Free State

Free State, province in central South Africa, bounded by the Vaal River in the north and the Mohokare (Caledon) and Orange rivers in the south. Created in 1994, Free State has retained the same boundaries as the Orange Free State, one of the former provinces of South Africa. It covers 129,480 sq km (49,993 sq mi) and includes two former bantustans (or black homelands)—Qwaqwa and one section of Bophuthatswana. Free State is surrounded by six other South African provinces and Lesotho.

Free State is located on the High Veld, the large plateau that covers much of the central region of South Africa. The far western part of the province is flat and sparsely vegetated, while in the far east the land rises to the Drakensberg Mountains. The rest of the province consists of rolling plains. Average temperatures range from 16° to 31° C (60° to 88° F) in the summer and from 1° to 18° C (34° to 64° F) in the winter. Average annual rainfall totals 360 mm (14 in) with most of the rain falling in the warmer months, from October to April. The eastern part of the province receives considerably more rain than the western region.

Free State has a population of 2,953,100 (2005 estimate). Most of the residents are black Africans. Sesotho and Setswana, two Bantu languages, are the principal languages; Afrikaans, English, and Xhosa are also spoken. The provincial capital and largest city of Free State is Bloemfontein, which is the site of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The main campus of the University of the Orange Free State (1855) is located in Bloemfontein. Other important towns are Virginia, Jagersfontein, Odendaalsrus, and Welkom, all gold mining towns; and Kroonstad, Harrismith, and Bethlehem, towns that service the agricultural sector.

Significant historical sites in the province include the National Women's Memorial in Bloemfontein, which commemorates Afrikaner women and children who died in concentration camps during the Boer War (1899-1902); the Bloemfontein home of J. B. M. Hertzog, who was prime minister of South Africa from 1924 to 1939; the towns of Bethulie and Philippolis, which were mission stations of the London Missionary Society; and Thaba Nchu (which means “black mountain”), the site of the 19th-century mountain fortress of Chief Moroka's Barolong people. Golden Gate Highlands National Park, established in 1963, is in the southeastern part of Free State.

Agriculture is a mainstay of the Free State economy, with many farmers raising sheep and dairy cattle. The leading crop, maize (corn), is mainly grown in the northern part of the province. Cherries and asparagus are produced near the town of Ficksburg on the southern border with Lesotho. Gold mining, which has been the cornerstone of industrial development in the province since World War II (1939-1945), employs many people. Diamonds, coal, and uranium are also mined in Free State.

Free State's provincial government consists of a premier, an executive council of ten ministers, and a legislature. The provincial assembly and premier are elected for five-year terms, or until the next national election. Political parties are awarded assembly seats on the basis of the percentage of votes each party receives in the province during the national elections. The assembly elects a premier, who then appoints the members of the executive council.