TRAVEL INFORMATION - FREE STATE - SOUTH AFRICA

The Free State is a land-locked, largely agricultural Province of South Africa. Situated in the Southern central region of Southern Africa, the Free State is largely flat with the exception of the Eastern region where it borders on Lesotho and shares the Drakensberg Mountains in the beautiful area of Clarens, the top tourism destination in the Free State Province. Two of South Africa's important Rivers, the Vaal River in the North and the Orange River in the South help make up the Free State border and also support the existence of the Vaal Dam near Sasolburg, the home of South Africa's famous oil from coal industry and the Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve further along the Vaal River.

The geography of the Free State is interesting in that it is different, flatlands with corn or mielies almost as far as the eye can see in some places, interspersed with rocky hills or koppies as they are known in the Afrikaans language. The commercial capital of the Free State is the city of Bloemfontein, also the Judicial Capital of South Africa. 

WELKOM - also known as the city of gold  - has 14 residential suburbs, the largest of which is Riebeeckstad, situated 10kms' from the city centre. Welkom is also known as the "circle city".  The City of Welkom deservedly ranks as the capital of the Matjhabeng (OFS Goldfield) with its incredible contribution of 21% to the free world’s gold sales and is indeed an investor’s paradise. A city of beauty and function interlaced with parks flanked by bird sanctuaries. The residents of this young city enjoy the advantages of a modern, planned environment. 

The Gariep Dam bear Colesburg is one of the biggest dams in Southern Africa. The Free State and Lesotho water systems play an extremely important role in the catchment and supply of water to the Southern Africa region, dependent of stored water for human and agricultural consumption.

Whilst most travellers tend to travel through the Free State on their way between Gauteng, the business hub of Southern Africa, and the holiday destinations of the Eastern and Western Cape, the Clarens area has certainly become a destination of choice for many art lovers, with art schools, art holidays, mountaineering, walking all popular pursuits in the region.

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