Apartheid was a system employed by the dominantly white government that held the people of Africa apart for over half a century, and is only now being uplifted. It literally means 'apartness', and that states a lot about the system itself. The basis of it was to classify all the different people of Africa into races - of which there were four basic ones: White (European and Caucasian), Black (any native African), Indian (Pakistani and Indian) and Coloured (A mix of any of the above). Furthermore, these were sub-divided even more.

Apartheid officially came into use in 1948, when the National Party came into power, by a slim margin, but the history of discrimination goes much further back than that, to the beginning of the European settlement of South Africa in the 1600's. The East India Trading Company set up a post at Cape of Good Hope to supply passing ships with fruits, vegetables and meat. The post was not meant to be a settlement, but those posted there built homes, cultivated crops, and got 'settled in'.

The natives of the are understandably disliked strangers invading their land. The East India Company tried to keep the tension at a minimum, and limited the amount of land

In the 1870's, diamonds and gold was discovered in Transvaal, and the prospectors, especially the British, rushed in. The Boers, as they now were known, feared the 'invasion' of people. And they were right to be - because Britain had decided that Transvaal would fit in well within their dream of a African British Empire. In 1899, after several incidents planned to increase the tensions, war broke out.

Newspapers and other media was strictly censored, and most foreign publications were banned. Reporters and authors were not allowed to enter the country, and those dealing in creativity (sculptors, writers, painters, etc.) were strictly controlled. Organizations that opposed Apartheid were struck down and outlawed. Anyone suspected of communism was either imprisoned for life or executed - this became a handy tool for getting rid of opposition.

During the Napoleonic wars, the British took over the post as a naval station. Although the Dutch had been unhappy under the rule of the East India Company, the British turned out to be much worse for them. The British had a different language, different church, and a different way of dealing with the natives. Some of the more independent farmers sold their farms, and headed further inland, battling natives on the way. They established two independent countries, the Orange Free State, and the Transvaal South African Republic. The two, however, did not stay independant for long.

the settlers could use and the amount of crops they could grow. The amount grown was to be sold to the Company for a low price. The settlers did not take that well, and resorted to smuggling.

Mingling of the races was strictly prohibited, so that they would not learn to understand each other, for ignorance breeds mistrust, which breeds hate. There was no interaction allowed, and restaurants, movie the

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1240
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)