South Africa

Flag of South Africa

Background After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.

Map of South Africa

More about South Africa:

Geography

People

Government

Economy

Communications

Transportation

Military

Transnational Issues

ZA (Internet), ZA (ISO 3166), ZAF (ISO 3166), SF (FIPS 10-4)