South Africa is home to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site and has a rich social and cultural history dating back to the word's earliest human settlements.

More than 300 museums all over the country reflect this heritage in a range of places - from elegant 18th century homes to caves in majestic mountain ranges, cultural villages in rural settings to state-of-the-art buildings in major cities.

Visitors can find exhibits both conventional and eccentric, on every conceivable topic from beer to beadwork, from fashion to food.

New additions are those reflecting the apartheid era, and commemorating those who fought and died in the cause of establishing a democratic country.

The flagships of these cultural sites are the country's national museums:

• The National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria.
• The Transvaal Museum of Natural History in Pretoria.
• The National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg.
• The National Museum in Bloemfontein.
• The Anglo-Boer War Museum in Bloemfontein.
• The South African Museum in Cape Town.
• The Robben Island Museum in Cape Town.

• For more detailed information about the major museums, go to Museums Online SA.
• Also useful is the University of the Witwatersrand's Museums Feature, and Iziko Museums of Cape Town.

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	The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg uses blown-up photographs, artefacts, newspaper clippings and film footage to graphically portray the apartheid story (Image: Apartheid Museum)

	South Africa's museums   SA museums: Western Cape   SA museums: Gauteng   SA Museums: Eastern Cape   SA museums: KwaZulu-Natal   SA museums: Free State   SA museums: Northern Cape   SA museums: Mpumalanga   SA museums: North West   SA museums: Limpopo

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