Província Estado Livre de Orange
(Orange Free State)

Maiores Cidades

• Welkom (the heart of the goldfields, and one of the few completely pre-planned cities in the world)
• Odendaalsrus (another gold-mining town)
• Sasolburg (a town that owes its existence to the petrol-from-coal refinery established there)
• Kroonstad (an important agricultural, administrative and educational centre)
• Parys (on the banks of the Vaal River)
• Fast (becoming the "in" place along the small-town South Africa artist’s route)
• Phuthaditjhaba (well known for the beautiful handcrafted items produced locally)
• Bethlehem (gateway to the Eastern Highlands of the Free State)

Outras cidades: Bethulie, Boshof, Bothaville, Brandford, Bultfontein, Edenburg, Ficksburg, Frankfort, Harrismith, Heilborn, Jagersfontein, Koffiefontein, Koppies, Ladvbrand, Lindley, Memel, Petrusburg, Reitz, Rouxville, Senekal, Vrede, Wepener, Winburg, Zastron.

Situada no centro da África do Sul, coração do país, a província do Estado Livre de Orange é rica em história e oferece variedade e diversidade cultural. Com uma mistura das culturas da Grã-Bretanha e Bôer (africanos descendentes da Holanda), essa área possui terras de cultivo e moinhos de vento.

Bloemfontein, uma cidade próspera pela indústria e o comércio, é a capital da província, também a capital judicial da África do Sul, com a casa da Suprema Corte de Appeal. Os turistas vão querer participar de safáris e ver os monumentos em pedra preservados, minas de ouro e vilas românticas. O Golden Gate Resort and National Park é uma das melhores atrações de Free State.

A cadeia de montanhas Drakensberg (cobertas de neve durante o inverno) é a fronteira natural com o Reinado de Lesoto nestling in the hollow of its bean-like shape. The plains of South Africa's interior plateau entre o rio Vaal (norte) e o rio Orange (sul), this immense rolling prairie stretches as far as the eye can see, form the Free State.

Is fast becoming a tourist destination in its own right. Famous for its warm South African hospitality, "boerekos" (traditional Afrikaner farm-style cuisine) and decidedly slower-paced lifestyle.

A brief history
Formerly known as the Orange Free State, this province has had its share of battles  – most importantly, perhaps, the Anglo Boer War.  This was the last full-scale conventional war to be fought on South African soil and was not only a turning point in the history of the modern wars of our time, but also the last of the gentlemen’s wars.

The People
The Free State is the third-largest province in South Africa. However, it has the second-smallest population and the second-lowest population density. It houses some 2,8 million people on about 129 480 km2 of land.

Many of the towns display a mix of culture clearly evident in street names, public buildings, monuments and museums. Dressed sandstone buildings abound on the Eastern Highlands, while beautifully decorated Sotho houses dot the grasslands.

Some of South Africa's most valued San rock art is found in the Free State.

MAIORES ATRAÇÕES

The Maluti Route
This route follows the scenic Highlands of the Free State and over the border (passport essential) into the magnificent Maluti Mountains of Lesotho and ends at the RAMSAR-accredited Seekoelvlei Nature Reserve, at Memel.

The Goldfields Route
Follow the fascinating history of the many gold mines of the Lejweleputswa area.

BBT Heritage Route
Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu are in close geographical relationship to each other and, yet, have an extreme diverse cultural and political heritage. This route offers the true indigenous heartland of the province.

Diamond & Wine Route
Follow the route of the diamond prospectors of the past and present. A man-made diamond hole at Jagersfonteing of 760m beats the better known Big Hole of Kimberley for size. Also visit the wine cellars of Landzicht and Wilreza in the scenic Jacobsdal area.

N6 Route
Take the N6 highway to either exit or enter the Free State from the south. This route goes through quaint Xhariep and Eastern Cape towns and on to East London, the Wild Coast and Garden Route.

Rock Art
Throughout the Maluti mountains, one can find caves and cracks where the San people took shelter in a not-quite-so-distant past.  Countless examples of historic rock-art are to be seen at Spitskop (Brandfort district), Sterkstroom (between Rouxville and Aliwal North), Stowlands (near Christiana), Tandjesberg (close to Clarens and Golden Gate), Sterkstroom (between Rouxville and Aliwal North) and at Stowlands (near Christiana).

Steam Train Route
Steam train enthusiasts can take a trip down memory lane, along the historic Bethlehem-Bloemfontein Railroad to destinations such as Maseru and Ladybrand.  Excursions are relatively short, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenery and facilities along the route.

The Battlefield Route
The province contains many historic sites related to the Anglo-Boer War, including 13 battlefield sites, 8 military monuments, 2 war museums and 3 war and concentration camp cemeteries.

Parque Nacional Golden Gate Highlands

An area of highveld and montane grassland, covering 12.000 hectares is well-stocked with eland, red hartebeest, black wildebeest, blesbok and zebra.  This is one of the few places in the country where one stands a good chance of seeing the Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture.

Fossil Hunting

The Free State has rich deposits of fossils, and visitors to Clarens area can go on  fossil-hunting expeditions.  You may be lucky to find dinosaur bones, dinosaur eggs or dinosaur teeth; you’ll almost certainly find the fossils of smaller creatures dating back to well over 200 milhões de anos.

Parque Nacional Ukhahlamba

Localizado em Drakensberg. Sítio considerado Patrimônio Mundial Misto, isto é, tanto Cultural quanto Natural, tombado pela UNESCO. Abaixo, um cartão postal ilustrado com foto do Parque e o nome da cidade de Drakensberg.

Última atualização: 17/06/2008.

PARQUES E RESERVAS PARQUES ÁFRICA DO SUL