Which island prison held Nelson Mandela for 18 years?

Robben Island held Nelson Mandela for 18 years. He was imprisoned there from 1964 until 1982, as part of the apartheid government’s long punishment of anti-apartheid activists.

Mandela was transferred to Robben Island after receiving a life sentence at the Rivonia Trial. Prisoners performed hard labour in a limestone quarry and faced strict restrictions on communication, reading and political discussion. Mandela and other political prisoners used the prison to study, debate and organise despite those controls.

In 1982, Mandela was moved from Robben Island to Pollsmoor Prison near Cape Town, and later to Victor Verster Prison. He spent 27 years and 191 days imprisoned in total, so the frequently quoted 18 years refers specifically to Robben Island rather than his entire imprisonment.