Free State

The Free State is a province of South Africa. The name is a popular contraction of the previous name the Orange Free State. Its capital is Bloemfontein which is also South Africa's judicial capital. On 9 June 1995 its name was changed from Orange Free State to Free State. The current borders date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and included into the provinces of South Africa. It is also the only Province of the former provinces of South Africa not to undergo border changes excluding the incorporation of Bantustans.

History

Geography

The Free State is situated on flat boundless plains in the heart of South Africa. The rich soil and pleasant climate allow a thriving agricultural industry. With more than 30,000 farms, which produce over 70% of the country's grain, it is known locally as South Africa's breadbasket. The province is high-lying, with almost all land being 1,000 metres above sea level. The Free State lies in the heart of the Karoo Sequence of rocks, containing shales, mudstones, sandstones and the Drakensberg Basalt forming the youngest capping rocks. The Drakensberg and Maluti Mountains foothills raise the terrain to over 2000 m in the east. Mineral deposits are plentiful, with gold and diamonds being of particular importance, mostly found in the north and west of the province.

Climate

The Free State experiences a continental climate, characterised by warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Areas in the east experience frequent snowfalls, especially on the higher ranges, whilst the west can be extremely hot in summer. Almost all precipitation falls in the summer months as brief afternoon thunderstorms, with aridity increasing towards the west. Areas in the east around Harrismith, Bethlehem and Ficksburg are well watered. The capital, Bloemfontein, experiences hot, moist summers and cold, dry winters frequented by severe frost.

* Bloemfontein averages: January maximum: 31°C (min: 15°C), July maximum: 17°C (min: -2°C), annual precipitation: 559 mm
* Bethlehem averages: 27°C (min: 13°C), July maximum: 16°C (min: -2°C), annual precipitation: 680 mm

District municipalities

The Free State is divided into five district municipalities (districts). These are again subdivided into three to five local municipalities each, for a total of 20 local municipalities.

The five districts are:
* Fezile Dabi in the north
* Thabo Mofutsanyane in the east
* Motheo in the south-east
* Xhariep in the south
* Lejweleputswa in the north-west

Major towns

The major towns include:
* Bloemfontein in Motheo
* Bethlehem in Thabo Mofutsanyane
* Sasolburg in Fezile Dabi
* Kroonstad and Welkom in Lejweleputswa :"See also List of cities and towns in the Free State"

Borders

In the southeast, the Free State borders seven districts of Lesotho:
*Mokhotlong - farthest to the east
*Butha-Buthe - northwest of Mokhotlong and northeast of Leribe
*Leribe - southwest of Butha-Buthe and northeast of Berea
*Berea - southwest of Leribe and north of Maseru
*Maseru - south of Berea and northeast of Mafeteng
*Mafeteng - southwest of Maseru and northwest of Mohale's Hoek
*Mohale's Hoek - southeast of MafetengDomestically, it borders the following provinces:
*KwaZulu-Natal - east
*Eastern Cape - south
*Northern Cape - west
*North West - northwest
*Gauteng - north
*Mpumalanga - northeastThe Free State borders more districts of Lesotho and more provinces of South Africa than any other province.

Language

home languages in the province.

Sesotho is the dominant home language in most of the province. Afrikaans dominates in the south-west and in many major towns and is widely spoken in Bloemfontein. isiZulu is the major language in the eastern municipality of Phumelela. Setswana is the main language in Tokologo (west).

References

[http://www.sa-venues.com/free_state.htm Free State, SA]
[http://www.places.co.za/maps/free_state_map.html Free State Map]