South Africa

South Africa

South Africa
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.26

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		apartheid, formation, discrimination, separation, majority, colonial, armed, dealing, rhinoceros, natural, southern, despite, favor, continent, lies, history
	content words:		South Africa, World War, Dutch East India Company, Great Britain, Boer Wars, British Empire, Black Africans, Kalahari Desert, Near Johannesburg, Kruger Park

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South Africa
By Sharon Fabian

¹     At the southern tip of the continent of Africa lies the country of South Africa. It was far away from the battles of World War I that were being fought on the European continent in 1914. So, you might wonder why South Africa decided to enter the war.

²     It all had to do with South Africa's history starting in the 1600's. At that time, settlers from the Dutch East India Company established a colonial government in South Africa. These colonists were known as the Boers or Afrikaners. Great Britain was also establishing colonies in parts of Africa, and it made several attempts to take over South Africa from the Dutch.

³     Then, in the 1800's, large deposits of gold and diamonds were discovered in South Africa. That made both the British and the Dutch even more interested in taking control of the land. Armed conflicts, known as the Boer Wars, finally settled the matter. The British took over South Africa. Then in 1910, the Union of South Africa was formed. It was an independent country but still part of the British Empire too.

Paragraphs 4 to 10:
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