The Caledon River is located in south-east Africa, rising in the Drakensberg Mountanins in Lesotho. It then flows south-west, marking the border with South Africa before breaking into Free State Province. It then flows West before meeting the Orange River near Bethulie in southern Free State. The Drakensberg Drakensberg Range from space, April 1993 The Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains in Afrikaans) mountains are the highest in South Africa, ranging up to 3,482 m (11,422 ft) in height. ... Capital Bloemfontein Largest city Bloemfontein Area  - Total Ranked 3rd 129,480 km² Premier Beatrice Marshoff (ANC) Population   - 2001   - 1996   - Density Ranked 8th 2,706,776 2,633,504 21/km² (2001) Languages Sotho (62%) Afrikaans (14%) isiXhosa (9. ... The Orange River is the major river in South Africa. ... Bethulie is a small cattle farming town in the Free State Province of South Africa. ...

The river is the primary source of water for Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, which stands on the river. During periods of low rainfall water shortages can ensue. To combat this, reservoirs have been created with structures such as the Muela Dam. In 2003 water was released from here to avert drought. [1] Maseru (also Masero) is the capital of Lesotho. ... A reservoir is an artificial lake created by flooding land behind a dam. ... A drought is an extended period where water availability falls below the statistical requirements for a region. ...

The Caledon valley is important in the History of the Basotho people. The area was exceptionally fertile and could be farmed without irrigation. This made it desirable and was one of the causes of the conflict between the Basotho and the Boers. (See History of Lesotho and Basutoland.) Afrikaners are white South Africans of predominantly Calvinist Dutch, German, French Huguenot, Flemish and Friesian and Walloon descent who speak Afrikaans. ... Basutoland — now Lesotho (pronounced le-SOO-too) — was sparsely populated by Bushmen (Qhuaique) until the end of the 16th century. ... The mountainous and largely arid land that came to be Basutoland was populated by San (bushmen, Qhuaique) until the end of the 16th century. ...