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 AREA A\D POPULATION

233

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. [See Statesman's Year-Book for 1906, under The Transvaal.]

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. The position of the various parties in the Provincial Council after the election in August, 1920, was I South African Party, 10 ; Nationalists, 21 ; Labour, 11 ; Unionists, 6 ; Independent 1 ; total, 49.

Administrator. — The Hon. A. G. Robertson (salary, 2,500/.)

Area and Population. — The area of the Province is 110,450 square miles, divided into 24 districts. The following table shows the population at each of the last four censuses : —

Cfn.-us Year

All Races

Whit*

COLOCRKD

Total Males ; Females

Males Females

Males Females

1S90 1904 . 1911 1918

_ _ _ 1,269.051 7.382 US '.<7 1,555 ! 714,657

66,498 178.244 236,91? M0,S4fl

52,630 119,033 183,649

524,825 448,349 734,642 531,008

The largest towns had in 1918 a white population as follows : Johannes- burg, 137,166; Pretoria, 41,690; Benoni, 17,633; Krugersdorp, 13,663 Boksburg, 11,950 ; Potchefstroom, 9,804 : and Roodepoort, 7,451.

Vital Statistics are shown as follows : —

Births

Death. Marriages ^SJS^

1913 19,790

1914 18,992

1915 18.S13

1916 19,S91 1917

191 8

14,790 6,504 5,000 12.094 6,117 6.89S 13,636 6,419 5,277 14.099 6,844 5,792 7,300

.ear 1 6.S67 -:.7S9'

1 Influenza Epidemic, giving excess of deaths.