Bloemfontein, city, central South Africa, the judicial capital of the country and capital of the province of Free State. The city, the name of which means “fountain of flowers,” is noted for its beautiful natural settings. A transportation hub, it is served by several railroads and airlines. In the region surrounding Bloemfontein, farming, livestock raising, and mining are the main occupations. Railroad workshops and metalworking and meat-canning plants are located in the city. Other manufactures include furniture and glassware. Bloemfontein is the site of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (South Africa's highest criminal court), the University of the Orange Free State (founded in 1855), and several colleges and observatories. The National Museum in Bloemfontein contains southern African paleontology and anthropology collections. Bloemfontein was founded in 1846 and was the capital of the former Afrikaner republic called the Orange Free State. In 1909 it was the site for the final negotiations between the British and the Afrikaners, or Boers, that led to the founding of the Union of South Africa a year later. Population (1991) 126,867.
