Visit to Soweto

Soweto is an urban area located 24 km southwest of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The name Soweto is a contraction of the English "South Western Township". The approximate population is estimated between 3 and 4 million people, and it is presumed that about 65% of residents living in Johannesburg live in Soweto. During apartheid this area was built by law to accommodate black Africans who until then lived in areas designated by the government for whites (much like the multiracial area Sophiatown) and was the ultimate expression of opposition to apartheid. Soweto's population still remains predominantly black today.