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South Africa NEWS MEDIA
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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.
Borders: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km,
Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Population: 46,888,200
GDP per capita: $5,162.47 per capita
Capital with population: Pretoria (official) - est. 1,000,000; Cape Town
(legislative) - 2,893,251; Bloemfontein (judicial) - 369,568
Largest city with population: Johannesburg - 3,225,812
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