South Africa

The beautiful terrain of South Africa is home to some of the most abundant wildlife in Africa. Each year millions of tourists visit the country, hoping to catch a glimpse of elephants, lions, and other animals. Beneath the ground are great deposits of such minerals as platinum, gold, and diamonds. Unfortunately, South Africa's history is less beautiful than its landscape and its diamonds. For most of the 20th century, the state operated under a policy of apartheid, which separated racial groups and treated black Africans as second-class citizens. After years of discrimination, apartheid was abolished after the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela as president of South Africa. However, the country continues to struggle with its troubled past, as well as with a major new problem: the rapid spread of AIDS within the population. Book jacket.Noonan, Sheila Smith is the author of 'South Africa', published 2004 under ISBN 9781590848197 and ISBN 1590848195.