Republic of South Africa
This article is about the specific polity Republic of South Africa and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics
Is the southernmost country in Africa. The creation of a state in South Africa can be dated back to the establishemnt of the Dutch Cape Colony in 1652. The modern republic was established when the Union of South Africa came to an end with the enactment of the constitution of 1961. An ethnically diverse country, the european minority descended from Dutch and British colonists imposed a regime of racial segregation (Apartheid) that ended in 1994. In the same period, the borders of South Africa did also change considerably: South Africa allowed Namibia to become an independent country, left Walvis Bay (a territory under direct control of South Africa now also part of Namibia), and abolished the "Black Homelands" (or "Bantustans"), territories set aside for Black inhabitants of South Africa and Namibia as part of the Apartheid policy.
Establishment
May 1961: Born of the Union of South Africa.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
1. Events
May 1963: Transkei was established as a Bantustan in 1963. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
August 1971: Ciskei was established as a Bantustan in 1971. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
June 1972: Bophuthatswana was established as a Bantustan in 1972. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
October 1972: Lebowa was established as a Bantustan in 1972. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
February 1973: Gazankulu was established as a Bantustan in 1973. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
February 1973: Venda was established as a Bantustan in 1973. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
November 1974: QwaQwa was established as a Bantustan in 1974. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
February 1977: KwaZulu was established as a Bantustan in 1977. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
January 1978: South Africa transferred control of Walvis Bay back to the Cape Province, thereby making it an exclave.
April 1981: KwaNdebele was established as a Bantustan in 1981. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
August 1984: KaNgwane was established as a Bantustan in 1984. A Bantustan was a territory designated by the white National Party administration of South Africa for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) as part of its policy of apartheid.
March 1994: In August 1993, prior to the end of apartheid, the Multiparty Negotiating Forum in South Africa passed a resolution calling for "the incorporation-reintegration of Walvis Bay and the Off-Shore Islands into Namibia." The Transfer of Walvis Bay to Namibia Act was passed by the Parliament of South Africa that year. Following the signing of a treaty between the two countries, South Africa formally transferred sovereignty of Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands to Namibia on 1 March 1994.
April 1994: The Bantustans were abolished with the end of Apartheid in South Africa in 1994.
