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People have started to live in South Africa for more than 100 thousand years. The two major ethnic groups are the Xhosa and Zulu peoples.
In 1487, Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to touch South Africa. Initially named "Cape of Storms," South Africa was then renamed as "Cape of Good Hope" by John II, then king of Portugal.
In 1652, the Dutch East India Company founded a refreshment station in Cape Town. The Dutch brought in slaves from Indonesia, Madagascar and India.
In 1795, the British conquered the Cape of Good Hope, returned it to the Dutch in 1803, and when the Dutch East India Company declared bankruptcy, Britain took control of the land again.
The discovery of diamonds and gold triggered what is known as the Anglo-Boer War as the British and the Boers fought for control over the wealth.
In 1992, majority of the white population voted for the abolishment of the apartheid in South Africa. This was quickly followed by a new constitution and a fully democratic election that held Nelson Mandela as the first president.