The modern population of South Africa is heterogeneous. Descendants of immigrants from European countries - Germany, Holland and France - live side by side with the indigenous people of the continent. Previously, they were most often called Boers, but in modern culture they prefer to be called Afrikaners.
Who are called Afrikaners
Afrikaners are called an ethnic group that includes those whose ancestors once left Europe and settled in the southern regions of Africa. Most of these South Africans are of Dutch, French and German descent. In the old days, they were actively engaged in farming, but recently many Afrikaners no longer work on the land, but have found other occupations.
And yet the first white settlers-colonists lived mainly in the countryside, setting up farms and small settlements in the territory of modern South Africa and Namibia. The term "Boers", entrenched in the former Europeans, is now used with a somewhat ironic and sometimes even offensive connotation, indicating a limited and not the highest level of education. But the name "Afrikaners" is used widely, speaking of belonging to the inhabitants of Africa.
The lifestyle of modern Afrikaners can be called conservative, which is largely explained by the religion they profess: most of the Boers were originally Protestants. They almost nowhere form large settlements, the places of their settlement are scattered on separate farms.
The language of the Boers - Afrikaans - is distinguished by its originality and is rooted in the Dutch dialects that were formed in the 17th century. But this people considers Africa their historical homeland.
Afrikaners are distinguished by tenacity, often reaching stubbornness, the desire to lead a free and independent lifestyle, combined with diligence, hard work and piety. This people strives to preserve traditions, passing them on to subsequent generations. In everyday life, they are very unpretentious and do not like significant changes in their lifestyle.
Problems of modern Afrikaners
Since 1994, after the fall of the apartheid regime in South Africa, which infringed upon the rights of black Africans, the Afrikaner Boers found themselves in a difficult situation. They have experienced firsthand what it means to be oppressed by another people.
Outright violence by indigenous Africans against descendants of Europeans is common in South Africa.
Representatives of the Afrikaner movement claim that their people have experienced a real cultural and physical genocide over the past one and a half to two decades. Boer activists make every effort to defend their rights, preserve identity, language and culture. The Afrikaner leaders consider one of the possible solutions to create their own state entity, which has all the signs of sovereignty.