Viljoensdrif

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Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif
 Viljoensdrif shown within South Africa
Coordinates: 26°44′00″S 27°55′00″E / 26.73333°S 27.916667°E / -26.73333; 27.916667Coordinates: 26°44′00″S 27°55′00″E / 26.73333°S 27.916667°E / -26.73333; 27.916667
Country South Africa
Province Free State
District Fezile Dabi
Municipality Metsimaholo
Area[1]
  Total 63.30 km2 (24.44 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
  Total 751
  Density 12/km2 (31/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
  Black African 73.8%
  Coloured 1.5%
  Indian/Asian 0.7%
  White 6.9%
  Other 17.2%
First languages (2011)[1]
  Sotho 28.5%
  Zulu 20.1%
  Xhosa 17.4%
  Afrikaans 10.2%
  Other 23.8%
Area code 016

Viljoensdrif is a settlement in Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State province of South Africa.

Coal-mining village 8 km south of Vereeniging. It takes its name from the ford (Afrikaans drif) which was closed to ox-wagons by President Paul Kruger in 1895 to prevent goods reaching the Witwatersrand, thus forcing people to use the Pretoria-Delagoa Bay railroad. Named after the owner of the place, J H Viljoen, who established a ferry in 1857.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Main Place Viljoensdrif". Census 2011. 
  2. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 459. 
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