Flag of Transvaal

For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park.

The Transvaal (lit. beyond the Vaal [pale river]) was one of the provinces of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. The province no longer exists, and its territory now forms the provinces of Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga and part of the North West Province. While no longer existing as an administative unit, the Transvaal is still a useful geographical name. Image File history File links Flag_of_Transvaal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Transvaal. ... Transvaal Park was a popular water park in Yasenevo, a suburb south of Moscow, Russia. ... The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. ... A map of the nine provinces of South Africa South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Categories: South Africa stubs | Provinces of South Africa | Gauteng Province ... Capital Polokwane Largest city Polokwane Area  - Total Ranked 5th 123,900 km² Premier Mbhazima Shilowa (ANC) Population   - 2001   - 1996   - Density (2001) Ranked 4th 5,273,637 4,929,368 43/km² (Ranked 3rd) Languages Races Black (97. ... Province motto Omnia labor vincit Capital Nelspruit Largest city Nelspruit Area  - Total Ranked 8th 79,490 km² Premier (List) Thabang Makwetla (ANC) Population   - 2001   - Density Ranked 7th 3,122,994 39/km² (2001) Languages SiSwati (30. ... Categories: South Africa stubs | North West Province | Provinces of South Africa ...

History

Main article: South African Republic

The Transvaal was colonized by Boer settlers who exited the British-dominated Cape Colony in the 1830s and 1840s in the Great Trek. They easily overcame the native peoples and established several republics outside British control. In the 1850s, the British came to an understanding with the Boer republics, granting independence to the South African Republic (ZAR) in what is now the Transvaal. Britain annexed the ZAR again in 1877 as a way of resolving the border dispute between the Boers and the Zulus. This also saved the Transvaal from financial ruin, as the government had completely run out of money. It regained its independence in 1881 after the First Boer War. Beginning in 1885, the discovery of a tremendous lode of gold in the Witwatersrand led to the immigration of many foreigners (uitlanders) to the Transvaal. Increasing fear of British designs on the region (fears encouraged by the Jameson Raid) led the Boers to make a pre-emptive strike in 1899. The Second Boer War resulted in the incorporation of the Transvaal into the British Empire in 1900. Ten years later, the Boer republics joined with the Cape Colony to form the Union of South Africa. Capital Pretoria Created 1857 - Independence 1881 - Boer Rebelion Dissolved 1877 - 1st British Annexation 1900 - Formal Annexation Official language Dutch (Afrikaans more common) This article is about the former country in Africa. ... Boer is the Afrikaans (and Dutch) word for farmer which came to denote the descendants of the Afrikaans-speaking migrating farmers of the expanding eastern Cape frontier. ... Trekboers on the Karoo. ... Capital Pretoria Created 1857 - Independence 1881 - Boer Rebelion Dissolved 1877 - 1st British Annexation 1900 - Formal Annexation Official language Dutch (Afrikaans more common) This article is about the former country in Africa. ... The First Boer War also known as the Transvaal War, was fought from December 16, 1880 until March 23, 1881. ... Witwatersrand is a low mountain range which runs through Gauteng in South Africa. ... Uitlanders (outlanders) was a term used to describe foreigners and non-citizen settlers in the Orange Free State in South Africa, who accounted for around three quarters of the white population of the Orange Free State but who did not have voting rights and were taxed highly. ... The Jameson Raid (December 29, 1895 - January 2, 1896) was a raid on Paul Krugers Transvaal Republic carried out by Sir Leander Starr Jameson and his Rhodesian and Bechuanaland policemen over the New Year weekend of 1895-96. ... Combatants United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand Orange Free State, South African Republic Commanders Frederick Roberts, Lord Kitchener Christiaan Rudolf de Wet, Paul Kruger Casualties 22,000 6,500 Civilians killed [mainly Boers]: 24,000+ The Second Boer War, also known as the South African War (outside of South Africa... National motto: Ex Unitate Vires (Latin: From Unity, strength} Official languages Afrikaans, Dutch and English. ...

In 1961, the union ceased to be part of the Commonwealth of Nations and became the Republic of South Africa. The PWV (Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging) area in the Transvaal (now Gauteng Province) became South Africa's economic powerhouse, a position it still holds today. 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom. ...

In 1994, after the fall of apartheid, the former provinces and homelands were restructured, and a separate Transvaal province no longer exists. Parts of the old Transvaal now belong to the new Gauteng, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Capital Johannesburg Largest city Johannesburg Area  - Total Ranked 9th 17,010 km² Premier (List) Mbhazima Shilowa (ANC) Population   - 2001   - 1996   - Density (2001) Ranked 2nd 8,837,172 7,348,423 520/km² (Ranked 1st) Languages isiZulu (21. ... Categories: South Africa stubs | North West Province | Provinces of South Africa ... Capital Polokwane Largest city Polokwane Area  - Total Ranked 5th 123,900 km² Premier Mbhazima Shilowa (ANC) Population   - 2001   - 1996   - Density (2001) Ranked 4th 5,273,637 4,929,368 43/km² (Ranked 3rd) Languages Races Black (97. ... Province motto Omnia labor vincit Capital Nelspruit Largest city Nelspruit Area  - Total Ranked 8th 79,490 km² Premier (List) Thabang Makwetla (ANC) Population   - 2001   - Density Ranked 7th 3,122,994 39/km² (2001) Languages SiSwati (30. ...

