The Afrikaans Language Monument is located on a hill overlooking Paarl, South Africa. It was officially opened on 10 October 1975 when it commemorated the 50th Anniversary of Afrikaans being declared an official language of South Africa.
The monument consists of various tapering structures of a convex and concave nature, symbolising influences of different languages and cultures on Afrikaans itself, as well as political developments in South Africa. The structures are:
Clear West – the European heritage of the language
Magical Africa – the African influences on the language
Bridge – between Europe and Africa
Afrikaans – the language itself
Republic – which was declared in 1961
Malay – language and culture