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Robben Island, also known as Robbeneiland in Afrikaans, is a South African island located in Table Bay in the Western Cape region.
It is located 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of the mainland and 6 miles (10 kilometers) north of Cape Town, with a total size of around 5 square miles (13 square km).
Its name comes from the Dutch word "seals," which were previously abundant in the surrounding waterways.
In the 16th and early 17th centuries, the island was a popular halting site for passing ships.
It was first a Dutch and subsequently a British prison colony after early attempts at colonization.
From 1846 through 1931, the island held a leper colony, as well as individuals deemed crazy.
During World War II, fortifications were built, and Robben Island functioned as South Africa's maximum-security prison from the mid-1960s to 1991.
The majority of the convicts, including Nelson Mandela, were black males who had been imprisoned for political reasons.
In 1991, the last of these detainees was released.
Until 1996, the island was used as a medium-security jail for criminal prisoners.
It was converted into a museum and designated as a national monument in 1997, and it was designated as a World Heritage site in 1999.
