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Viljoensdrif

Coordinates: 26°44′00″S 27°55′00″E / 26.73333°S 27.916667°E / -26.73333; 27.916667
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Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif is located in Free State (South African province)
Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif is located in South Africa
Viljoensdrif
Viljoensdrif
Coordinates: 26°44′00″S 27°55′00″E / 26.73333°S 27.916667°E / -26.73333; 27.916667
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceFree State
DistrictFezile Dabi
MunicipalityMetsimaholo
Area
 • Total63.30 km2 (24.44 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total751
 • Density12/km2 (31/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African73.8%
 • Coloured1.5%
 • Indian/Asian0.7%
 • White6.9%
 • Other17.2%
First languages (2011)
 • Sotho28.5%
 • Zulu20.1%
 • Xhosa17.4%
 • Afrikaans10.2%
 • Other23.8%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Area code016

Viljoensdrif is a coal-mining village 8 km south of Vereeniging and part of the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State province of South Africa.

It takes its name from ford (Afrikaans drif) which was closed to ox-wagons by President Paul Kruger in 1895 to prevent goods reaching the Witwatersrand, thus forcing people to use the Netherlands-South African Railway Company (NZASM)'s Pretoria-Delagoa Bay railroad. Named after the owner of the place, J H Viljoen, who established a ferry in 1857.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Main Place Viljoensdrif". Census 2011.
  2. ^ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 459.