South Africa

I have warm, sunny beaches where friendly penguins waddle in the sand. My mountains are so tall they can be pointy like a triangle, or flat on top like a giant's table. I am a home for big, brave lions, super tall giraffes, and mighty elephants with floppy ears. The sun loves to shine here, making everything feel warm and happy. Flowers grow in all sorts of bright colors, and the ocean whispers hello to my shores. Do you know who I am. I am South Africa, a country at the very, very bottom tip of Africa.

My people are wonderful. The first people lived here a very, very long time ago. As time went on, more people came to live with me from all over the world. But for a little while, there were some sad rules that kept people apart because they looked different. It was not a happy time. Then, a kind and brave leader named Nelson Mandela helped everyone learn to be friends. He had a big heart and a warm smile. On April 27th, 1994, everyone was able to choose their leaders together for the first time. It was a very happy day full of singing and dancing. Nelson Mandela called me the 'Rainbow Nation' because all my different people are like the beautiful colors of a rainbow, living together.

Today, I am a happy place where people sing songs in many different languages. Children with different color skin play together under my warm sun, sharing toys and laughing. We love to celebrate with music and yummy food. I am a reminder to the whole world that when we are kind and we work together, we can make everything beautiful. We can make the world a colorful and happy home for everyone, just like a bright and shining rainbow after the rain.