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 PROVINCE OF THE TRA.NSVAAL

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Province of the Transvaal.

Constitution and Q-OVernment.— The territory comprised within the limits of The Transvaal was colonised by Boers who left Cape Colony in 1836-37. In 1852 the independence of the Transvaal Government was recognised by Great Britain, but, in 1877, in consequence of financial difficulties and troubles with the natives, and in accordance with representations and petitions from the Boers, the territory was annexed by the British Government. In 1880 the Boers took up arms for the restoration of their independence, and, in 1881, a Convention was signed restoring to the inhabitants of the territory their self-government, but with conditions, reservations, and limitations, and subject to the suzerainty of the Queen. This arrangement was modified by a Convention made in 1884, in which the name of the South African Republic was given to the Transvaal State ; but the control over external affairs, other than engagements with the Orange Free State, was reserved to Her Majesty, These Conventions, however, did not preserve harmony within the Transvaal territory, or with the British Government. The discovery of gold and the conditions which followed this discovery occasioned difficulties from which the two Boer States sought release by military action. The result of this was the military occupation of the two countries, and their annexation to the British Crown, the one on September 1, 1900, under the name of The Transvaal, and the other (May 24) as the Orange River Colony. Hostilities continued till May 31, 1902, when an agreement as to terms of surrender was signed by the representatives of the burgher forces in the field. [<%c Statesman's Year-Book for 1906, under The Transvaal.l

The administration was thereafter carried on under a Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, assisted by an Executive and a Legislative Council. On December 6, 1906, letters patent were issued providing for a Constitution of responsible Government in the Colony. The Colony was merged in the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910, as an original Province of the Union.

The seat of provincial government for the Transvaal is at Pretoria.

Administrator. — The Hon. J. F. B. iZm 2'^ (salary, 2,500Z.)

Area and Population.— The area of the Province is 110,426 square miles, divided into 23 districts. The census of May 7, 1911, showed for the Transvaal a population amounting to 1,686,212, of whom 966,793 were males, and 719,419 females. The population comprised 420,831 Europeans or whites, 1,224,1.55 natives, and 31,625 other coloured races.

The white population of Pretoria in 1911 was 29,618. The largest town is Johannesburg, the mining centre of Witwatersrand goldfields, with a population (1911) of 237,220, consisting of 119,953 whites and 117,267 coloured.

Births, 1911, 19,495 ; deaths, 16,836 ; marriages, 6,626.

Religion, Instruction, etc.— Statistics (1904) for the Transvaal and Swaziland combined (exclusive of the military forces) : —

Churches, &c.

Whites

Others

Clmrches, &c.

Whites

Others

Dutch Churches. . Anglican .... Presbyterian. . . Methodist .... Roman Catholic. .

143,015 55,094 18,682 17,200 14,474

4,314 13,296

1,197 20,946

2,007

Lutheran. ... Other Christian. ..

Jews

Hindus, Buddhists, tc. No religion or not stated

5,279

14,259

15,478

747

5,718

58,978

9,749

3

10,693

967,097