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Former province, southeastern Republic of South Africa.
The area was occupied for centuries by Bantu -speaking peoples. It was given the name Natal by Vasco da Gama when he sighted the harbour of Port Natal (now Durban ) on Christmas Day (Portuguese Natal) in 1497. The first European settlers arrived in 1824. In 1837 Afrikaner s arrived in the interior and, after they defeated the Zulu there, established the Republic of Natal. Annexed by the British in 1843, it was extended by numerous acquisitions. During the South African War , Natal was invaded by Afrikaner forces, which were checked by the British. In 1910 it became a province of the Union of South Africa and in 1961 of the Republic of South Africa. The fragmented, nonindependent black state, or homeland, of KwaZulu was later created within Natal, which was the scene of clashes by rival black factions (see African National Congress ; Inkatha Freedom Party ). After the South African elections of 1994, the region was united to form the province of KwaZulu/Natal.