# Bloemfontein

> judicial capital of South Africa

**Wikidata**: [Q37701](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37701)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloemfontein)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bloemfontein

## Summary
Bloemfontein is a large human settlement and the judicial capital of South Africa, located within the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State province. Founded in 1846, the city covers an area of 236.17 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 1,395 metres. Its name derives from the Afrikaans words for "flower" and "fountain."

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Bloemfontein is a city, specifically classified as a "big city" and a "large human settlement."
- **Capital Status:** It serves as the judicial capital of South Africa (shared with Cape Town and Pretoria) and is the capital of the Free State province.
- **Location:** Situated in Africa, specifically within the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, it shares a border with Kroonstad.
- **Coordinates:** Latitude -29.1, Longitude 26.216666666667.
- **Area:** 236.17 square kilometres.
- **Elevation:** 1,395 metres above sea level.
- **Population:** 256,185 (recorded in 2011).
- **Inception:** The city was founded in 1846.
- **Time Zone:** UTC+02:00.
- **Local Code:** The local dialing code is 051.
- **Postal Codes:** 9301 (general), 9300 (Post Office Box).
- **UN/LOCODE:** ZABFN.
- **Etymology:** The name is a compound of "bloem" (flower) and "fontein" (fountain).
- ** aliases:** The city is also known as Mangaung, "La ciudad de las rosas" (The City of Roses), and by various names in other languages (e.g., ブルームフォンテン, 布隆泉).

## FAQs
**What is the political significance of Bloemfontein?**
Bloemfontein serves as the judicial capital of South Africa, hosting the Supreme Court of Appeal. Historically, it was the capital of the Union of South Africa, the Orange Free State, and the Orange River Colony.

**What is the etymological origin of the name Bloemfontein?**
The city's name is derived from Afrikaans, combining "bloem" (meaning flower) and "fontein" (meaning fountain), effectively naming it "Fountain of Flowers."

**What are the twin cities of Bloemfontein?**
Bloemfontein is twinned with Nanjing (since 1999) in China and Bhubaneswar in India.

**Where is Bloemfontein located geographically?**
The city is located in the continent of Africa within the Free State province of South Africa. It is situated at an elevation of 1,395 metres and falls within the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.

## Why It Matters
Bloemfontein holds a critical role in the South African governmental structure as one of its three national capitals, specifically housing the judiciary branch. This distinguishes it as a central hub for legal affairs and the administration of justice in the country. Beyond its political status, it acts as a significant historical landmark, having served as the capital for various political entities including the Union of South Africa and the historic Orange Free State. Its establishment in 1846 marks it as a long-standing center of settlement and development in the region.

## Notable For
- **Judicial Capital:** Unique status as the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal in South Africa.
- **Historical Capital:** Former capital of the Union of South Africa and the Orange River Colony.
- **Etymology:** Named "Fountain of Flowers," reflecting its geographic and botanical features.
- **Elevation:** Situated at a high altitude of 1,395 metres on the Highveld.
- **International Relations:** Maintains sister-city relationships with Nanjing and Bhubaneswar.
- **Multilingual Recognition:** Known globally by diverse names including "La ciudad de las rosas" (The City of Roses).

## Body

### Political Status and Capital History
Bloemfontein is a distinct entity in South African governance, formally recognized as the **judicial capital of South Africa**. While the country's administrative and legislative capitals are Pretoria and Cape Town respectively, Bloemfontein serves as the seat for the judicial branch. Its political history is extensive; it formerly served as the capital of the **Union of South Africa**, the **Orange Free State**, the **Orange River Colony**, and the **Orange Free State Province**. Currently, it remains the capital of the **Free State** province and is administratively located within the **Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality**.

### Geography and Demographics
Located on the continent of **Africa**, Bloemfontein covers a total area of **236.17 square kilometres**. The city is positioned at coordinates **-29.1 latitude and 26.216666666667 longitude**. It sits at a significant elevation of **1,395 metres** above sea level. According to 2011 data, the city has a population of **256,185**. It shares a geographical border with the entity **Kroonstad**. The city operates within the **UTC+02:00** time zone.

### Etymology and Naming
The name **Bloemfontein** is linguistically constructed from two roots: **"bloem"** (meaning flower) and **"fontein"** (meaning fountain). This naming convention is referenced in its alias **"La ciudad de las rosas"** (The City of Roses). In the Sesotho language, it is referred to as **Mangaung**, which is also the name of the metropolitan municipality it resides in. The entity possesses numerous aliases across different languages, including **ブルームフォンテン** (Japanese), **布隆泉** (Chinese), and **بلومفونتاين** (Arabic).

### Infrastructure and Communications
The city maintains specific infrastructure identifiers and communication channels.
- **Postal System:** The primary postal code is **9301**, while **9300** is designated for post office boxes.
- **Telecommunications:** The local dialing code is **051**.
- **Logistics:** It holds the UN/LOCODE **ZABFN**.
- **Digital Presence:** Official websites include `http://www.bloemfontein.co.za/` and `https://www.bloemfontein-information.co.za/` (preferred English source).

### International Relations
Bloemfontein engages in international municipal cooperation through formal twinning agreements.
- **Nanjing:** A twinning relationship established in **1999**.
- **Bhubaneswar:** Linked as a twinned administrative body.

### Identifiers and Academic References
Bloemfontein is cataloged extensively across international databases and encyclopedias.
- **Library & Archive IDs:** Library of Congress Authority ID **n80090576**, GND ID **4488274-9**, National Library of Israel ID **987007552786305171**, U.S. National Archives Identifier **10038245**.
- **Encyclopedic Entries:** It is described by the **Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary**, **Encyclopædia Britannica** (11th and 1922 editions), **The New Student's Reference Work**, **Great Russian Encyclopedia** (online ID 1870702), and **Encyclopedia of China** (ID 563871).
- **Digital & Knowledge Graphs:** Wikidata item ID **lex_id: Bloemfontein**, Google Knowledge Graph ID **/g/11h3g3wr3f**, Freebase ID **/m/0c499**, GeoNames ID **1018725**, and OpenStreetMap Node ID **26938845**.
- **Other Systems:** It has a Who's on First ID **1141909357**, a Store ID on Google Play, and a Quora topic **Bloemfontein-South-Africa**. It is also categorized under **Regional/Africa/South_Africa/Provinces/Free_State/Bloemfontein/** in Curlie.

### Media and Visuals
Visual representation of the city is documented through several media files.
- **Images:** `Bloemfontein,_Free_State,_South_Africa_(20351086709).jpg` and a page banner `Bloemfontein_banner.jpg`.
- **Heraldry:** The city has a specific coat of arms image located at `Bloemfontein_Coat_of_Arms.jpg`.
- **Categories:** The topic's main category is **Category:Bloemfontein**, with subcategories for births (**Category:Births in Bloemfontein**), deaths (**Category:Deaths in Bloemfontein**), and associated people (**Category:People from Bloemfontein**).

## References

1. [The World Factbook](https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/south-africa)
2. [Source](http://wb.nanjing.gov.cn/njszfwsbgs/201810/t20181023_616096.html)
3. [Source](https://www.thenanjinger.com/magazine/feature-stories/sisters-are-doin-it-for-themselves/)
4. [Source](https://sambadenglish.com/odisha-capital-to-be-linked-with-south-african-city/)
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. South African Post Office
7. [Source](http://www.postoffice.co.za/tools/pcodes.xls)
8. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
9. MusicBrainz
10. [Source](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africa-glance)
11. GeoNames
12. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/za.htm)
13. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)