{"id":2335,"date":"2015-03-04T14:38:19","date_gmt":"2015-03-04T13:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzzsouthafrica.com\/?p=2335"},"modified":"2020-05-21T18:58:13","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T17:58:13","slug":"robben-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzzsouthafrica.com\/robben-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Robben Island South Africa – History and Gripping Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"
When the country of South Africa is mentioned, lots of things come to mind. First, it is one of the strongest economies in the African continent. Two, it is one of the countries with the largest gold reserves in the world. Three, it is home to many world-class game reserves and national parks. Four, it was once the focus for encouraging apartheid. However, many people know South Africa because of Robben Island.<\/p>\n
Robben Island is a world heritage site in South Africa and it has quite a history. It is most famously known as the place where late President Nelson Mandela was jailed for 18 out of his 27-year sentence. Prior to that, however, Robben Island was the place where a number of Namibian criminals were incarcerated, including Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, who was a founding member of the Ovamboland People\u2019s Congress.<\/p>\n
The first set of people banished to Robben Island were said to be two men who led a mutiny on the slave ship Meermin in 1766. They were refusing to be transported from their home in Madagascar to a life of slavery in the Cape Colony of South Africa. They were, therefore, sent to Robben Island for observation. The island was also once used as a leper colony in 1845. Despite what seems to be a bleak history, the people confined to Robben Island made the best of their situation there. In 1966, for instance, prisoners formed a football league among themselves that they called Makana Football Association.<\/p>\n
The following are 10 Gripping Facts about Robben Island.<\/strong><\/p>\n There are many islands in the world that are quite famous, and Robben Island is certainly one of the most famous in the entire world. The term Robben Island comes from the Dutch word Robbeineiland which means Seal Island. This is probably because of the high seal population that was found around the island. The island is located on Table Bay about 6.9 kilometres to the West of Cape Town. The oval island has a length of 3.3 kilometres and a width of 1.9 kilometres. The total land area is approximately 5.07 km\u00b2.<\/p>\n See also: 10 Famous African Warriors That Shaped History<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Usually, Islands are known for their scenic attractions and panoramic views. These include tropical climate, pristine ecosystem, abundant wildlife, good sporting ground and more. However, Robben Island is quite unique because it is a prison-island. The Island which was begun by the Dutch was mainly used to hold or imprison political figures. Its isolated location made it easy to confine, isolate and monitor prisoners. The prisoners were mainly from Holland and also Dutch colonies such as Indonesia.<\/p>\n1. It Is One Of The Most Famous Islands in the World<\/h3>\n
2. It Is Home to Famous Prisoners<\/h3>\n