South Africa (Axis vs Allies: Resurrection Map Game)

South Africa (: Suid-Afrika), officially known as the Union of South Africa (: Unie van Suid-Afrika), is a country located in. The nation spans 2,297,239 sq km (886,969 sq mi), and has a population of 13,501,070 inhabitants. South Africa today is currently is the most powerful independent state on the continent. The nation is bordered by, , , , and , and completely surrounds the states of and. The states of and southern Angola are members of the Union of South Africa as autonomous member states, governing their own affairs in accord with the constitution of South Africa.

European colonization
South Africa was colonized by the in 1652 under the command of, who established the first European settlement in South Africa, , at the  in the southwest of modern South Africa. The economy of Cape Town was built upon the transportation of slaves passing through on Dutch vessels from Indonesia, Madagascar, and India, who aided in the development of the early economy of Cape Colony. The Dutch expanded their colony east along the South African coast, eventually discovering the native, who were migrating through the region of the Fish River. Conflict soon erupted between the Dutch and the Xhosa, known as the, a series of minor skirmishes between the Dutch settlers and Xhosa natives over flocks, pasture grounds, and resources. The Xhosa Wars would become the longest series of conflicts in African colonial history, stretching from the late-1700s to the late-1800s.

The British soon arrived in the region, establishing a series of colonies of their own after occupying Cape Colony from the Dutch in the 1795 to prevent its fall into the hands of the French amidst the raging on in. With the fall of the to the French forces, the British moved to secure their routes to their colonial holdings in  and India, allowing their merchants a place of rest during the middle of their voyages to and from Europe and East Asia. The colony was returned directly to the Dutch in 1803, the Dutch East India Company having declared bankruptcy in 1795. The British would return to the region and annex Cape Colony in 1806, and continue expanding the territory in the region. Several additional conflicts between the Xhosa and the British forces would flare up in this time, forcing the British to construct a series of forts to defend their territory from the native population.

Eventually, the British would turn their attention to the governance of their colony, while the, Dutch settlers who had fled Cape Colony following its annexation by the British Empire in the 1820s, and established their settlements in the northern parts of the region, far from the grasp of the British. Conflicts arose once again between the Boers and native tribes of the and, over control of the lands all three claimed for themselves. Under the direction of, the Zulu achieved as series of stunning victories against their traditional enemies, carving out a nation for themselves, and indirectly causing the , a massive migration of tribes fleeing the Zulu armies rampaging throughout the region. The who were an offshoot of the Zulu, fled northwards to establish a kingdom in the region.

The Boers would set up a in northern South Africa, where they had hoped themselves free of British imperialism. With the start of the, resulting from the discovery of diamonds in 1867 and and gold in 1884, economic growth and migration into the interior of the country began as a great speed. This saw the direct attempt by European settlers to get a grip on the native populations resisting their expansion. Combined with the attempt to control the great mineral resources responsible for the economic growth of the nation, war erupt almost immediately. The in 1879 began as the British moved into the interior and made attempts to get the Zulu to fall in line.

It was hoped that a series of campaigns and political effort might force the natives and the Boers into federating and coming under the British aegis, only to fail spectacularly when the and the  resisted British efforts. The Zulu victory at destroyed any British attempts to facilitate a peaceful integration of the Zulu kingdom into the British Empire. Likewise, Boer resistance in the in 1880 prevented the British from getting hold of the Boers in South Africa. However, the Zulu were defeated by the end of the Zulu wars, and the Boers were beaten by the end of the in 1902 when the British returned with greater numbers and superior firepower.

Union Act of 1909
With the end of the fighting in South Africa, and the majority of the land governed by the British, the British authorities moved to unite the land under a single government, culminating in the, formally establishing the Union of South Africa. The new nation was granted nominal independence from British rule, formed as a dominion for the purpose of delegating most of the domestic governing to the government in. Though united, the nation itself was heavily divided along ethnic grounds, with the in 1913 greatly restricting the ability of black Africans to own land in their own country. Blacks at the time of that act being passed by the government of South Africa, only controlled 7% of the land, despite making up more than 90% of the population. However, the amount of land they controlled would increase in time.

In the years following the Union Act of South Africa, the nation would industrialize and expand its economic infrastructure with the peace had by the unity. By 1931, South Africa was a fully sovereign state, with complete control over its domestic and foreign relations in the wake of the, abolishing all British authority over the nation. Since that time, South Africa has governed its own affairs independent of the British Empire. The two major governing parties in South Africa, the   and, would merge to form the , helping to heal the rift between the , the descendents of the original Dutch Boer settlers, and the rest of the white South Africans, those who immigrated to the land from mostly from Britain.

