Viljoensdrif

Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif

 Viljoensdrif shown within Free State

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 coal-mining village 8 km south of Vereeniging and part of the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State province of South Africa.

It takes its name from 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 Netherlands-South African Railway CompanyP(NZASM)'sretoria-Delagoa Bay railroad. Named after the owner of the place, J H Viljoen, who established a ferry in 1857.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Viljoensdrif". Census 2011.
  2. ↑ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 459.
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