Orange State
| Orange Free State | ||||||||||
| Oranje-Vrijstaat (Dutch) | ||||||||||
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Anthem Vrystaatse Volkslied |
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 Location of the Orange Free State c. 1890
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| Capital | Bloemfontein | |||||||||
| Languages | Dutch (official), English, Sesotho, Zulu | |||||||||
| Religion | Dutch Reformed | |||||||||
| Government | Republic | |||||||||
| State President | ||||||||||
| • | 1854 – 1855 | Josias P. Hoffman | ||||||||
| • | 1855 – 1859 | Jacobus N. Boshoff | ||||||||
| • | 1860 – 1863 | Marthinus Wessel Pretorius1 | ||||||||
| • | 1864 – 1888 | Jan H. Brand | ||||||||
| • | 1889 – 1895 | Francis William Reitz | ||||||||
| • | 1896 – 1902 | Marthinus Theunis Steyn | ||||||||
| Legislature | Volksraad | |||||||||
| Historical era | 19th century | |||||||||
| • | Republic founded | 17 February 1854 | ||||||||
| • | Battle of Blood River | 16 December 1838 | ||||||||
| • | Start of 2nd Boer War | 11 October 1899 | ||||||||
| • | Treaty of Vereeniging | 31 May 1902 | ||||||||
| Area | ||||||||||
| • | 1875 | 181,299 km2 (70,000 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | ||||||||||
| • | 1875 est. | 100,000 | ||||||||
| Density | 1/km2 (1/sq mi) | |||||||||
| Currency | Orange Free State pound | |||||||||
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| Today part of |
 South Africa
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| 1 Also State President of the Republic of Transvaal | ||||||||||
The Orange Free State (Dutch: Oranje-Vrijstaat,Afrikaans: Oranje-Vrystaat, abbreviated as OVS) was an independent Boer sovereign republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which later became a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province. Extending between the Orange and Vaal rivers, its borders were determined by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1848 when the region was proclaimed as the Orange River Sovereignty, with a seat of a British Resident in Bloemfontein.
In the northern part of the territory a Voortrekker Republic was established at Winburg in 1837. This state was in federation with the Republic of Potchefstroom which later formed part of the South African Republic (Transvaal).
Following the granting of sovereignty to the Transvaal Republic, the British recognised the independence of the Orange River Sovereignty and the country officially became independent as the Orange Free State on 23 February 1854, with the signing of the Orange River Convention. The new republic incorporated the Orange River Sovereignty and included the traditions of the Winburg-Potchefstroom Republic.
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Wikipedia