Africa has always been something foreign and exotic to my generation, yet it seems that it has always held something that other countries want. Today the Orange Free State is one of the many provinces that make up the Republic of South Africa. Before becoming one of the inland provinces of British South Africa in 1900, the Orange Free State had been an independent republic. This colony was one that prospered with the help of Europeans as well as through their own governing.
This portion of Africa was first visited by Europeans at the end of the 1700's. The inhabitants of the Orange Free State were divided into three groups - "Europeans or whites" , "aboriginal natives" and "mixed and other coloured races" . The natives consisted of many tribes which included the Boers, Bushman, Hottenots, Bantu, Barolong, Basunto, Moshesh and Zulus. The first white inhabitants of this area were Dutch farmers , followed by Russians, Polish and British. .
Most of the inhabitants lived on the eastern part of the country , because the "well-watered" land is suitable for farming and horse breeding. In 1904, agriculture was classified as the most popular occupation on the census. The chief crop in this region is mealies, which is the "staple food of the natives". Other crops grown are wheat, oathay, Kaffir corn, oats, potatoes, pumpkins, other table vegetables and tobacco. Fruit farming was also gaining popularity at this time, with fruits such as peaches, apricots, apples, oranges, lemons, pears, figs and plums being grown most often. Raising life stock was another major industry in this part of the province. Many epidemics and wars almost depleted the entire livestock population, yet right after conflicts concluded there was a rapid increase in the numbers of sheep, cattle, horses, goats, pigs, and ostriches. .
Trade played a big role in the Orange Free State's economy in 1910 with exports including "diamonds, live stock (cattle, horses and mules, sheep and goats), wool, mohair, coal, wheat and eggs.
