In south africa, language is a major way of categorizing peoples and the black ethnic groups of south africa can be divided into a few major ethnic groups based upon language. It can be used as a physical handout for students or assigned online to a passwordprotected school site. The tswana is one of the black ethnic groups in south africa which extends across national borders. Ethnic groups are, to be sure, inventions and constructions in some measure, but they are also decidedly real, even in the sense that states are said to be.
There has been constant debate over the classification of ethnic groups. Colonial racism was responsible for creating ethnic divisions and encouraging regionalism and separatism, which further separated the races and ethnic groups. For example, nomadic bedouin tribe must have customs that. Some ethnic groups are unique to south africa while others like basotho crossed the border into.
It impinges negatively on the countrys fight against poverty. Leading in ethnic diverse schools in south african schools. For 2019, statistics south africa stats sa estimates the midyear population at 58,78 million. The roadmap to end the crisis including elections late 2015 presents only a shortterm answer and risks exacerbating existing tensions. Ethnicity, cultural diversity and poverty in south africa. Whites in south africa often attributed the recent centuries of warfare in the region to the varied origins of its peoples, rather than to the. Black population accounts 75% of the south africas entire population. Statistics south africa provided five racial categories by which. The vast majority of languages belong to the semitic, cushitic, or omotic groups, all part of the afroasiatic language family. Africas religious and ethnic groups flashcards quizlet. The homelands started around the mid twentieth century, and ended in the late twentieth century, around the mid 1990s. Ethiopians are ethnically diverse, with the most important differences on the basis of linguistic categorization.
South african ethnic groups are also found across south africas boundaries in neighbouring countries. Gauteng comprises the largest share of the south african population, with approximately 15,2 million. Membership of an ethnic group tends to be associated with shared ancestry, history, homeland, language or dialect and cultural heritage. Ethnic groups constitute an identity as defined by outsiders who do not belong to the group but identify it as different from their own groups and by insiders. In multiethnic and multiracial south africa, in may 2008 violence broke out in the townships surrou nding johannesburg as b lack south africans attacked immigrants and. Practically all anthropological reasoning rests on the premise that cultural variation is discontinuous. Southafricas cultural profile is shaped by multiple ethnicities, and. These mostly originate with the sahelian kingdoms of the medieval period, such as that of the igbo of nigeria, deriving from the kingdom of nri 11th century. The transitional authorities and their international partners must address crucial issues by implementing a comprehensive disarmament. In multi ethnic and multiracial south africa, in may 2008 violence broke out in the townships surrou nding johannesburg as b lack south africans attacked immigrants and. South africas cultural profile is shaped by multiple ethnicities, and. Postapartheid has seen an increase in indian immigrants coming to the country and are the majority of this group with a population of approximately 1. Whereas the south african constitutionmakers rejected the claims of certain ethnic groups. Africans or south africans and bantuspeaking people form the major part of the population approximately 35 million.
Statistics south africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial population groups. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. They settled in the northern, eastern and central parts of south africa, forming clans with their own identities and hierarchical sociopolitical rank structures. What research is that where you found the history of ethnic conflict in south africa. Jul 18, 2019 the indian ethnic groups began to grow in the 19th century when they came to south africa as indentured servants to work in the sugar plantations. Helen ladd abstract a major task of south africa s new government in 1994 was to promote racial equity in the state education system. Sep 21, 2018 south africa has a population of approximately 55 million people comprising of diverse culture, religion, origin, and languages. They were nothing more than a miniature wwi i am not saying that they were a world war of course restr. Ethnic and cultural intolerance is still alive and well in postapartheid south africa. The mfecanedifaqane wars were not ethnic conflicts. As a result, the first fact about ethnicity in africa is. The low degree of overlap ping group membership can be attributed to three, partly coinciding factors. Until 1991, south african law divided the population into four major racial categories.
