| abstract | - The Republic of South Africa (Afrikaans: Republiek van Suid-Afrika) is an African state located at the southern end of the African continent. It borders Zululand to the north and the Boer Republic to the northeast. The country has a population of about 25,000,000 and is a middle power in terms of economic clout and military strength, and is a very ethnically and culturally diverse country with large white and Asian populations. The capital and largest city is Cape Town. Settled by English and Anglo-Scots settlers in the late 19th century as the separate colonies of English South Africa and New Portsmouth, respectively, the English colonies were combined into South Africa in 1906 and enjoyed local rule after the 1909 Revolution and until 1934, when the Socialists reasserted power, starting the South African independence movement. It eventually broke away from England in 1937 after it was removed from English control in the aftermath of the Irish War, which transferred it to French control as French South Africa. In 1940, however, at the height of the French Civil War, the French ministry was overrun by South African patriots who declared an independent republic, which was recognized by England, the United States and multiple other countries. After the civil war, Emperor Sebastien of France focused his energy more on reasserting French control over long-held colonies as opposed to South Africa, the only French colony to declare itself independent or be so recognized during the war, although he armed the Boer Republic in hopes of creating a client state. However, those dreams were dashed with the American defeat of the Boers in 1950 and the subsequent alliance between South Africa and the United States.
|
