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| Kroonstad | |
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 Kroonstad
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Kroonstad
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| Coordinates: 27°39′S 27°14′E / 27.65°S 27.233°ECoordinates: 27°39′S 27°14′E / 27.65°S 27.233°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Free State |
| District | Fezile Dabi |
| Municipality | Moqhaka |
| Established | 1854[1] |
| Area[2] | |
| • Total | 232.04 km2 (89.59 sq mi) |
| Population (2001)[2] | |
| • Total | 23,992 |
| • Density | 100/km2 (270/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2001)[2] | |
| • Black African | 29.8% |
| • Coloured | 15.9% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.7% |
| • White | 53.6% |
| First languages (2001)[2] | |
| • Afrikaans | 67.6% |
| • Sotho | 20.8% |
| • English | 3.8% |
| • Xhosa | 3.1% |
| • Other | 4.7% |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
Kroonstad (Afrikaans for Crown City, pronounced [krūn'stät]) is the third-largest town in the Free State province of South Africa, and lies two hours drive from Gauteng. It is probably named after Kroondrift, a ford in the area where the town was established.[3]
The Bloemhoek Dam lies just east of the city and supplies much of its water needs.
During the Second Boer War, from 13 March to 11 May 1900, the town became the capital of the Orange Free State, and subsequently the site of a British concentration camp to accommodate Boer women and children.
Kroonstad was established in 1855[3] and was the first town founded after the independence of the Orange Free State. It is the second largest urban center in the Northern Free State, and an important railway junction on the main line from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
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Economy [link]
Kroonstad is the centre of a rich agricultural district, producing maize, wheat, dairy and meat products and wool. The main industry is agriculture. A caravan park and many more camp sites on the banks of the willow-lined Vals River (Valsrivier) are frequented by anglers and watersport enthusiasts.
Leisure [link]
Leisure opportunities are plentiful in Kroonstad, where visitors can enjoy golf on the 18 hole course in the town, lion tours and interaction with lion and tiger cubs at the Boskoppie Lion and Tiger Park, fishing in the well stocked Vals River or on the Bloemhoek Dam, and boating on the Serfontein Dam. Horse riding, gliding and hiking trails are also available.[citation needed]
Transport [link]
Kroonstad is an important rail junction, and the town lies directly on top of the N1, and bypasses the town to the east.
General attractions [link]
Kroonstad is said to be one of the Free State’s loveliest towns and lies on the banks of the Vals River, a tributary of the Vaal, roughly two hours’ drive from Johannesburg. It is situated in an area characterised by open spaces and an abundant variety of vegetation that makes it particularly beautiful. Kroonstad is a quaint town that serves as a good stop over en route between Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, lying as it does at virtually the halfway mark. Kroonstad offers an array of activities that include flea markets, a tea garden, fishing on the Vals River or at the Bloemhoek Dam, walking trails and lion tours and lion and tiger interaction at Boskoppie Lion and Tiger park. Today, as an important administrative, agricultural and educational center, Kroonstad still boasts much of the inherent rugged beauty, which led the Voortrekkers to establish the town where they did.
Sporting facilities of all kinds are well catered for the head quarters of the SA Jukskei Council has been established here in 1951. The town is rich in historical sights – several historic buildings and statues, a former concentration camp, the Sarel Cilliers Museum (although inactive currently) and other places of national interest can be found here. Kroonstad is an important agricultural service center in the Free State with a predominantly agricultural orientated economy served by a modern toll-road which brings the PWV Region within two hours drive from Kroonstad and is also accessible from the North West, Bloemfontein and the Eastern Free State.
Historical sites [link]
The Bloemspruit Monument 27°40′18″S 27°12′23″E / 27.67167°S 27.20639°E commemorates those who died in the Kroonstad Concentration Camp, while the Garden of Remembrance 27°39′05″S 27°14′19″E / 27.65139°S 27.23861°E commemorates Allied soldiers fallen in the two World Wars. A blockhouse south of town is a reminder of later stages of the Second Boer War. Stone corbelled huts, refuges for the prehistoric inhabitants of the region, occur in various locations about the town. In addition, San rock art and fossils are present in the region.
See also [link]
- Braşov - (German: Kronstadt) a city in Romania
- Kronstadt - Russian seaport town, located on Kotlin Island, 30 km west of Saint Petersburg
References [link]
- ^ "Chronological order of town establishment in South Africa based on Floyd (1960:20-26)". pp. xlv-lii. https://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07212011-123414/unrestricted/05back.pdf.
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Kroonstad". Census 2001. https://census.adrianfrith.com/place/41701.
- ^ a b Raper, R.E.. Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa). https://www.archive.org/stream/DictionaryOfSouthernAfricanPlaceNames/SaPlaceNames#page/n261/mode/2up.
