During the 17th century, South Africa was colonized by the English and Dutch. The Dutch descendants - called "Boers" (from the Dutch word for 'farmer') or "Afrikaners" - revolted against English Rule in 1899. This war was called the Boer War (also known as the South African War) and lasted until 1902. In 1910, the Transvaal, Orange Free State, Cape Colony, and Natal were all combined to form the Union of South Africa which was allowed semi-independent status from Great Britain.
             In 1948, the Afrikaner Nationalist party came to power and implemented Apartheid. Under Apartheid, blacks were excluded from political life and discriminated against in all facets of society. The Nationalist party used Apartheid as a means to cement their control over the economic and social systems of the country. Originally, Apartheid was meant to maintain white domination while extending racial separation. ``Grand Apartheid'' was started in the 1960's which emphasized territorial separation and police repression.
             Before April 26, 1994, this was the flag of South Africa.
             This flag is a combination of the former flag of the Netherlands, (the three equal horizontal stripes) and three miniature flags that are for the old Orange Free State, the United Kingdom, and the old Transvaal Republic.
             Apartheid became know as an extreme form of discrimination. Race laws touched every aspect of social life. All inter-racial acts were banned, including marriages between whites and non-whites. Non-whites were turned away from "white-only" jobs. In 1950, the Population Registration Act required that all South Africans be racially classified into one of three categories: white, black (African), or colored (of mixed decent, mostly Indian and Asian). Classification into these categories was based on appearance, social acceptance, and descent. If a person looked white, they were accepted as white. If a person had a non-white parent, they could not be considered white. T...