South Africa Case Study.docx.docx



South AfricaCase Study: Sub-Saharan colonized nationSapphire A. FaruqueHumanitiesGreg Robinson10th September, 2014South AfricaCase Study: Sub-Saharan colonized nation Introduction389890032766000In 1652 Dutch traders landed at the southern part of todays South Africa, founding the city of Cape town as a stop point on the spice route from Holland to the Far East. However, in 1806, the British seized the city, and the Dutch settlers (called Boers) went north to make their own republics. Discovering diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) in South Africa made more immigrants arrive and take advantage of the locals. For a time the Dutch settlers evaded the British, however after the Second Anglo Boer War, they both ruled together starting in 1910, forming the Union of South Africa. In 1948 the National Party was elected and the apartheid began, which helped the minority of the white people but not so much for the native people. The African National Congress, with many famous leaders like Nelson Mandela, struggled to have equality for the people, as many of their leaders were imprisoned for long periods of time. Through many protests, boycotts and other forms of disagreement, both internally and externally (from other nations), the United Kingdom eventually agreed to peacefully move into majority. The 1994 elections marked the first ever to be multi racial and ended the apartheid, with the African National Congress in control. However, since then, the nation struggled to fix what had occurred due to the apartheid, like healthcare, decent housing, and education. (CIA World Factbook)Timeline of Events:1652-Dutch traders arrive in South Africa, settle and make city of Cape Town. 1795-Britain takes over Cape of Good Hope1806-British invade South Africa and drive Dutch out of power1830-Approx. 12000 Boers leave rule of Britain to form their own regions1884/5-Berlin Conference draws borders and boundaries for ownership of African land1867-Diamonds are discovered which increase trade 1886-Gold is also discovered which again increases trade and popularity for South Africa1880/1-First Anglo Boer War1899 to 1902-Second Anglo Boer War, Dutch and British fight, primarily over control for assets such as gold mines and control of land. Boers loose to British1910-Union of South Africa is formed, granted nominal independence1913-Natives’ Land Act does not allow for many Africans to have their own land331470036195001931-Full sovereignty from Britain 1934-South African party and Nationalist party combine to make the United Party1939-Party splits as one side fought in World War II and other party was opposed to it1948- National party wins votes and comes into power, begins a policy of apartheid1955-Freedom Charter adopted by Congress Alliance, leading 1961-South Africa becomes a republic1994-First voting with mixed color votersColonization of South AfricaThe Dutch originally colonized South Africa. Their first point was on the Cape of Good Hope, which was a good stop over point for the Dutch India trading Company. The Cape of Good Hope-which would later grow to be Cape Town- was where slaves were brought from Madagascar and India to help it expand. Although this was original colonized as a stop over point for the trading company, it eventually went bankrupt. The British then took control of South Africa to prevent the French from taking it. They added it to a part or their territory in 1806.The British originally colonized in South Africa to prevent the French, who had invaded the Dutch, from taking control of the land. They remained in South Africa for around 130 years, after which South Africa gained full sovereignty from Britain. However, 1961 is also an important date as this was when it was declared to be the Republic of South Africa. The original colonizers (Boers) and the British had many fights over the land, to of which are more widely known. In the First Anglo Boer war, Britain was not successful, as the Boers used tactics to defend themselves against them. However, in the Second Anglo Boer war, by use of numbers and new tactics, the British won. There were, however, many casualties suffered. The discovery of diamonds and gold in 1867 and 1884, respectively, lead to a higher interest in South Africa, and a higher number of immigrants. The British ruled South Africa indirectly. This means that rather than sending over Europeans to start and run a whole new government system, they used leaders already in place to take control of the country. This was a better situation because people would feel more comfortable with a leader they already knew, and important people would be able to maintain their positions. Consequences of ColonizationWhen Britain colonized South Africa, the used up many resources. Although the colonial rule was indirect, many of the rules implemented lingered even when the country was independent. 23431594107000Although the GDP is relatively high compared to other sub-Saharan countries, South Africa is still a LEDC. The mining of diamonds and gold help to increase the value, also currently South Africa is a tourist location, which generates revenue for the country. The GDP decreased by almost 2% in 2009, however it has improved in recent times.The religion of the Europeans-Christianity- was widely spread throughout colonized nations. Although Christianity is a major religion, there are also a percentage of Muslims and other, non specified religious people’s living in South Africa. Education was not accessible to all. When people are uneducated they are not able to get a proper job, which leads to them living in poverty. The official unemployment rate is estimated to be around 25%, which is extremely high. All these reasons factor in to South Africa’s stunted development. Although the native Africans have resources, they do not have the means to exploit their lands. When the British came, they colonized and industrialized, and had management systems. They did not educate the locals in how to sustain themselves. Most native South Africans were also not allowed to own land, and did not have a stable job. All these jobs factor in to reasons as to how Works CitedCIA. "CIA Site Redirect." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 30 Nov. 2010. Web. 09 Sept. 2014. <, World. "South Africa." Data. World Bank, n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2014. <;."Main Page." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Sept. 2014. Web. 09 Sept. 2014. <;. U.S. Library of Congress. "South Africa - British Colonialism." South Africa - British Colonialism. US Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2014. <;. ................
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