South Africa: The Expert Challenge

Explication : Nelson Mandela was released on February 11, 1990 after 27 years of imprisonment. His release marked the beginning of the transition to democracy in South Africa.

Explication : The South African rand is named after the Witwatersrand mountain range, where gold was discovered in 1886. It replaced the South African pound in 1961.

Explication : F.W. de Klerk was president from 1989 to 1994 and played a crucial role in ending apartheid. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela in 1993.

Explication : The Constitutional Court sits in Johannesburg, in the Braamfontein area. The building, inaugurated in 2004, was built on the site of the former Old Fort prison.

Explication : Apartheid, an Afrikaans word meaning 'separation', was a legalized system of racial segregation. It was gradually dismantled between 1990 and 1994.

Explication : Mafadi reaches 3,450 meters in the Drakensberg mountains, on the border with Lesotho. Its name means 'mother' in Zulu.

Explication : The Union of South Africa was created on May 31, 1910, uniting the four British colonies: Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal.

Explication : Jacob Zuma resigned in February 2018 after nine years in power, under pressure from the ANC and following numerous corruption allegations, particularly the Gupta brothers affair.

Explication : The Orange River, 2,200 km long, is the longest river in South Africa. It originates in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho.

Explication : At 1,221,037 km², South Africa is the 25th largest country in the world. Its area is approximately twice that of France.

Explication : Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, near Johannesburg, is the largest hospital in the world with over 3,200 beds and serves a population of more than 3 million people.

Explication : Black Africans represent about 81% of South Africa's population according to the 2011 census. The main groups are Zulus, Xhosas and Sothos.

Explication : Madiba was Nelson Mandela's clan name in Xhosa. This affectionate nickname became synonymous with respect and admiration for the former president.

Explication : The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the first held on the African continent. It took place from June 11 to July 11, 2010 in nine South African cities.

Explication : Zulu is spoken by about 22.7% of the population as a mother tongue, mainly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. It is the most spoken of the 11 official languages.

Explication : The Western Cape wine route, particularly around Stellenbosch and Paarl, is one of the oldest wine regions in the New World, with vineyards planted since 1659.

Explication : Soweto (South Western Townships) is the largest township in South Africa with over one million inhabitants. Mandela's house on Vilakazi Street has become a museum.

Explication : De Beers, founded in 1888, long dominated the global diamond market. The company is named after the de Beer brothers' farm where the first diamonds were discovered.

Explication : South Africa left the Commonwealth in 1961 to become a republic, mainly due to international criticism against apartheid. It returned in 1994.

Explication : The National Party governed and maintained apartheid for 46 years. It was mainly supported by the Afrikaner population and part of the white English-speaking population.