Final answer:
Apartheid in South Africa was a system of legal discrimination enforcing racial segregation and white supremacy from 1948 to 1994, leading to international condemnation and eventually its dismantling with the election of Nelson Mandela.
Step-by-step explanation:
The apartheid system in South Africa was an example of legal discrimination that institutionalized racial segregation and inequality from 1948 to 1994. Under apartheid, the nation codified racial classifications into law, designating individuals as white, black, colored, or Asian, and enforced policies that ensured the dominance of the white minority over other racial groups. This system pervaded all aspects of life including education, living conditions, and employment, deeply entrenching societal divisions.
Notably, the South African government also established separate homelands for different ethnic groups, exacerbating displacement and disenfranchisement. The international community widely condemned apartheid, leading to sanctions and trade restrictions, and support for anti-apartheid movements like the African National Congress (ANC) grew. Apartheid began to crumble in the 1990s, largely due to internal opposition and international pressure, culminating in the election of Nelson Mandela as President in 1994, which signaled the official end of apartheid.