The Province of the Orange Free State (Afrikaans: Provinsie Oranje-Vrystaat), commonly referred to as the Orange Free State (Afrikaans: Oranje-Vrystaat), Free State (Afrikaans: Vrystaat) or by its abbreviation OFS, was one of the four provinces of South Africa from 1910 to 1994. After 27 April 1994 it was dissolved following the first non-racial election in South Africa. It is now called the Free State Province.
| Province of the Orange Free State Provinsie Oranje-Vrystaat (Afrikaans) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Province of South Africa | |||||||||
| 1910–1994 | |||||||||
 The OFS as it was by 1994 | |||||||||
| Capital | Bloemfontein | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• 1991 | 129,825 km2 (50,126 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1991 | 2,193,062[1] | ||||||||
| • Type | Orange Free State Provincial Council | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 31 May 1910 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 27 April 1994 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | South Africa | ||||||||
Its predecessor was the Orange River Colony which in 1902 had replaced the Orange Free State, a Boer republic.
Its outside borders were the same as those of the modern Free State Province; except for the bantustans ("homelands") of QwaQwa and one part of Bophuthatswana, which were contained on land inside of the provincial Orange Free State borders.
Districts in 1991
editDistricts of the province and population at the 1991 census.[1]
| District | Population |
|---|---|
| Zastron | 14,122 |
| Rouxville | 11,904 |
| Bethulie | 9,333 |
| Smithfield | 7,946 |
| Wepener | 12,964 |
| Dewetsdorp | 13,521 |
| Reddersburg | 6,070 |
| Edenburg | 6,968 |
| Trompsburg | 5,138 |
| Jagersfontein | 6,353 |
| Bloemfontein | 300,150 |
| Petrusburg | 11,071 |
| Brandfort | 23,521 |
| Botshabelo | 177,926 |
| Philippolis | 7,056 |
| Fauresmith | 8,916 |
| Koffiefontein | 10,778 |
| Jacobsdal | 9,748 |
| Boshof | 32,033 |
| Theunissen | 38,482 |
| Bultfontein | 28,556 |
| Hoopstad | 27,934 |
| Wesselsbron | 26,494 |
| Odendaalsrus | 97,603 |
| Welkom | 248,186 |
| Virginia | 81,780 |
| Hennenman | 25,165 |
| Ventersburg | 14,534 |
| Ladybrand | 30,532 |
| Excelsior | 18,051 |
| Clocolan | 18,542 |
| Marquard | 17,217 |
| Winburg | 17,765 |
| Senekal | 41,551 |
| Ficksburg | 36,810 |
| Fouriesburg | 16,932 |
| Bethlehem | 80,921 |
| Lindley | 37,664 |
| Reitz | 30,712 |
| Harrismith | 63,220 |
| Vrede | 37,324 |
| Kroonstad | 110,963 |
| Bothaville | 54,726 |
| Viljoenskroon | 59,279 |
| Vredefort | 13,518 |
| Koppies | 19,723 |
| Parys | 48,678 |
| Sasolburg | 89,079 |
| Heilbron | 40,987 |
| Frankfort | 44,617 |
Administrators
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Census > 1991 > RSA > Variable Description > Person file > District code". Statistics South Africa – Nesstar WebView. Archived from the original on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2013.