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When did diamond mining begin in Africa?

Diamond mining began in Africa in 1867 with the discovery of a "pretty pebble" along the banks of the Orange River in South Africa. Prospectors then found a rich diamond field near present-day Kimberley, South Africa. Fortune seekers from central South Africa, England, and other countries rushed to the area to mine diamonds. Discovery of the diamond field resulted in the 1880 Boer War, a conflict between English settlers and the descendents of Dutch settlers (called Boers), all of whom had laid claim to the diamond fields.

Further Information: Worger, William H. South Africa's City of Diamonds. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1987.

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