Former black enclave, South Africa.
Inhabited principally by Xhosa-speaking peoples, it bordered the Indian Ocean and South Africa. In the late 18th century the Xhosa peoples living in the area came into conflict with European settlers; the ensuing wars resulted in the region's incorporation into the Cape Colony by the end of the 19th century. Ciskei became an administratively distinct territory within South Africa in 1961. In 1972 it was declared a self-governing black state, with its capital at Bisho. In 1981 it became nominally independent. Under the new South African constitution, it was reincorporated (1994) into South Africa as part of the new Eastern Cape province.