South Africa is a country located on the southern tip of Africa. It shares borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho (an independent enclave surrounded by South Africa). The Atlantic and Indian oceans make up a 1,550 mile coastline along the southern border of the country. The origins of modern-day South Africa date back to 1652 when Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of the continent of Africa and established a stopover point on the spice route between Europe and the East. This stopover point founded the city of Cape Town.

On April 22, 2009, South Africa held their fourth election day since the end of apartheid. African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma was highly expected to win the presidency.Al Jazeera: Voting ends in South Africa polls (April 22, 2009)

After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers or Boers founded their own republics in the north. The discovery of Diamonds and Gold in the interior region of the country stimulated economic growth and further subjugation of the natives.

In 1899 the Boers successfully resisted British encroachments but were eventually overwhelmed by British forces. As a result of the Treaty of Vereeniging the British and the Afrikaners (as the Boers became known) ruled together under the Union of South Africa.

In 1948, The National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - meaning separateness. Apartheid was a system of legalized racial segregation, legitimized racism and white nationalism. While the White minority enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa, the Black majority remained disadvantaged by almost every standard including income, education, housing, and life expectancy. By the early 1990s the National Party government effectively negotiated itself out of power and the first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an official end to apartheid - ushering in black majority rule.

A peace conference that were to be held in South Africa in March 2009 was postponed indefinitely after the country denied a visa to Dalai Lama. The government said Dalai Lama would not be allowed into the country until after the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament because his presence would take away attention from the upcoming game.Wall Street Journal: Controversy Swells After South Africa Bars Dalai Lama from Conference (March 24, 2009) Before the conference was postponed, several Nobel laureates invited, including former South African president Frederik De Klerk, said the would boycott it.The Christian Science Monitor: South Africa turns away Dalai Lama, political firestorm follows(March 26, 2009) Some accused South Africa of attempting to please China, which is a major trade partner with the country. Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet, a region seeks independence from China.Wall Street Journal: [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123789741820724571.html Controversy Swells After South Africa Bars Dalai Lama from Conference (March 24, 2009)

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• Official Site: State of the Environment South Africa

• Wikipedia: Geography of South Africa

• SouthAfrica.com: South Africa's Geography | Geography and Climate

• South Africa Rocks: Blogs and News

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