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Afrikaans Language Monument
architectural structure / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Afrikaans Language Monument (Afrikaans: Afrikaanse Taalmonument) is the only monument in the world dedicated to a language. It is on a hill overlooking the Teachers' Training College in Paarl, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Completed in 1975, it was built to celebrate the 100 years birthday of Afrikaans being declared as a different language from Dutch.
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The monument is made of tapering structures of a convex and concave nature. They show the influences of different languages and cultures on Afrikaans itself. They are also a symbol of political developments in South Africa, as follows:
- Clear West - the European source of the language
- Magical Africa - the African influences on the language
- Bridge - between Europe and Africa
- Afrikaans - the language itself
- Republic - declared in 1961
- Malay language and culture
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/AfrikaanseTaalmonumentEnscriptions.jpg/640px-AfrikaanseTaalmonumentEnscriptions.jpg)