the ANC after years of protest and two weeks later Mandela was released
from prison.
Four years later on May 10, 1994, Mandela was elected as South Africa's first black president and
during his time in office he was committed to reforming race-relations in the country and
strengthening its economy and place in the world. This has remained the goal of subsequent
governmental leaders.
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is a country located at the southern tip
of Africa.
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa enforced through legislation by
the National Party (NP) governments.
Land area: 1,221,037 km2
Capital: Pretoria (Executive), Bloemfontein (Judicial), Cape town (Legislative)
Type of government: Republic
Current President: Jacob Zuma
Legislature: Upper house (National Council of provinces) , Lower house (National Assembly)
South Africa is a parliamentary representative democratic republic, wherein the President of South
Africa, elected by parliament, is the head of government, and of a multi party system. Executive
power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the
two chambers of Parliament, the Council of Provinces and the National Assembly. The judiciary is
independent of the executive and the legislature. Government is three-tiered, with representatives
elected at the national, provincial and local levels.
South Africa is the 25th-largest country in the world by land area, and with close to 53 million people,
is the world's 24th-most populous nation.
Langauage used: English and Afrikaans
About 80 percent of South Africans are of black African ancestry.
Christianity is the most populous religion in South Africa, coming in at approximately 75% of the
population. 15% have no religious affiliation. And the other 10% consists of Judaism, Islam, Bahai,
African traditional religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, amongst others.
South Africa is ranked as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, and is considered to
be a newly industrialised country.[12][13] Its economy is the second largest in Africa, and the 28thlargest in the world.
South Africans greetings :
Yes - Ja pronounced Yah
No - Nee pronounced kneer
Thank you - Dankie pronounced dunkey
Please - Asseblief pronounced asserbleef
Goodbye – Totsiens pronounced totseens
History of South Africa
By the 14th century C.E, the region was settled by the Bantu people who migrated from central Africa.
South Africa was first inhabited by Europeans in 1488 when the Portuguese arrived at the Cape of
Good Hope. However, permanent settlement did occur until 1652 when the Dutch East India Company
established a small station for provisions on the Cape. In following years, French, Dutch and German
settlers began to arrive in the region.
By the late 1700s, European settlements were spread throughout the Cape and by the end of the 18th
century the British controlled the entire Cape of Good Hope region. In the early 1800s in an effort to
escape British rule, many native farmers called Boers migrated north and in 1852 and 1854, the Boers
created the independent Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State.
After the discovery of diamonds and gold in the late 1800s, more European immigrants arrived in
South Africa and eventually led to the Anglo-Boer Wars, which the British won, causing the republics
to become part of the British Empire. In May 1910 though, the two republics and Britain formed the
Union of South Africa, a self-governing territory of the British Empire and in 1912, the South African
Native National Congress (eventually called the African National Congress or ANC) was founded with
the goal of providing blacks in the region with more freedom.
Despite the ANC in an election in 1948, the National Party won and began passing laws enforcing a
policy of racial separation called apartheid. In the early 1960s the ANC was banned and Nelson
Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders were convicted of treason and imprisoned. In 1961, South
Africa became a republic after it withdrew from the British Commonwealth because of international
protests against apartheid and in 1984 a constitution was put into effect. In February 1990, President
F.W. de Klerk, unbanned the ANC after years of protest and two weeks later Mandela was released
from prison.
Four years later on May 10, 1994, Mandela was elected as South Africa's first black president and
during his time in office he was committed to reforming race-relations in the country and
strengthening its economy and place in the world. This has remained the goal of subsequent
governmental leaders.
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is a country located at the southern tip
of Africa.
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa enforced through legislation by
the National Party (NP) governments.
Land area: 1,221,037 km2
Capital: Pretoria (Executive), Bloemfontein (Judicial), Cape town (Legislative)
Type of government: Republic
Current President: Jacob Zuma
Legislature: Upper house (National Council of provinces) , Lower house (National Assembly)
South Africa is a parliamentary representative democratic republic, wherein the President of South
Africa, elected by parliament, is the head of government, and of a multi party system. Executive
power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the
two chambers of Parliament, the Council of Provinces and the National Assembly. The judiciary is
independent of the executive and the legislature. Government is three-tiered, with representatives
elected at the national, provincial and local levels.
South Africa is the 25th-largest country in the world by land area, and with close to 53 million people,
is the world's 24th-most populous nation.
Langauage used: English and Afrikaans
About 80 percent of South Africans are of black African ancestry.
Christianity is the most populous religion in South Africa, coming in at approximately 75% of the
population. 15% have no religious affiliation. And the other 10% consists of Judaism, Islam, Bahai,
African traditional religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, amongst others.
South Africa is ranked as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, and is considered to
be a newly industrialised country.[12][13] Its economy is the second largest in Africa, and the 28thlargest in the world.
South Africans greetings :
Yes - Ja pronounced Yah
No - Nee pronounced kneer
Thank you - Dankie pronounced dunkey
Please - Asseblief pronounced asserbleef
Goodbye – Totsiens pronounced totseens
