Contact Us   |   FAQ   |   Site Map
Direct Travel Insurance
South Africa flag South Africa
South Africa
Quick Facts
Region:
Africa
Full Name:
Republic of South Africa
Capital City:
Pretoria (administrative capital)
Language Spoken:
IsiZulu 23.8%,
IsiXhosa 17.6%,
Afrikaans 13.3%,
Sepedi 9.4%,
English 8.2%,
Setswana 8.2%,
Sesotho 7.9%,
Xitsonga 4.4%,
other 7.2% (2001 census)
Personnel risk: MODERATE
Evacuation risk: MODERATE
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.