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| Capital | Bloemfontein | ||||||
| Largest city | Bloemfontein | ||||||
| Language | Afrikaans | ||||||
The Orange Free State (Dutch: Oranje-Vrijstaat) is a breakaway state of South Africa made from the former Free State province. It is one of the few post-South African states to retain the apartheid system.
The nation's name derives partly from the Orange River, which in turn was named in honour of the Dutch ruling royal family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch settlers under Robert Jacob Gordon.
History
Pre-Doomsday
Following the granting of independence to the Transvaal Republic, the British recognized the independence of the Orange River Sovereignty on 17 February 1854 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 both the Orange River Sovereignty and the traditions of the Winburg-Potchefstroom Republic.
Although the Orange Free State developed into a politically and economically successful republic, it experienced chronic conflict with the British (see Boer Wars) until it was finally annexed as the Orange River Colony in 1900. It ceased to exist as an independent Boer republic on 31 May 1902 with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging at the conclusion of the Second Anglo-Boer War. It joined the Union of South Africa in 1910 (which became the Republic of South Africa in 1961) as a province under its former name, along with the Cape Province, Natal, and the Transvaal.
Post-Doomsday
I will have to do a lot of talking to users and researching here to complete this section. Hold out folks!
International relations
The Orange Free State closest ally in the region is the New Union of South Africa, though they have shown little interest in joining the union.
The Free State has horrible relations with New Britain and have often warred with them over the Free State's southern border. The worst fighting came in 2006 when New Britain launched a pre-emptive strike on the Free State during their attack on KwaXhosa. New British failed, however, to make any significant gains against the Free State and made peace.
During the Zulu Civil War, the Free State supported the Republican side, which lost the war in 2007. The Free State has refused to recognize the current government of KwaZulu.
This will be reworked soon to fix in line with other bigger articles or "canon".
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