Ella+Collopen

    **I ****NTRODUCTION ** The Republic of South Africa is a [|country]  in [|southern Africa] . It  is located at the southern tip of <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Africa] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> and has 2,798 kilometres of coastline on the <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Atlantic] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> and <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Indian oceans] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">. It is bordered by <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Namibia] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Botswana] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Zimbabwe] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Mozambique] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Swaziland] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> and <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Lesotho] <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> (which is completely surrounded by South Africa). SA <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">is divided into nine provinces. It is a vast country with widely varying landscapes. South Africa is a nation of diversity, with over 50-million people and a wide variety of cultures, languages and religious beliefs. It has 11 official languages. <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Christianity is the main religion in South Africa. Other religions include Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The South African Rand is the currency in South Africa. The South African Rand is also known as Rands. The South African Rand is divided into 100 cents. SA is renowned for its wines, diamonds and is one of the world's largest producers of gold.

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">**<span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal; msofareastfontfamily: 'times new roman'; msofareastlanguage: zh-cn;">Flag the south african flag ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The South African flag is basically made up of former South African flags and the past meanings of the colours were the red stands for bloodshed, blue for open blue skies, green for the land, black for the black people, white for the European people and yellow for the natural resources such as gold. The Y shape represents the convergence of South Africa's diverse society and unity

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">**<span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal; msofareastfontfamily: 'times new roman'; msofareastlanguage: zh-cn; text-transform: uppercase;">aspects of culture ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The food of <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|South Africa] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> is sometimes called "rainbow cuisine", as it has had a variety of multicultural sources. The food has been influenced by indigenous people of South Africa such as the Zulu’s and Indian, Afrikaner, Malaysian, British and <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Portuguese] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> immigrants. The food is heavily meat-based. Popular foods in modern South Africa are chicken, limes, garlic, ginger, chilli, tomatoes, onions and many spices. Like Australians’, South Africans enjoy a good barbecue or [|//braai//]//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. //
 * <span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal; msofareastfontfamily: 'times new roman'; msofareastlanguage: zh-cn;">Food **

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"> <span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">Typical South African foods include;

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 19.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Amasi] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, sour milk. <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 19.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Biltong] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, a salty dried meat (similar to <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|jerky] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">), although the meat used is often from Antelope or other venison <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 19.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Bobotie] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, a dish of <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Malay] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> descent, is like <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|meatloaf] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> with <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|raisins] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> and with baked <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|egg] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> on top, and is often served with yellow <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|rice] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|sambals] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|coconut] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|banana] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> slices, and <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|chutney] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">. <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 19.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Boerewors] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">,a <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|sausage] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> that is traditionally [|//braaied//]<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> ( <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|barbecued] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">). boerewors <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 19.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Bunny chow] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|curry] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> stuffed into a hollowed-out loaf of bread. A bunny chow is called Kota by the locals. <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 19.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Chutney] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, or <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Blatjang] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, a sweet sauce made from fruit that is usually poured on meat. <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 19.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Koeksisters] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> come in two forms and are a sweet delicacy. Afrikaans koeksisters are twisted <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|pastries] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, deep fried and heavily sweetened. Koeksisters found on the. <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 19.2pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Biryani].

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">South African culture is diverse, in addition to food, music and dance feature prominently. <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"> **<span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal;">Sports and Leisure ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">South Africa's most popular sports are soccer, <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: en-au; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: 'times new roman'; msobidilanguage: ar-sa; msobidithemefont: minor-bidi; msofareastfontfamily: simsun; msofareastlanguage: zh-tw; msofareastthemefont: minor-fareast; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[|rugby] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"> and <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: en-au; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: 'times new roman'; msobidilanguage: ar-sa; msobidithemefont: minor-bidi; msofareastfontfamily: simsun; msofareastlanguage: zh-tw; msofareastthemefont: minor-fareast; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[|cricket] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">. SA’s <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">national sports are Soccer/Football, Rugby and Cricket. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Other sports with significant support are swimming, athletics, golf, boxing, tennis and netball **<span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal;">Traditional Clothing ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Like food and language, there is no one traditional dress for South African’s. Each sub-population group or tribal group has different cultural attire depending on their country of origin. However common tribal clothing would be 2 piece animal hide skirts usually made from buck hide. Some women wear long beaded necklaces which extend over their breasts. In addition, beads may be worn on ankles and wrists. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Men in power would pride themselves with extra covering from cheetah skin. This type of dress applies to Zulu related tribes. The South Sotho tribe wears a blanket called a seanamarena and a cone shaped hat. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Some tribes had major differences in dressing like the Ndebeles whose ladies wind copper around their entire bodies. Venda men wear Scottish skirts. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Today South Africa is a multi-cultural country populated by both native Africans and many long standing immigrant cultures. In general nearly the entire population wears western clothing. The main exception being those traditional Muslims who wear Arabic garments. Many European-South Africans, Indian-South Africans, Portugese-South Africans, Malay-South Africans, Chinese-South Africans wear different cultural outfits based on their country of origin. There is a booming fashion industry in South Africa influenced by international brands like Guess, Levi, Soviet, and Diesel. **<span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal;">Art ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">The oldest art objects in the world were discovered in a South African cave. Dating from 75,000 years ago