Union states
Union states are semi-independent territories with complete control over their internal affairs, but who delegate foreign issues to the central government in Pretoria. They each maintain their own parliaments and defense forces, all of which are directed by a locally elected Regional Governor. Currently, there are two union states in the nation, South Africa itself included, though with many important differences.

South Africa
South Africa is the leading union state within the nationwide coalition. It is the largest and wealthiest of the three states.
 * Capital: Pretoria
 * Population: 11,766,702 (1946)
 * Military: South African Defense Forces (SADF) // 61,992 personnel, 505 aircraft, 77 warships, and 725 tanks

Namibia
Namibia in one of the union states of South Africa, formed following the end of the Great War.
 * Capital: Windhoek
 * Population: 501,128 (1946)
 * Military: Namibian Defense Forces (NDF) // 15,017 personnel, 57 aircraft, 12 warships, and 122 tanks

Southern Angola
South Angola was captured from the Portuguese colonial empire in 1943, and has since been a member of the South Africa-led nation.
 * Capital: Namibe
 * Population: 1,233,240 (1946)
 * Military: Angolan Defense Forces (ADF) // 32,958 personnel, 22 aircraft, 3 warships, 178 tanks

Military
The South African Defense Force (SADF), currently consists of 61,992 active personnel. Following the government push to rebuild and reorganize the military in 1933, the SADF was built up into one of the largest military forces in Africa, and one of the best trained in the world. No effort was spared in the formation of the military as it is today, and current, the South African military budget for the SADF as of 1946 was $2.044 billion, or 4.2% of the national GDP. Considerable thought was put into the manner in which the military was to be rebuilt, and the rationale behind the rapid military buildup by South Africa has ranged from desire to remain independent of any European powers, to counterbalance the threat of the Brazilian military across the Atlantic Ocean, to the security of the nation against the communist forces which have since overtaken the British government.

Equipment
The South African military maintains a large number of combat vehicles, warships, and aircraft, all locally produced. Currently, South Africa fields a total of 725 main battle tanks, 505 aircraft, and 77 warships ranging from aircraft carriers to diesel attack submarines. Major industrial complexes in the heartland of the nation provide all of the equipment needed for the SADF to operate effectively, with major corporations such as the Atlas Aircraft Corporation, providing aeroplane parts and designs. All military defense companies are owned by the state.The army fields a force of 625 Verwoester Md.I medium tanks and 100 Varke Md.I heavy tanks, which currently make up the entirety of the South African armored vehicle fleet.

South African Army
The largest and most prestigious branch of the SADF is the South African Army (SAA), which is tasked with protecting the South African homeland. The SAA is made up of 42,096 active personnel, with another 332,672 men in the active reserve forces known as the Civilian Forces and Commando Forces, plus another 128,253 personnel in reserve. Sporting some of the best weaponry and equipment on the continent, the South African Army is the best trained military force in Africa. The army is well-equipped and well-motivated to defend the nation against potential invaders. With the communist coup in the United Kingdom, the need for the army to remain ever vigilant against possible invasion by the British communist forces has become a major priority.

South African Air Force
The South African Air Force (SAAF) consists of 505 aircraft and 7,584 active personnel. The air force maintains a series of military airbases throughout the control, with particular focus on the western coast of the nation, where large tracts of the sparsely populated land must be patrolled. Currently, the SAAF maintains the largest air force of an independent state outside of the European colonies in Africa.

South African Navy
The South African Navy (SAN) is the arm of the military responsible for the maritime security of South Africa. The fleet of the SAN consists of 77 warships total, plus a number of unarmed ships responsible for the logistical needs of the navy. A total of 12,312 personnel, not counting civilian workers, are employed by the navy. Most of the fleet is based out of the ports of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Walvis Bay, where deticated naval facilities have been constructed. The largest of these bases in in Walvis Bay, where the South African nation has its longest coast. Given the threat of an amphibious invasion in Namibia, the navy focuses much of its manpower and resources in that region of South Africa.

Economy
The South Africa economy is the largest on the continent, with a total GDP of $48.671 billion. The average South African makes a total of $3,605 a year, making South Africa a middle-income nation following the Great Depression. The bulk of the South African economy relies upon the mining industry, with the exportation of diamonds, iron ore, and silver making up a considerable portion of the exports. However, with the expansion of the nation's economy under the Smuts administration has since the development of the nation's shipbuilding industry and service sector, have seen great diversification of the economy. Plans to branch off into the automotive industry are underway, as well as a strong push into the production of weapons and aircraft for foreigner purchasers.