Boer, (Dutch: “husbandman,” or “farmer”), a South African of Dutch, German, or Huguenot descent, especially one of the early settlers of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. … Today, descendants of the Boers are commonly referred to as Afrikaners.
Who were the first settlers in South Africa?
European contact
The first European settlement in southern Africa was established by the Dutch East India Company in Table Bay (Cape Town) in 1652. Created to supply passing ships with fresh produce, the colony grew rapidly as Dutch farmers settled to grow crops.
What were the white Dutch colonizers of South Africa called?
The Cape Colony (Dutch: Kaapkolonie) was a Dutch United East India Company (VOC) Colony in Southern Africa, centered on the Cape of Good Hope, where it derived its name from. The original colony and its successive states that the colony was incorporated into occupied much of modern South Africa.
Who was in South Africa before the Dutch?
The indigenous peoples with whom the Dutch first came into contact, the Khoikhoi, had been settled in the region for at least a thousand years before the Dutch arrived, and were an unwilling labour force.
Did the Dutch settle South Africa?
Dutch has been present in South Africa since the establishment in 1652 of the first permanent Dutch settlement around what is now Cape Town.
What was South Africa called before 1652?
The South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek or ZAR, not to be confused with the much later Republic of South Africa), is often referred to as The Transvaal and sometimes as the Republic of Transvaal.
What was the original name of South Africa?
Name. The name “South Africa” is derived from the country’s geographic location at the southern tip of Africa. Upon formation, the country was named the Union of South Africa in English and Unie van Zuid-Afrika in Dutch, reflecting its origin from the unification of four formerly separate British colonies.
What was the conflict between Britain and the Dutch over South Africa called?
Name. The conflict is commonly referred to as the Boer War, since the First Boer War (December 1880 to March 1881) was a much smaller conflict. Boer (meaning “farmer”) is the common term for Afrikaans-speaking white South Africans descended from the Dutch East India Company’s original settlers at the Cape of Good Hope.
Why did the Dutch invade South Africa?
The initial purpose of the settlement was to provide a rest stop and supply station for trading vessels making the long journey from Europe, around the cape of southern Africa, and on to India and other points eastward.
Why are there so many Dutch in South Africa?
Dutch colonization
In 1652, the Dutch East India Company decided to establish a colony in the Cape of Good Hope (in present-day Cape Town) to use as a base for Dutch trade with Asia, particularly with its colony in Indonesia. … After the wars, the Dutch began further expansion inland.
Is South Africa Dutch or British?
Increased European encroachment ultimately led to the colonisation and occupation of South Africa by the Dutch. The Cape Colony remained under Dutch rule until 1795 before it fell to the British Crown, before reverting back to Dutch Rule in 1803 and again to British occupation in 1806.
Where did South African slaves come from?
Of those Africans who arrived in the United States, nearly half came from two regions: Senegambia, the area comprising the Senegal and Gambia Rivers and the land between them, or today’s Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mali; and west-central Africa, including what is now Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of …
Who ruled South Africa during apartheid?
Under the administration of the South African president F.W. de Klerk, legislation supporting apartheid was repealed in the early 1990s, and a new constitution—one that enfranchised blacks and other racial groups—was adopted in 1993.
Did the Dutch colonize Africa?
The Dutch colonized many parts of the world — from America to Asia and Africa to South America; they also occupied many African countries for years. From the 17th century onwards, the Dutch started to colonize many parts of Africa, including Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa, Angola, Namibia and Senegal.
Where did the Dutch come from?
Nederlanders) are a West Germanic ethnic group and nation native to the Netherlands. They share a common ancestry and culture and speak the Dutch language.
Why did the Boers go to South Africa?
No longer wishing to live under British rule and vulnerable to attack by neighbouring African tribes, many Boers began to move north. This migration of more than 10,000 Boers became known as the Great Trek. … Following the custom of their forefathers, the Boers believed a farm should be at least 2400 ha in area.