South+Africa

=   = =** We the youth of South Africa, Recognising the injustices of our past, Honour those who suffered and sacrificed for justice and freedom. We will respect and protect the dignity of each person And stand up for justice. We sincerely declare that we shall uphold the rights and values of our Constitution, And promise to act in accordance with the duties and responsibilities that flow from these rights. //This is the pledge of allegiance for the children in school. Children are required to say this during their school day just like students in the United States.// **=
 * ​​​ [[image:125px-Flag_of_South_Africa.svg.png]]South Africa[[image:125px-Flag_of_South_Africa.svg.png]] ** [[image:trim.gif]]

Background Information
I n 1652, Dutch traders landed on the Southren tip of Africa. They establishedd a stop point between the Netherlands and the far East, called Cape town. Another major thing that happened in South Africa was the discovery of diamonds and gold. In 1948, the national party was voted into power and they instiuted a policy of aparthied. This is a policy that seperates the seperation development of races. This policy was favored of the white minority. The ANC (African National Congress), led the opposition to apartheid. Also, many leaders such as Nelson Mandela spent decades in the South African prison. The first multi racial election was in 1994, and it brought the end to aparthied, and majorty rule under an ANC government. Since then, South Africa has struggled to have decent education, housing, and health care. Right now the president of South Africa is Jacob Zuma as of April 2009.

 Geography ==** South Africa occupies the southern tip of Africa. The coast line is very long, stretching a little more then 2500k from the desert border with Namibia on the Atlantic coast, southwards around the tip of Africa. Also, its north to the border with subtropical Mozambique on the India Ocean. It is low lying and the coast line is very narrow. There are also many mountains. South Africa is a average size country. It has a little more then 1.2 million square kilometers. It is about the same size as Niger, Mali, and Columbia. It is 1/8th of the size of the United States. It is about the same distance north and south as it is east to west. There is a great inland called the Karroo plateau. It is rocky with multiple hills and mountains. In the summer, the weather in South Africa is extremely hot and dry. In the winter, it is cold and sometimes icy. In the south-western part of South Africa the climate is the same as the Mediterranean Sea, which is wet in the winter and dry in the summer. The GDP per capita is 10,000 dollars a year as of 2009. **==

==// Pre-Imperialism // Khoi was the first known inhibitants. It is in the mountains of the southren cape. The Zulu people were one of the major groups that lived on the Cape. The Zulu cheif had a son named Shaka. He was born in the late 1700's. He was extremly skilled and when he was in battles he always won. This also leads back to the discovery of diamonds and gold. His group became very successful and they expanded thier territory. When they expanded their territory, his people searched and they ended up finding diamonds and gold. The Zulu cheif died around 1816. When he died, his son Shaka became the new chief. Shaka had two brothers and when they found out that he was the new cheif they killed him because they thought it was unfair and that he had too much power. ==

==**Western Country ** The European group that imperialized South Africa was at first the Dutch. The British also had an impact on imperializing South Africa but the first to settle there, at the Cape of Good Hope, were the Dutch. They landed at the cape because of South Africa’s land, plentiful resources, and easy access to the ocean. The Dutch did n ot agree with Britain’s policies regarding land and slaves, so this, and the discovery of diamonds in South Africa sparked the Boer War. The British and Dutch both used South Africa as part of Geopolitics, or the taking of land for a strategic position or for products. In this case, the Dutch mainly for the position between the Dutch East Indies and the Netherlands, and the British mainly for the large gold and diamond deposits. // This picture shows Europeans when they first arrived in South Africa //==

