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After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found
their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation
of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting
Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end
to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.
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