The first settlements on the territory of South Africa were formed long time ago. At present, there are several important archeological districts in the country. One of the most interesting districts is Sterkfontein where the remains of ancient people’s sites had been found in caves. Little is known of the early history of the country. The first written references to the European settlements established here date back to the middle of the 17th century. In 1652, the first Dutch settlement was formed at the Cape of Storms that was later called the Cape of Good Hope.
The British colonization began in the late 18th century. For hundreds of years, European colonizers faced a serious aborigines’ resistance. In the 19th century, the country saw multiple Boer Wars. During that period, the situation of the natives deteriorated significantly because of finding rich gold deposits in the country. Due to this, the number of European colonizers had grown a lot and this provoked a conflict between Britons and South African Dutch. As a result, several independent colonies were formed and then, in 1910, unified into the Union of South Africa. Consequently, it became independent from Great Britain only in 1961.
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