Transvaal (province)

Transvaal (province)
The Province of the Transvaal, commonly referred to as the Transvaal, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994, when a new constitution subdivided it following the end of apartheid. The name "Transvaal" refers to the province's geographical location to the north of the Vaal River. Its capital was Pretoria, which was also the country's executive capital.
History
In 1910, four British colonies united to form the Union of South Africa. The Transvaal Colony, which had been formed out of the bulk of the old South African Republic after the Second Boer War, became the Transvaal Province in the new union. Half a century later, 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) conurbation in the Transvaal, centred on Pretoria and Johannesburg, became South Africa's economic powerhouse, a position it still holds today as Gauteng Province.
In 1994, after the fall of apartheid, the former provinces were abolished, and the Transvaal ceased to exist. The south-central portion (including the PWV) became Gauteng, the northern portion became Limpopo and the southeastern portion became Mpumalanga. Most of the North West came from the southwestern portion of the old Transvaal, and a tiny segment of the Transvaal joined KwaZulu-Natal.
Even before 1994, the Transvaal Province was subdivided into regions for a number of purposes (such as municipal and district courts, and sporting divisions). These divisions included Northern Transvaal (present-day Limpopo and Pretoria), Eastern Transvaal (currently Mpumalanga), Western Transvaal (currently part of North West Province) and Southern Transvaal (now Gauteng Province, but which also includes Pretoria).
Geography
The Transvaal province lay between the Vaal River in the south, and the Limpopo River in the north, roughly between and 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 by natural features.
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.
Within the Transvaal lies the Waterberg Massif, a prominent ancient geological feature of the South African landscape.
Regions
PWV region (later Gauteng province) consisting of the Witwatersrand, which in turn consists of the West Rand and the East Rand, as well as Johannesburg; the Vaal Triangle and Pretoria.
The North West
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Districts in 1991
Districts of the province and population at the 1991 census.
Johannesburg: 1,574,631
Alberton: 367,929
Germiston: 171,541
Boksburg: 195,905
Benoni: 288,629
Kempton Park: 354,787
Randburg: 341,430
Roodepoort: 219,149
Westonaria: 160,531
Oberholzer: 177,768
Randfontein: 116,405
Krugersdorp: 196,213
Brakpan: 130,463
Springs: 157,702
Nigel: 92,881
Delmas: 48,614
Pretoria: 667,700
Wonderboom: 266,153
Soshanguve: 146,334
Cullinan: 32,006
Vanderbijlpark: 434,004
Vereeniging: 250,511
Heidelberg: 77,055
Balfour: 38,311
Standerton: 85,893
Hoëveldrif (Highveld Ridge): 155,881
Bethal: 77,780
Volksrust: 29,924
Amersfoort: 33,461
Wakkerstroom: 33,246
Piet Retief: 64,052
Ermelo: 111,082
Carolina: 30,438
Bronkhorstspruit: 38,605
Witbank: 173,281
Middelburg: 140,015
Belfast: 28,973
Waterval-Boven: 9,300
Groblersdal: 57,742
Moutse (main town Dennilton): 102,179
Nelspruit: 61,921
Barberton: 72,165
Witrivier: 30,235
Pelgrimsrus (main town Sabie): 29,063
Lydenburg: 36,976
Letaba (main town Tzaneen): 59,900
Phalaborwa: 30,126
Soutpansberg (main town Louis Trichardt): 35,839
Messina: 22,959
Pietersburg: 64,207
Potgietersrus: 69,571
Waterberg (main town Nylstroom): 48,991
Ellisras: 24,530
Thabazimbi: 48,844
Warmbad: 41,692
Brits: 111,798
Rustenburg: 125,307
Swartruggens: 12,607
Marico: 38,983
Koster: 29,228
Ventersdorp: 36,315
Coligny: 22,154
Lichtenburg: 79,013
Delareyville: 36,036
Potchefstroom: 185,552
Klerksdorp: 321,478
Wolmaransstad: 61,497
Schweizer-Reneke: 46,893
Bloemhof: 15,291
Christiana: 13,596
Administrators
Sports
The province was divided into a number of sporting teams. These teams were renamed after the Transvaal became defunct, however their traditional territories have remained unchanged in many cases, even though they overlap the boundaries of the Transvaal's successor provinces.
Examples of this include the Blue Bulls (formerly Northern Transvaal), which governs rugby in Pretoria (now part of Gauteng) and Limpopo Province, and the Golden Lions (formerly Transvaal) formed in 1889.
The Orlando Pirates Football Club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto and Kaizer Chiefs were founded. January 1970. Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. originated from Marabastad, a cosmopolitan area north west of the Pretoria CBD in the early 1960s.
Cricket teams from the former Transvaal include Transvaal (later Gauteng) which represented the southern parts of the province, and Northern Transvaal (later Northerns) that represents the northern parts of Gauteng, including Pretoria, as well as areas further north.
References
History of South Africa
Former provinces of South Africa
States and territories established in 1910
States and territories disestablished in 1994
1910 establishments in South Africa
1994 disestablishments in South Africa