South Africa: A Cultural Melting Pot and More
South African culture is more than just a cultural melting pot. It is apparent with all the various and diverse influences; one can make that deduction. It is more than that. South African culture may be a sampling of the influences that grazed the national consciousness from colonizers and immigrants. It is larger than that. It is like a porridge with plenty of added spices and ingredients making it richer in flavor and diverse in taste. For over a few centuries, the culture was defined from a dash of native and sprinkled with western or even oriental influences.
Language makes a good case how diverse the culture is. Aside from a number of languages spoken, the country has 11 national languages. The number of tongues speaks a lot how diverse, yet united the people are. Culture is also like that, diverse, but one. It is a unique facet of South African culture that most foreigners are intrigued about making them interested on how the people live their daily lives. If you read about saartjie baartman, you can get an idea about such culture.
Culture is all about how a people live. South Africans are a people who live in a common place yet live it accordingly to the dictates of their sub-culture. Whether it is in the cuisine, music, literature, cinema or even their customs--South Africans remain to be a single people divided by their rich culture that has been a mystical reality.
South African culture is also influenced with the waves of conquests and colonization. The present nation will not be formed this way without the battles and colonization of the past. The nation is nowhere in its present state attracting plenty more sub-cultures without history getting into the fray. Fusion of various cultures are not just defined by the immigration, but also the influence of colonizers who had been attracted to the allure and beauty of this country for centuries. Please refer to http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/learner-english/south-africa if you need more ideas.
Dance like music has become one of the foremost expressions of freedom in post-apartheid South Africa. It is a means of expanding horizons and cultural territory. Expression in dance attracts new audiences added to the existing ones. Dance has since impressing audiences both domestically and abroad.
Culture is also defined by the terrain of the country. Mountain ranges dot the nation contributing to the cultural heritage of the country.
One can make a deeper dive into the cultural nature of South Africa with a number of resources available on the Internet. Also read about the rainbow flag meaning of South Africa.
