TRANSVAAL, trans-N.51', or TRANSVAAL COLONY; formerly SOUTH .AFRICAN REPUBLIC. A British possession in South Africa. It is situated between latitudes 22° and 28° S., and longitudes 25° and 32° E., and is bounded on the north by Matabeleland, on the east by Portuguese East Africa and Swaziland, on the south by Natal and the Orange River Colony, and on the west by Bechuanaland and the Bechuanaland Pro tectorate. There were transferred to Natal, in January, 1903, 7000 square miles of area, includ ing the districts of Vrijheid, Utreeht, and a section of the Wakkerstroom district, with a total population of nearly 60,000, 8000 being whites. The area of the Transvaal is about 104,000 square miles.
The interior of the Transvaal is a plateau ly ing on an average about 6000 feet above sea level. In the east this plateau is terminated by the northern Drakensberge, with the highest point (Mauch Mountain) reaching nearly 9000 feet. On the eastern border are the Lebombo Moun tains. Across the interior plateau stretches from east to west the far-famed Witwatersrand, with Johannesburg and the rieh gold fields, which separates the Limpopo and the Vaal basins. Just north of the Witwatersrand and in general parallel with it extend the Mountains. Pretoria lies at the eastern outlet of the narrow valley thus formed. In the centre of the extensive Drakensberge system, which oc cupies the whole eastern third of the colony, is Barberton with its gold fields. The Transvaal well watered. It is drained mainly by the Limpopo River, which forms the boundary on the northwest and north, and the Vaal River, which forms most of the southern boundary. The (Want River, the principal affluent of the Lim popo, has nearly its entire course within the Transvaal. The Barberton region is drained by the Kornai', which flows into the Indian Ocean. None of the rivers of the Transvaal, however, are navigable.
The climate west of the Drakensherge and south of the Magalies range is subtropical, with a European character. The mean annual tem perature is 67° F. January is the warmest, July the coldest month. There are winter frosts. The
northern and eastern sections of the Transvaal are more tropical, especially the valley of the Limpopo. December, January, and February witness the heaviest rainfall. The west is the driest. The climate of the interior uplands is noted for its healthfulness. Among the distinctive trees are the thorny acacias and the eucalyptus. The range of plants is very large, including the European grains and many of the valuable tropi cal species. The northeastern section is the least fruitful. The lions and elephants have been driven into the north and northeast parts. The flocks and herds of the Boers were very large before the war of 1899-1902, and horses were also bred, though to a much less extent.
Granite and slate arc in general the basic formations, upon which rests the so-called 'Cape Formation,' above which are found quartzite and coal-bearing layers. The Transvaal is excep tionally rich in varieties of mineral wealth. such as copper, iron, coal (in different sections), lead, silver (north of Pretoria) , diamonds (in the Pretoria district, and in the southwest cor ner in the direction of Kimberley), and notably gold. Gold was first discovered in 1867, and is now found abundantly in numerous districts. The rich gold fields of the Witwatersrand—`The Rand' —(of which Johannesburg is the mining centre), and those of Barberton, have made the Transvaal particularly famous. Around them developed the history of the colony. The value of the gold taken out from 1884 to 1898 was $350,000,000. The milling operations after 1899 were seriously interfered with by the war and for more than a year ceased 'altogether. In eleven months in 1902 1,500,000 ounces were obtained. In that year nearly 50,000 natives were employed in the mines. In 1898 diamonds were taken out to the value of $200.000. There has been no output of copper and silver in later years. Coal was a noteworthy item before the recent war, and was mined to the amount of $3,000,000 in 1898.