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"> **<span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal;">Festivals and celebrations ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Due to its multicultural population, SA celebrates lots of festivals from across the world including art, music, agricultural, food and wine festivals. However <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: ES;">some important days celebrated because of SA’s history are: <span style="margin-left: 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msoansilanguage: es; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Human Rights Day, celebrated on March 21st, remembers those who died on this day in 1960, due to police brutality. Many of these people were shot in the back while peacefully protesting and the shootings led the government to ban black political organizations all together. Human Rights Day was created as a step to ensure that the people of South Africa are aware of their human rights and to ensure that such abuses never again occur. <span style="font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msoansilanguage: es; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: ES;">On April 27th, South Africans celebrate Freedom Day in honor of the first democratic elections held in 1994 as well as when the new constitution took effect in 1997. <span style="font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msoansilanguage: es; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Worker’s Day, celebrated on May 1st, is South Africa’s version of a labor day. It has traditionally been a day to protest for better wages and working conditions, and given the role that trade unions played in the fight for freedom in South Africa, it is unsurprising that they would commemorate a day such as this <span style="font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msoansilanguage: es; msobidifontfamily: symbol; msofareastfontfamily: symbol; msolist: ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: ES;">On June 16th, Youth Day is celebrated in South Africa in honor of all the young people who lost their lives in the struggle against Apartheid and Bantu Education.

**<span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal;">Rituals, Customs and Beliefs ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">South Africa is a very multicultural society and therefore has many different customs. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There is no single culture, rituals or beliefs across all of South Africa. South African <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">customs have been greatly influenced by the English as South Africa was once a British colony. The same with the Afrikaans customs, these were influenced by the Dutch immigrants during the late 1820's. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Some unusual customs that stemmed from this time were rusks and biltong. Rusks being dried biscuits and biltong, dried meat, usually beef. During the great trek of the British and Dutch settlers from what is today Cape Town, inland, they had no cooler bags or fridges. Therefore they had to make food that would not become rotten and that would last days without having to be kept cold. They would salt the meat and dry the bread. This is where rusks and biltong came from and it is custom now to have rusks with tea and coffee or milo!

Milktart and koeksisters are other types of food that originated from the great Trek and are often eaten with tea/coffee when guests come over.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">In all the schools throughout South Africa everyone wears school uniforms.

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">One of the most famous annual customs is the Comrades Marathon. This is a 90km road race that is run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg every year and Pietermariztburg to Durban every second year. Another famous custom is the Argus, which is a big cycling race which takes place in Cape Town. This road race is 120km long and is pretty tough!

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">The Zulu culture has many unusual customs that are different from today's western cultures. These are some traditional Zulu customs which are still practiced in parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal. For example, the wealth of a Zulu man is determined by how many cattle, goats and sheep he owns.

When a young man wants to marry a young girl he must get permission from the girl's father and pay him a 'lebola' which is a certain number of cattle.

The chief of a Zulu village is allowed to have as many wives as he can afford, this can range from 1 to 11 wives.

When a young girl gets married, she then has to wear certain coloured beads in her hair and around her skirt so that everyone in the village can see that she is married.

The host will always walk into the hut before his guest in case there might be a snake or something else inside the hut which would be harmful to the guest.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msoansilanguage: en-us; msofareastfontfamily: 'times new roman'; msofareastlanguage: zh-cn; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">**<span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; msobidifontweight: normal;">South African Influence on Australia ** <span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msoansilanguage: en-us; msofareastfontfamily: 'times new roman'; msofareastlanguage: zh-cn; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">South Africa’s main influence on Brisbane would be the food. You can buy SA food at local ‘little’ Africa shops located in Annerley and also online. For example, in my family we eat curries influenced by Indian-South Africans’, biltong, boerewors and Koeksisters influenced by Afrikaans and mealie meal (maize) porridge. I bet you didn’t know that Nandos is a South African owned chain store which specialises in Portuguese peri peri chicken. <span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msoansilanguage: en-us; msofareastfontfamily: 'times new roman'; msofareastlanguage: zh-cn; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Writers like Bryce Courtney have also influenced Australian writing and the film industry with books and movies like ‘The Power of One’ and ‘Tandia’. South Africa has also had a large influence in the <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Scouting] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> movement, with many Scouting traditions and ceremonies coming from the experiences of <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Robert Baden-Powell] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (the founder of Scouting) during his time in South Africa as a military officer in the 1890s. <span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msoansilanguage: en-us; msofareastfontfamily: 'times new roman'; msofareastlanguage: zh-cn; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">South Africa is truly a rich and cultural diverse rainbow nation similar in latitude, lifestyle and climate to multicultural Australia.