The Eastern Cape Travel Guide
The Free State lies in the interior of South Africa, between the Vaal River in the north and the Orange River in the south. The region is one of flat, continuing grassland and crop fields, growing to lovely sandstone mountains in the northeast.
The Free State is a summer-rainfall region and can get extremely cold during the winter months, particularly towards the eastern mountainous regions. The western and southern areas are semi-desert.
Two-thirds of the population in the Free State speak Sesotho, the language of neighbouring Lesotho, followed by Afrikaans and a sprinkling of isiXhosa.
The province is the repository of South Africa, with agriculture central to its economy, while mining on the prosperous goldfields is its principal employer.
Bloemfontein is the capital of the Free State and the home to South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, the University of the Free State and the Central University of Technology. Other important towns include Welkom, the heart of the goldfields and one of the few completely pre-planned cities in the world. Odendaalsrus, another gold-mining town; Sasolburg, which gets its name from the petrochemical company Sasol. Kroonstad is an important agricultural, administrative and educational centre and Parys which is situated on the banks of the Vaal River is a popular tourist attraction. Phuthaditjhaba, a settlement known for its beautiful handcrafted items; and then there is Bethlehem a gateway to the Eastern Highlands of the Free State.
Fact Sheet: The Free State | |
| Population | 2 938 236 (2006) |
| Capital | Bloemfontein |
| Area | 129 825 square kilometres |
| Population density | 23 people per square kilometre |
| Gross regional product | R69-billion (2003) |
| Share of total GDP | 5.5% |
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