For example, ngunispeaking swazi people make up almost the entire population of swaziland. There are four major ethnic groups in south africa. Black population accounts 75% of the south africa s entire population. South africa, officially the republic of south africa rsa, is the southernmost country in africa. Statistics south africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial. There are over 650 different bantu languages and dialects. The 2011 census figures for these groups were black african at 80. Jul, 2018 what research is that where you found the history of ethnic conflict in south africa. In terms of population density, that equated to 41. Identity in descriptions of others across ethnic groups in south africa. Approximately 51,2% approximately 30 million of the population is female. At the 2001 census, the final declared total for resident citizens in south africa was 44,819,778. The black africans, of which the nguni and sotho groups account for 90% of the black population. Ethnicity and nation building in contemporary africa.
Bantu is usually known more as a language than an ethnic group. A groups customs and traditions often come from religion, from where the group lives, or from the demands of daily life. Before the colonial era, some parts of africa had what may be described as ethnic polities political societies with governmental institutions in. Recent statistics on poverty in south africa indicate that poverty is much higher amongst historically disadvantaged groups with no indication of any improvement. Minorities in a democratic south africa oxford academic journals. Many ethnic groups and nations of subsaharan africa qualify, although some groups are of a size larger than a tribal society. Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of presentday south africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the netherlands and the far east, founding the city of. South africa is the rainbow nation, a title that captures the countrys cultural and ethnic diversity. Pages in category ethnic groups in south africa the following 68 pages are in this category, out of 68 total. Media in category ethnic groups in south africa the following 6 files are in this category, out of 6 total.
With over 58 million people, it is the worlds 24thmost populous nation and covers an area of 1,221,037 kilometres 758,717 mi. Bantu is a mixture of nearly 600 different ethnic groups combined. Ethnic and minority groups, and constitutional change in south africa. Pdf the management implications of ethnicity in south africa. The whites who account for about % of the population. The official population count of the various ethnic groups in africa has, in some instances, been controversial. Ethnicity, cultural diversity and poverty in south africa scielo sa. The cultural context of ethnicity and identity in south africa. This paper evaluates progress toward this goal using three distinct concepts.
Ethnic groups of africa graphic organizer this includes a graphic organizer to compare and contrast four ethnic groups in africa. Measuring ethnic fractionalization in africa daniel n. Uganda ethnic groups ugandans can be classified into several broad linguistic groups. The population of south africa is one of the most complex and diverse in the world. Segregation was defined as the imposed separation of groups. Race and ethnicity in south africa south african history online. This article shows that most measures of ethnic diversity including the commonly. This is a theme of great, but neglected, importance to social anthropology. Senegal, south africa, tanzania, uganda, and zambia afrobarometer, 2006. The ethnic groups in south africa have a variety of origins. Helen ladd abstract a major task of south africas new government in 1994 was to promote racial equity in the state education system. South african culture, customs, and traditions worldatlas.
South africans represent a rich array of ethnic backgrounds, but the idea of ethnicity became highly explosive during the apartheid era, when the government used it for political and racial purposes. Start studying africa s religious and ethnic groups. In south africa, for example, the colonists policies deepened the differences between zulus and xhosas, ndebele and vendas, tswana and qwaqwa, etc. Typical of africa, south africa has many ethnic groups in the nation state that was created by imperial. Legal separation and classification of people into four main racial groups. The south african interest group structure is in large measure determined by the racial and ethnic divisions within the population. African ethnic groups and their religions, customs, and traditions africa is made up of 54 different countries and many ethnic groups. The mandinka are an ethnic group that live in west africa, primarily senegal, gambia, and guineabissau, but some also live in burkina faso, mali, and cote divoire. The south african political system is characterized by cultural diversity, communal conflict, and the domination of a black majority by a white minority. South africa population 2020 demographics, maps, graphs. Race, ethnicity and language in south africa world elections. The finalised tfr assumptions can be found in table 2 page 5. Ethnic groups and boundaries by fredrik barth introduction this collection of essays addresses itself to the problems of ethnic groups and their persistence. The following is a list of contemporary ethnic groups.
Vosloo the annals of the american academy of political and social science 1974 4. South african ethnic groups are also found across south africa s boundaries in neighbouring countries. Segregation took place throughout the history of south africa during the apartheid era. In central african republic, the conflict between armed groups is now compounded by a conflict between armed communities. Ethnic diversity, segregation, and ethnocentric trust in. Race and ethnicity in south africa south african history. Areas of particular study are african civilizationskingdoms, modern countries and cities, various ethnic groups, the partition of.
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