What is Boer?
'''Boer''' ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: /bur/) is the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and [[Afrikaans]]<nowiki/> word for [[farmer]] which is used to call the descendants of the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] farmers of [[Southern Africa]] during the 1700s, as well as those who left the [[Cape Colony]] during the Great Trek of the 19th century to live in the [[Orange Free State]], [[Transvaal]] and [[KwaZulu-Natal|Natal]]. They did this to escape [[United Kingdom|British]] rule, and wars between the British imperial government and native tribes on the eastern frontier. In 1657, “vrybriewe” was granted to 9 burgers, the first [[farmer]]s or Boers (Boere) at the Cape. Although they were not known as Afrikaners, they did not regard themselves as living in a [[Europe]]an country. As more immigrants from Europe arrived at the Cape, more international marriages took place. Soon their language and culture were lost and transformed. They regarded themselves as a new nation, the [[Afrikaner people]]. [[Paul Heyns]], born in [[1696]] christened his son Michiel Afrikanus (the Afrikaner). One [[Hendrik Bieslow]] in [[1707]] proclaimed in public “Ik ben een Afrikaander”. The Boers later created the [[Boer Republics]], which were defeated in the [[1880]]-[[1881]] and [[1899]]–[[1902]] [[Boer War|Anglo-Boer wars]] (Anglo-Boere-oorloë). After that, many Boers emigrated to other countries, but many still live in modern [[South Africa]], [[Eswatini]] (formerly [[Swaziland]]) and [[Zimbabwe]]. {{Dutch diaspora}} {{history-stub}} [[Category:History of Africa]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in South Africa]]