0 0 2 – 2 0 0 4 ), ▁and ▁the ▁Cas am ance ▁Conf lict ▁( 1 9 9 0 – present ). ▁ ▁Military ▁history ▁of ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁ ▁Southern ▁Africa , ▁like ▁the ▁other ▁main ▁regions ▁of ▁Africa , ▁is ▁a ▁complex ▁region . ▁It ▁has ▁numerous ▁land - locked ▁countries , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁most ▁notable ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁surrounded ▁by ▁both ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁and ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁to ▁the ▁east . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁in ▁this ▁context ▁that ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁Cape ▁of ▁Good ▁Hope , ▁South ▁Africa , ▁and ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁should ▁be ▁appreciated , ▁because ▁in ▁the ▁Southern ▁Hem is phere , ▁only ▁South ▁Africa , ▁the ▁southern ▁end ▁of ▁South ▁America , ▁and ▁Australia ▁have ▁this ▁key ▁strateg ic ▁position . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁from ▁Europe ▁— ▁and ▁also ▁from ▁the ▁east ▁coast s ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁South ▁America ▁( B raz il , ▁Argentina ), ▁the ▁route ▁around ▁South ▁Africa ' s ▁Cape ▁is ▁the ▁short est ▁to ▁Asia . ▁ ▁The ▁S uez ▁Canal ▁did ▁not ▁exist ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁history . ▁It ▁was ▁only ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁so ▁that ▁all ▁sh ipping ▁back ▁and ▁forth ▁from ▁Europe ▁to ▁Asia , ▁Arab ia , ▁and ▁to ▁most ▁of ▁Africa ▁had ▁and ▁has ▁to ▁be ▁done ▁by ▁the ▁long ▁routes ▁across ▁the ▁se as ▁around ▁South ▁Africa ' s ▁Cape . ▁ ▁Even ▁after ▁the ▁S uez