Information AboutSoweto |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SOWETO | |
| gauteng province | |
| johannesburg | |
| settlements established in 1950 | |
| soweto | |
| townships in south africa | |
| places associated with apartheid | |
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Soweto is an urban area in Johannesburg , in Gauteng , South Africa . HISTORY In 1950 , during the Apartheid regime, Soweto was constructed as a self-sufficient housing project. African people until then had been living in government designated areas for white settlement (such as the multi-racial area called Sophiatown ). It began as a grouping of the farms Doornkop, Klipriviersoog, Diepkloof , Klipspruit and Vogelstruisfontein. Soweto came to the world's attention in 1976 with the Soweto Riots , when mass rioting broke out over the government's policy to enforce education in Afrikaans rather than English . After the riots the question "So Where To from now?" was asked in a drama staged by students at the University Of Stellenbosch . ''See History Of South Africa .'' A series of bombs rocked Soweto in October 2002 . The explosions, believed to be the work of the Boeremag , a right wing extremist group, damaged buildings and railway lines, and killed one person. DEMOGRAPHICS Today Soweto's population is predominantly black, and the two main linguistic groups are Zulu and Sesotho . Some people believe the city has surpassed Johannesburg in population, but the 2001 Census put its population at 896,995— {Link without Title} SUBURBS The suburbs of Greater Soweto also consists of 29 former townships: Chiawelo , Dhlamini , Diepmeadow, Gauteng (Diepkloof, Meadowlands and Medowlands West), Dobsonville including Dobsonville Gardens, Doornkop , Dube , Emdeni , Jabulani , Jabavu , Klipspruit , Mapetla , Mmensi Park , Mofolo (Mofolo Central, Mofolo North, Mofolo South), Molapo , Moletsane , Moroka , Naledi , Noordgesig , Orlando (Orlando East, Orlando West), Phiri , Phiri Ext. , Pimville , Power Park , Protea Glen , Protea North , Protea South , Senaoane , Tladi , Zola and Zondi ECONOMY Today, Soweto is among the poorest parts of Johannesburg. However, there have been signs recently indicating economic improvement. Soweto has also become a center for nightlife and culture. MISCELLANEOUS Soweto was the birthplace of:
Current and past residents include:
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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