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Article: From apartheid to the rainbow nation. (history of South Africa)(Special Issue: Nelson Mandela and the New South Africa)
- Article from:
- Ebony
- Article date:
- August 1, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Johnson Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Lush forests, cosmopolitan cities, booming industries and vast urban and rural slums make up South Africa, a country that is twice the size of Texas and three times as large as California.
But the world's largest producer of gold and a major source of gem diamonds is characterized most precisely by its diverse ethnic tapestry. With a population of almost 42 million, South Africa is a racial rainbow with Blacks making up 70 percent of the population, Whites 16 percent, "Coloureds" (people of mixed races) 8 percent, and Asians about 3 percent.
The South African tragedy began 342 years ago in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck and a group of employees of the Dutch ...