The Transvaal is still used as a provincial division of the High Court of South Africa, as of 2006. The High Court of South Africa is a court of law in South Africa. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Even before 1994 the Transvaal province was split up for a number of reasons (sports for one reason), into Northern Transvaal (Limpopo province now), Eastern Transvaal (Mpumalanga province now), Western Transvaal (Northwest province now) and Southern Transvaal (Gauteng province now)

Geography

The Transvaal province lay between Vaal River in the south, and the Limpopo River in the north, roughly between 22 1/2 and 27 1/2 S, and 25 and 32 E. To its south it bordered with the Orange Free State and Natal provinces, to its west were the Cape Province and the Bechuanaland Protectorate (later Botswana), to its north Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe), and to its east Portuguese East Africa (later Mozambique) and Swaziland. Except on the south-west, these borders were mostly well defined natural features. The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. ... The Limpopo River arises in the interior of Africa, and flows generally eastwards towards the Indian ocean. ... Capital Bloemfontein Created 1854 Dissolved 1900 Official language Dutch (Afrikaans more common) The Orange Free State (Afrikaans: Oranje Vrystaat) was an independent country in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a province in South Africa. ... KwaZulu-Natal, often referred to as KZN, is a province of South Africa. ... Under the Union of South Africa and after that under the Republic of South Africa, the old Cape Colony became the Cape of Good Hope Province (though it was commonly known as the Cape Province). ... The Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP) was a protectorate established on March 31, 1885 by Britain in the area of what is now Botswana. ... National motto: Sit Nomine Digna (Latin: May she be worthy of the name) Official language English Capital Salisbury Political system Parliamentary system Form of government Constitutional monarchy (until 1970) Republic (March 2, 1970) - Last President John Wrathall - Prime Minister Ian Smith Area  - Total  - % water 390 580 km² 1% Population  - 1978... Mozambique is a country in Southern Africa, bordering South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ...

Several Bantustans were entirely inside the Transvaal: Venda, KwaNdebele, Gazankulu, KaNgwane and Lebowa. Parts of Bophuthatswana were also in the Transvaal, with other parts in Cape Province and Orange Free State. Map of the black homelands in South Africa as of 1986 Map of the black homelands in Namibia as of 1978 Bantustan is a territory designated as a tribal homeland for black South Africans and Namibians during the apartheid era. ... Venda was a bantustan in northern South Africa, now part of Limpopo province. ... Flag of KwaNdebele KwaNdebele was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Matabele people. ... Gazankulu was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Tsonga people. ... KaNgwane was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Swazi people. ... The Flag of Lebowa Lebowa was a bantustan located in the Transvaal in north eastern South Africa. ... Bophuthatswana as of 1977 Flag of Bophuthatswana bantustan Bophuthatswana was a former Bantustan (homeland) in the north of South Africa. ... Under the Union of South Africa and after that under the Republic of South Africa, the old Cape Colony became the Cape of Good Hope Province (though it was commonly known as the Cape Province). ... Capital Bloemfontein Created 1854 Dissolved 1900 Official language Dutch (Afrikaans more common) The Orange Free State (Afrikaans: Oranje Vrystaat) was an independent country in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a province in South Africa. ...

Within the Transvaal lies the Waterberg Massif, a prominent ancient geological feature of the South African landscape. River gorge in the Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa, showing horizontal sandstone layering. ...

Divisions:

• Zoutpansberg

Cities in the Transvaal: Zoutpansberg is the north-eastern division of the Transvaal. ...

• Heidelberg
• Johannesburg
• Messina
• Nelspruit
• Pietersburg
• Pretoria
• Vereeniging

Heidelberg is a South African town situated at the foot of the Suikerbosrand (Sugarbush Ridge) next to the N3 highway, which connects Johannesburg and Durban. ... , City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Messina is the northernmost town of South Africa. ... Panoramic view from the hilltops Nelspruit is a city of 221,474 people (2000) situated in northeastern South Africa. ... Polokwane (previously known as Pietersburg) is the capital of Limpopo Province (the province with the greatest increase in growth rate for 2003) in South Africa. ... City motto: Praestantia Praevaleat Pretoria (May Pretoria Be Pre-eminent In Excellence) Province Gauteng Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Vereeniging is a city in Gauteng province, South Africa, with a population of more than 350,000. ...

See also

• History of South Africa

The history of South Africa is viewed differently by various scholars and by its various population groups because South Africa is a multicultural country. ...

External links

• Transvaal public-domain article from a 1911 encyclopedia contains much more information about the early history of the Transvaal and its geology.
• Public-domain historical maps of South Africa