ORANGE RIVER COLONY

[s. 577] : A territory of South Africa, formerly the Orange Free State. It was annexed to Great Britain May 24, 1900, as a consequence of the Boer War. There is a governor over the Transvaal, and the Orange River Colony is governed by a lieutenant-governor under him. The colony has an area of The population (1900) 48,326 square miles. was 207,503, of whom 129,787 were natives. It is believed that the white population has been reduced in consequence of the war. The colony lies between the Transvaal on the north and Basutoland and Cape Colony on the south, extending east and west from Natal to Bechuanaland. The arable area is small, pasturage for grazing furnishing much of its resources. Since the British acce ion English has become the official language and must be taught in all schools. The principal religious bodies are the Dutch Reformed Church, with (1890) 68,940 adherents, the Wesley ans with 753, the Church of England with 1,353. There are also Luther ans, Roman Catholics, and a few Jews. The natives are of the Basuto and Bechuana branches of the Bantu race, nearly allied to the Kafirs. The Berlin Mi ionary Society has 4 stations in this colony, the SPG 2, and the South African Wesley an Mi ionary Society has 8 stations, with a considerable body of native adherents. 577