The capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, is one of the achievements of an emperor who reigned

between 1889 – 1913, Emperor Menelik II, and during his reign, the residents of the territory
termed him as the emperor who modernized Ethiopia. During the 19th century, except for the
countries in the North; Egypt, and Algeria, Ethiopia was the other power in the region of North
Africa, and as the world championed trade and markets for products, there was the need for
efficient transport systems, modern systems that would transport produce and people from one
place to another, cultivating development (Mack, 194); Menelik II was the leader in Ethiopia
who went ahead and built railway lines across the region. He also knew the power of education,
and the impact it could have on generations, making him build schools. In the end, the local
leader who rose to power had a vision that matched that of the western countries, making
Ethiopia a powerful nation.
In this century also, the Boers Wars that took place in South Africa, featuring The English and
The Dutch is an important event that led to one of the darkest ages of racial segregation in the
world, apartheid (Mack, 199). When the English arrived in Cape, the Dutch moved further inland
along the rivers Orange and Vaal, making settlements there as they avoided the influence and
control of the English. With the discovery of diamonds, then gold, the English grew greedy,
wanting more of the land and mineral too, resulting to a conflict known as the Boers Wars where
The Dutch were fighting for their independence, exerting authority on their identity which they
referred to as white African – Afrikaners – shaping them as ‘race patriots’ (Mack, 200).
As two powerful opponents, both the Dutch and the English had to resolve treaties to end their
conflict, but in the treaties signed, none of them recognized the Africans whom they both used
during the Boers Wars, making the schematics and floor plans of racial segregation in South
Africa. It was in the 1940s when apartheid grew roots, ushering in a darker age in south Africa
(Mack, 200).