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 Effects Of Imperialism ** After the British took rule over the Cape of Good Hope, in order to escape British rules, cultural dominance, and laws regarding slavery, the Dutch decided to migrate north in a large movement called the Great Trek. As they marched north, they ran into, and conflicted with many African tribes. One of which was the Zulus, who had just lost their previous leader Shaka, who had taken many lands for his tribe in South Africa. his successor was defeated by the migrating Dutch, and the remainder of the tribe was later conquered by the British. Following the Great Trek, gold and diamond deposits were found in SouthAfrica, which brought many “outsiders” who tried to take the Boer’s land and political rights. This caused the Boer War where many African and European lives were lost. Subsequent to the Boer War, which the British had won, the Union of South Africa was formed. At that point, the British tried harder to get Africans to adopt British social, economic, and political customs, which changed the lives of many South Africans. ** **// The picture shows a map of the Great Trek //**

**Independence Struggle **
** The discovery of diamonds and gold deposits in South Africa were the main cause of a conflict in South Africa known as the Boer War. The Boer War began in 1899 when the Dutch farmers (Boers) who had migrated in the Great Trek blamed Britain for outsiders taking their land and political rights, and then waged war against them. A tactic that the Boers used in the war was guerilla warfare, while the British, on the other hand, would burn the villages of the Boers, and kidnap their women and children, sometimes putting them in concentration camps with many diseases. Even some South Africans fought in the war too. They were often captured by the British and imprisoned in concentration camps. Over 14,000 South Africans lost their lives. Eventually, Britain won the war in 1910. Britain decided to join the Boer republics together into the Union of South Africa. This union was self-governing, but Britain still had control. The events of the Boer War not only lead to the formation of the Union of South Arica, but also to the Berlin Conference, and the further division of Africa. **

//** This picture shows Boers fighting in the Boer War **//

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=Country Today = = =


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South Africa is a middle-income country right now. There are plenty of resources and ways of transport that makes South Africa efficient in distribution of goods to other countries. The unemployment rate is extremely high and the number of formal jobs has decreased. High waged jobs are hard to find when low wage jobs are still difficult to find. The economy for jobs is not doing well which makes it hard for people without jobs to find them and it makes the poverty level increase. In South Africa racism is still a mayor decision for jobs. White people in South Africa made six times the amount of money black people make. The rise of equality has increased but because the economy is not doing well, crime and corruption have increased. The government in South Africa is cutting down on the unneeded spending. Most of the government’s money is going to the tourist spots in South Africa because tourists are a major way the country makes money.

T South Africa has being creating wine for over 300 years and the wine is supposed to be some of the best in the world. Many people do not think of South Africa when they think of wine which makes more tourists want to see the vineyards all through South Africa.

Currently South Africa is a stable country. In 2008 the President of South Africa registered the country as an unstable country because there was a sudden fear of a civil war to occur in South Africa but now the scare is over. There is no longer a fear of a civil war and the economy is slowly getting more stable. The country is ready for growth and ready for tourist to come back from other countries. South Africa is the 45th country that is the most competitive with other countries right now. The uncertainty in 2008 made the government and the citizens stronger than ever. The government is ready to take action and help its country get the economy better than other countries. **

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= These both are pictures of Cape Town which is the best tourist spot in all of South Africa. =

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= = =Fun Facts!  =

** 1. South Africa is the only country that has three official capitals. Which are Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfonteinn. ** ==
 * 2. There are 11 official languages in South Africa. **
 * 3. For over 300 years, wine has been developed in South Africa. **
 * 4. Table Mountain in Cape Town is known to be one of the oldest mountains in the world. **
 * 5. South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit in the world. **
 * 6. South Africa generates two-thirds of Africa's electricity. **
 * 7. The Rovos Rail is the most luxurious train in the world. **
 * 8. South Africa is the world's largest producer of macadamia nuts. **
 * 9. At 710 feet, South Africa has the largest commercial bungi jump in the world. **
 * 10.Lake Malawi in South Africa is home to around 500 different types of fish. **

Extras







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References​

//The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department

Http:// www.southafrica.info/about/geography/geography.htm By Big Media Publishers

Bureau of African Affairs. "Background: South Africa." //US Department of State//. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, Feb. 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

Beck, Roger B, et al. //Modern World History//. Illinois: McDougal Little, 2005. N. pag. Print.

**The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition** | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press.