South Africa

South Africa Political Map

Also known as Republic of South Africa Physical Maps

1500s: Europeans begin exploring and trading takes place. History 1500s: Europeans begin exploring and trading takes place. 1700s: Colonization by the Dutch and slavery continue. Protestant Missionary is established. 1600s: European's settle in South Africa for the first time and begin to further colonize and trade. Slavery begins. 1500s: Portuguese travelers and explorers begin to explore South Africa. Portuguese cartographer Manuel de Mesquita Perestrelo gives the first detailed draws a map of the coast. The Dutch and the English begin to make routine stops and begin to trade with the native peoples. In the 1600s the Europeans settle in South Africa.. The Dutch East India Company establishes a refreshment station at Table Bay, South Africa. The purpose of this refreshment place is to provide fresh meat, vegetables, fruits, and water for passing ships en route to India. Maize seeds are brought from the Netherlands and new plantations were built. The new farms needed to grow these new crops needed slaves to work. Wars begin between natives and Dutch. Natives lose. The 1700s brings more expansion and colonization. Slaves are trying to revolt and rebel from the Dutch. The first slave market is established. A protestant missionary is then established in South Africa for the indigenous peoples and the slave trade is now booming.\. By the 1800s, established a newspaper in Cape Town as well as other businesses.. More wars between the natives and the colonists continue.. In the 1900s, the settlers and natives were tired of rule and after fighting wars, South Africa gained independence. The apartheid government began, which was ruled by white minorities and they took away the rights of the African natives. In the sixties, Nelson Mandela was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies. After Mandela protested, he was tried and found guilty of treason. He went to jail for several years. He wanted equal rights for everyone in South Africa and he was eventually elected president in 1994. 1900s: Gain independence and Nelson Mandela fought for equal rights against apartheid government. 1800s: Control is turned over to England. They colonize more and set up businesses. Wars continue.

Historical Figures Jan van Riebeeck Nelson Mandela Jan Smuts Jan van Riebeeck: 1651 he volunteered to take command of the Dutch settlement in South Africa and founded Cape Town Nelson mandela: Nationalist leader and statesman Jan Smuts: Defense minister in WWI and WWII. Signed both peace treaties after both wars at the paris peace conferences. Jan van Riebeeck Nelson Mandela Jan Smuts

Historical Places Battlefields Route Robben Island Cradle of Humankind Nelson Mandela was imprisoned at Robben Island for 27 years. Battle Fields Route: the famous battle sites of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu wars Apartheid Museum: Starting in 1948, the white elected National Party government implemented the policy of apartheid which turned 20 million people into second class citizens, condemning them to a life of servitude, humiliation and abuse. This museum illustrates South Africa’s past violence and civil rights movements Cradle of Humankind: one of the richest fossil sites in the world. Fossilized footprints and the wealth of rock paintings, the Drakensberg mountains and elsewhere, all testify to humanity's origins on this ancient continent. Cradle of Humankind Apartheid Museum

Cradle of Humankind (Northwest of Johannesburg) Apartheid Museum (Johannesburg) Robben Island (Off coast of Cape Town) Battlefields Route (province of Kwazulu Natal)

Khosian peoples preparing for a ritual Religions 80% Christian Indigenous: Khosian peoples Religions vary in south Africa and in the last 20 years the government has encouraged Christianity. Most of the Christians are Protestants. Khosian peoples: very complicated. fear one supreme power .They believed that one supreme power controlled the whole world. Rituals and small sacrifices were done by the Khoisan people. They also feared an evil being which is the reason for pain and misery. A large majority of population is Christian or follows the Khosian practices. Khosian peoples preparing for a ritual

Government Constitutional democracy with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary. National, Provincial, and Local 3 Capitals: Bloemfontein, Pretoria, and Cape Town Parliament National Assembly and National Council of Provinces President and the Cabinet Bloemfontein: judicial capital, or where the country's highest court meets Pretoria: administrative government capital Cape Town: legislative government capital Parliament: Legislative authority. two houses, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. President: elected by national assembly. executive Head of State and leads the Cabinet. The President may not serve more than two five-year terms in office. Cabinet: consists of the President, the Deputy President and 25 Ministers. The President appoints the Deputy President and Ministers

Capital Buildings Bloemfontein Pretoria Cape Town

Food Mageu Braais Bitlong Skop Melktart Mageu: drink made from fermented mealie pap. Braais: barbecue" or "grill" and is a social custom with lots of spicy meats Bitlong: strips of dried meat with various flavors and types. Sort of like beef jerky. Skop: head of a cow, sheep, or goat Melktart: sweet pastry crust containing a creamy filling made from milk, flour, sugar and eggs.

Traditional Clothing Vibrant colors Beaded accessories Cheetah skin Ndebeles people 2 piece animal hide skirt usually made from buck hide Ankle and wrist bead wear is also common Men in power (of the tribes) wear cheetah skins Ndebeles: wind copper around entire bodies Picture of shoe made from beads

Ethnicity Hundreds of native ethnicities Government divided ethnicities into four major racial categories: Black Africans, Whites, Coloreds, and Indians This system was abolished in 1991, but many people still go by this Coloreds: mixed white and black descendants Natives: Khoi-San, Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele, Sotho, Shangaan and Venda are the largest native groups

Holidays After the apartheid government fell, holidays that would be meaningful to South Africans were created: Human Rights Day Freedom Day Heritage Day Day of Reconciliation Human rights day: 1960 the police killed 70 people at Sharpeville who were participating in a protest against the passing of some new laws. The carnage made world headlines. Four days later the government banned black political organizations, many leaders were arrested or went into exile Freedom Day: day to celebrate when in 1994 the first democratic election was held in South Africa and in 1997 when the new constitution took effect. Heritage Day: a day to celebrate South Africa’s diverse cultures, customs, traditions, histories, and languages. Day of reconciliation: a day to focus on overcoming the conflicts of the past and building a new nation.

Economy GDP: 357.3 billion in U.S. $ Inflation: 4.9% Unemployment Rate: 24% $1 = 7.85 Rand 1 Rand = $0.13 Rich in mineral resources Labor has undergone a massive change It is the world's largest producer and exporter of platinum; is a significant producer of gold, manganese, chrome, coal and diamonds. Also exports many agricultural products like maize, meats, tobacco, cotton, and sugar. Other key industries: mining, automobile assembly, machinery, textiles, chemicals, and commercial ship repairs. Labor has changed dramatically after the inequalities of the apartheid era. Many more workers could do more jobs and they were allowed to become more educated and skilled laborers.