The "Apartheid Era" refers to a period in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s when the government enforced a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination. Under this system, the rights of the majority black inhabitants were severely restricted, while the white minority held political and economic power. Laws classified people by race, leading to separate living areas, schools, and public facilities. Resistance to apartheid grew over the years, with notable figures like Nelson Mandela emerging as leaders in the fight for equality. International pressure and internal protests eventually led to the dismantling of apartheid, culminating in the first multiracial elections in 1994, which marked a significant turning point in South African history.