How Gold and Diamonds Shaped South Africa
The history of gold and diamonds in South Africa is integral to the country’s economic development and played a significant role in shaping its social and political landscape.
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Wednesday, November 19, 2025
History
Byzantine Crimea
The Crimea is a peninsula of towering peaks, balmy seas and a colourful population. The Russian Tsars and Soviet elite spent summers here, in its Cold War heyday when it was a workers’ paradise, and with its Mediterranean-style climate it’s still the perfect holiday retreat.
Read moreSEVASTAPOL and the Crimean War
Sevastopol nestles near the foot of the western side of the Crimean Peninsula. It has been home to navies and – in Soviet times – was a key port for the Russians.. For such a strategic military location, it is surprisingly scenic, especially if you arrive by boat where a gentle hill rises behind a quaint fishing harbour.
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Crimean Sites of the Tatars
The Crimea is a peninsula of towering peaks, balmy seas and a colourful population. The Russian Tsars and Soviet elite spent summers here, in its Cold War heyday when it was a workers’ paradise, and with its Mediterranean-style climate it’s still the perfect holiday retreat.
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The Cossacks of Ukraine
The name “Cossack” is derived from the Turkish “kazak” meaning free man. By the end of the 15th century this name was applied to those Ukrainians who went into the steppes to practice various trades and engage in hunting, fishing, and beekeeping.
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