Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein
City
Bloemfontein skyline viewed from Signal Hill
Coat of arms
Nickname:  The city of roses
Coordinates:
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
Metropolitan municipality	Mangaung
Officially founded	1846
Elevation	1,395 m (4,577 ft)
Population
• Total	369,568
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Area code	051

Bloemfontein is one of the three capital cites of South Africa. It is the judicial capital of South Africa, as the Supreme Court is there. In Afrikaans and Dutch, Bloemfontein means "Spring of Bloem (Bloom)". It is also known as the city of roses. There are a lot of flowers in Bloemfontein.

History

Bloemfontein was founded by Major H. Douglas Warden in 1846. It was created as both a fort and a place to live. It became the center of government of the British-controlled Orange River Sovereignty (1848–54) and of the Orange Free State (later known as just Free State).

Bloemfontein became the judicial capital of South Africa in 1910. It is a place where the government works. It has a lot of hospitals and schools.

Geography

Bloemfontein is in central South Africa. It is dry in this part of South Africa. There are a few hills around Bloemfontein. Grass mostly grows around Bloemfontein. The summers are hot, and the winters are cool, but it snowed in August 2006.

Economy

Much of the economy of the city is based on canned fruit, glass products, furniture, plastics, and railway engineering. The city saw a large economic growth in the mid-20th century because of the Free State goldfields 160 km (100 mi) northeast of the city. The Orange River project also helped the city grow economically. It is a major source both of hydroelectricity and of water for irrigation and human uses.

Sports

The most popular sports in Bloemfontein are football, rugby, and cricket. In 2010, Bloemfontein will host some FIFA World Cup matches, at Free State Stadium.

Famous people from Bloemfontein

• Zola Budd, a famous athlete
• J. R. R. Tolkien, philologist and author of The Lord of the Rings