| South Africa A country of southern Africa on the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Originally inhabited by the San and Khoikhoin, the region was settled by various Bantu peoples c. 1500. European settlement began with the Dutch in the mid-17th century. The region passed to Great Britain in 1814 but was hotly contested by descendants of the Dutch settlers in the Boer War (1899-1902), in which Britain took possession of the entire territory, creating the Union of South Africa in 1910. South Africa declared itself a republic in 1961, severed ties with the British Commonwealth, and further consolidated the apartheid system, which was repealed beginning in 1989. An interim constitution ending white rule was adopted in 1993, and the first multiracial elections were held in 1994. Pretoria is the administrative capital; Cape Town, the legislative capital; and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital. Population: 44,000,000. South African adj. & n. |   |
South Africa
n
(Placename) Republic of. a republic occupying the southernmost part of the African continent: the Dutch Cape Colony (1652) was acquired by Britain in 1806 and British victory in the Boer War resulted in the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, which became a republic in 1961; implementation of the apartheid system began in 1948 and was abolished, following an intense civil rights campaign, in 1993 with multiracial elections held in 1994; a member of the Commonwealth, it withdrew in 1961 but was re-admitted in 1994. Mainly plateau with mountains in the south and east. Mineral production includes gold, diamonds, coal, and copper. Official languages: Afrikaans; English; Ndebele; Pedi; South Sotho; Swazi; Tsonga; Tswana; Venda; Xhosa; Zulu. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: rand. Capitals: Cape Town (legislative), Pretoria (administrative), Bloemfontein (judicial). Pop.: 43 586 000 (2001 est.). Area: 1 221 044 sq. km (471 445 sq. miles) Former name (1910-61) Union of South Africa
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  South Africa - a republic at the southernmost part of Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1910; first European settlers were Dutch (known as Boers)trek - a journey by ox wagon (especially an organized migration by a group of settlers) biltong - meat that is salted and cut into strips and dried in the sun PAGAD, People against Gangsterism and Drugs - a terrorist organization in South Africa formed in 1996 to fight drug lords; evolved into a vigilante group with anti-western views closely allied with Qibla; is believed to have ties to Islamic extremists in the Middle East; is suspected of conducting bouts of urban terrorism Qibla - a small terrorist group of Muslims in South Africa formed in the 1980s; was inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini to create an Islamic state in South Africa British Commonwealth, Commonwealth of Nations - an association of nations consisting of the United Kingdom and several former British colonies that are now sovereign states but still pay allegiance to the British Crown KwaZulu-Natal, Natal - a region of eastern South Africa on the Indian Ocean; "Natal was renamed KwaZulu-Natal in 1994" capital of South Africa, Pretoria - city in the Transvaal; the seat of the executive branch of the government of South Africa Cape Town - port city in southwestern South Africa; the seat of the legislative branch of the government of South Africa Johannesburg - city in the northeastern part of South Africa near Pretoria; commercial center for diamond and gold industries Kimberley - city in central South Africa; center for diamond mining and diamond marketing Durban - a port city in eastern South Africa on the Indian Ocean; resort and industrial center Orange Free State, Free State - a province in central South Africa that was colonized by the Boers; named Free State in 1997 Transvaal - a province of northeastern South Africa originally inhabited by Africans who spoke Bantu; colonized by the Boers Cape Colony, Cape of Good Hope Province, Cape Province - a former province of southern South Africa that was settled by the Dutch in 1652 and ceded to Great Britain in 1814; in 1994 it was split into three new provinces of South Africa Bloemfontein - the seat of the supreme court Soweto - a large collection of African townships to the southwest of Johannesburg in South Africa; inhabited solely by Black Africans Kalahari, Kalahari Desert - a desert in southwestern Africa - largely Botswana Africa - the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean Crocodile River, Limpopo - an African river; flows into the Indian Ocean Orange River, Orange - a river in South Africa that flows generally westward to the Atlantic Ocean Sotho - a member of the Bantu people who inhabit Botswana, Lesotho, and northern South Africa and who speak the Sotho languages Batswana, Bechuana, Tswana - a member of a Bantu people living chiefly in Botswana and western South Africa South African - a native or inhabitant of South Africa Xhosa - a member of the Negroid people of southern South Africa mealie - an ear of corn |
Translations
South Africa n → Afrique f du Sud
in South Africa → en Afrique du Sud
to South Africa → en Afrique du Sud
South African
in South Africa → en Afrique du Sud
to South Africa → en Afrique du Sud
South African
adj → sud-africain(e)
n → Sud-Africain(e) m/f
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