The South African Wars, including and commonly referred to as the Confederation Wars, were a series of wars that occurred in the southern portion of the African continent during the later years of the 19th century and the first years of the 20th century. Ethnic, political, and social tensions among European colonial powers, as well as increasing hostilities between these powers and indigenous Africans, led to open conflict in a series of wars and revolts between 1879 and 1915, which had lasting repercussions on the entire region. A key factor behind the growth of these tensions was the pursuit of commerce and resources, both by countries and individuals, especially following the discoveries of diamonds in the region in 1867 and gold in 1862.