The perception people may have of south africa may be very dry and hot, perhaps poorer than other countries. They have this perception because of history and the fact most slaves took place here which created a hard background to get rid of.
Spain, like most other countries, wen they could not overcome social and economic problems during the Great Depression, enacted harsh austerity measures, which actually made things worse and led to the rise of dictators.
Generally speaking, a civilization whose impact can be felt on history for a very long time can be called a "lasting civilization", since the things they put into effect have "lasted" throughout the years.
