Free State (province)
Free State
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|---|---|
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Flag Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Katleho ka kopano (Success through unity) | |
Location of the Free State in South Africa | |
| Coordinates: 28°S 27°E / 28°S 27°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Orange Free State | 17 February 1854 |
| OFS Province | 31 May 1910 |
| Free State | 27 April 1994 |
| Capital | Bloemfontein |
| Districts | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Parliamentary system |
| • Premier | Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae (ANC) |
| • Legislature | Free State Provincial Legislature |
| Area | |
• Total | 129,825 km2 (50,126 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 3rd in South Africa |
| Highest elevation | 3,291 m (10,797 ft) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 2,961,864 |
| • Rank | 8th in South Africa |
| • Density | 22.8143/km2 (59.0887/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 8th in South Africa |
| Population groups (2022) | |
| • Black | 88.9% |
| • White | 8.0% |
| • Coloured | 2.6% |
| • Indian or Asian | 0.4% |
| • Other | 0.1% |
| Languages (2022) | |
| • Sotho | 72.3% |
| • Afrikaans | 10.3% |
| • Xhosa | 5.5% |
| • Tswana | 5.3% |
| • English | 1.5% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| ISO 3166 code | ZA-FS |
| GDP | US$20.0 billion |
| HDI (2019) | 0.708 high · 4th of 9 |
| Website | www |
| Zulu | iFuleyisitata |
|---|---|
| Xhosa | eFleyistata |
| Afrikaans | Vrystaat |
| Sepedi | Freistata |
| Swazi | eFleyistata |
| Sesotho | Freistata |
| Setswana | Foreistata |
| Xitsonga | Fiyeyisitata |
| Venda | Fureisitata |
| Southern Ndebele | iFrheyistata |
| Khoekhoe | ǀkx’aba!hub |
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer republic called the Orange Free State and later the Orange Free State Province.