1. Basic facts
| Capital city | Pretoria (executive power) |
| Largest cities | Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban |
| Population | 50.5 million |
| Area | 1,219,912 km2 |
| Official languages | 11 official languages, including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu. |
2. Key concepts
| Apartheid | The system implemented by the all-white government from 1848 to 1992 separating people of different races and denying black people political rights, forcing them to live in townships outside the cities. |
| Rainbow Nation | Term used to refer to South Africa's racial diversity. Black South Africans represent 75% of the population, with a large number of Coloureds (people of mixed origins) + Europeans + Indians |
3. Key dates
| 18th century | European immigrants (especially Dutch protestants) arrived in important numbers |
| 1795 | The British conquered the colony. The Afrikaaners (earlier Dutch settlers) rebelled against this domination by the British. |
| 1899-1902 | The Boer Wars: between the British and the Afrikaaners → British victory. |
| 1948-1992s | The system of apartheid with an all-white government in spite of the Black majority in the population: separation of people into different races. The Blacks had no political rights and had to live in townships. The whites used violence and imprisonment to impose apartheid. |
| 1960 | The country was forced to leave the Commonwealth because of apartheid. |
| 1980s | The country suffered economic sanctions from the international community. |
| 1992 | Prime Minister Frederick de Klerk led the dismantling of apartheid and called for general elections. |
| 1994 | Nelson Mandela became the first democratically elected black President of South Africa in the first all-race elections |
4. National hero: Nelson Mandela
• Nelson Mandela (1918-) dedicated his life to the fight for racial equality in South Africa.
As qualified lawyer, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1942 and fought against the apartheid regime.
As qualified lawyer, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1942 and fought against the apartheid regime.
- 1964: arrested for sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment. Was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison.
- 1990: released, after 26 years in prison.
- 1993: awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for laying the foundations of a new democratic South Africa.
- April 1994: became the first democratically elected black President of South Africa in the first all-race elections after negotiating the dismantling of apartheid.
- 1999: retired from political life and devoted his energy to campaigning against poverty.
Exercice n°1
1. Johannesburg is the capital of South Africa.
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2. English is the official language.
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3. The first European settlers were Dutch.
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4. The British won the Boer War
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5. The international community demonstrated its disapproval of apartheid
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1. In fact, 3 cities share the role of South African capital. Cape Town is the legislative capital, Pretoria is the administrative and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital of South Africa. Johannesburg is not a capital city, in spite of its importance.
2. There are 11 official languages to respect the different peoples that make up the Rainbow Nation.
Exercice n°2
1. Apartheid is a system of:
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2. The population of South Africa is composed of:
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3. The Afrikaaners are:
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4. Townships are:
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5. Modern South Africa is:
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'Colored' people is the term used in South Africa to designate people whose parents do not share the same racial origin.
