rainbow nation

noun

1. an epithet, alluding to its multiracial population, of South Africa

Word History and Origins

Origin of rainbow nation¹

C20: coined by Nelson Mandela following the end of apartheid

Example Sentences

Many South Africans viewed the mixed-race celebrity couple as a symbol of the "rainbow nation", where racial tensions are still raw 30 years after the end of apartheid.

From BBC

It’s the diversity that Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first Black president, highlighted as a beautiful thing by referring to his country as a “Rainbow Nation.”

From Seattle Times

Mandela referred to South Africa as a “Rainbow Nation” as he attempted to harness that diversity into a new unity after apartheid.

From Seattle Times

MK's disbandment came ahead of South Africa's first democratic election in 1994, and what was seen as the miraculous birth of a "rainbow nation" under the presidency of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela.

From BBC

But under the leadership of Kolisi - the team's first black Test captain - they have won backing from across the spectrum of the Rainbow Nation.

From BBC