For the steam locomotive, see LNER Class A4 4488 Union of South Africa.
Union of South Africa
Unie van Zuid-Afrika(Dutch) Unie van Suid-Afrika(Afrikaans)
1910–1961
Flag (from 1928)
Coat of arms
Motto: Ex Unitate Vires(Latin) ("From Unity, Strength")
Anthem: "God Save the King" (1910–52); "God Save the Queen" (1952–57)[a]
"Die Stem van Suid-Afrika" (1938–61)[1] (English: "The Call of South Africa")
Union of South Africa with South West Africa shown as a hatched area (occupied in 1915 and administered as 5th province of the Union under a C-mandate from the League of Nations)
Capital
Cape Town (legislative) Pretoria (administrative) Bloemfontein (judicial) Pietermaritzburg (archival)
Largest city
Johannesburg[2][3]
Ethnic groups
(1960)
68.3% Black
19.2% White
9.4% Coloured
3.0% Indian
Government
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
under a dominant-party herrenvolk regime (1948–1961)
Monarch
• 1910–1936
George V
• 1936
Edward VIII
• 1936–1952
George VI
• 1952–1961
Elizabeth II
Governor-General
• 1910–1914 (first)
Viscount Gladstone
• 1959–1961 (last)
C. R. Swart
Prime Minister
• 1910–1919 (first)
Louis Botha
• 1958–1961 (last)
Hendrik Verwoerd
Legislature
Parliament
• Upper house
Senate
• Lower house
House of Assembly
History
• Union
31 May 1910
• Self-governance
22 August 1934
• Republic
31 May 1961
Area
• Total
2,045,329 km2 (789,706 sq mi)
Population
• 1960 census
15,994,000
Currency
South African pound (1910–61), South African rand (1961)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Cape Colony
Natal Colony
Orange River Colony
Transvaal Colony
South Africa
Today part of
Namibia South Africa
The Union of South Africa (Dutch: Unie van Zuid-Afrika; Afrikaans: Unie van Suid-Afrika; pronunciationⓘ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River colonies.[4] It included the territories that were formerly a part of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State.
Following World War I, the Union of South Africa was a signatory of the Treaty of Versailles and became one of the founding members of the League of Nations. It was mandated by the League with the administration of South West Africa (now known as Namibia). South West Africa became treated in most respects as another province of the Union, but it never was formally annexed.
Like Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the Union of South Africa was a self-governing dominion of the British Empire. Its full sovereignty was confirmed with the Balfour Declaration of 1926 and the Statute of Westminster 1931. It was governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with the Crown being represented by a governor-general. The Union came to an end with the enactment of the constitution of 1961, by which it became a republic and left the Commonwealth of Nations. The Republic of South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth on 1 June 1994.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^"South Africa Will Play Two Anthems Hereafter". The New York Times. New York. 3 June 1938. p. 10. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
^travelfilmarchive (8 November 2012). "The Union of South Africa, 1956". Archived from the original on 30 October 2021 – via YouTube.
^darren lennox (23 February 2017). "British Empire: The British Colony of the Union Of South Africa 1956". Archived from the original on 30 October 2021 – via YouTube.
^"Union of South Africa". www.britishempire.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
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