13 Lesser-Known Historical Facts about South Africa:
1. The Khoisan people are the indigenous inhabitants of South Africa, with a history dating back thousands of years.
2. The Dutch East India Company established a supply station at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.
3. The discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1886 led to economic boom and colonial conflict.
4. The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 was a significant conflict between the British Empire
and the Zulu Kingdom.
5. The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, uniting four British colonies.
6. The apartheid system, institutionalized in 1948, enforced racial segregation and discrimination.
7. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for his anti-apartheid activism and later became the first black president of South Africa.
8. The Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 marked a turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle.
9. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1996-2003) addressed the human rights abuses of the apartheid era.
10. The Drakensberg Mountains are home to thousands of ancient rock paintings by the San people.
11. South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first time the event was held on the African
continent.
12. The Battle of Blood River in 1838 was a decisive victory for the Voortrekkers against the Zulu.
13. The Nelson Mandela Bridge in Johannesburg is one of the largest cable-stayed bridges in Southern Africa.
