Union of South Africa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Union of South Africa Unie van Suid-Afrika Unie van Zuid-Afrika
1910–1961
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Ex Unitate Vires (Latin: From Unity, Strength)
Anthem: Die Stem van Suid-Afrika "The Call of South Africa"
Location of the Union of South Africa. South-West Africa shown as disputed area (administered as 5th province of the Union).
Capital	Cape Town (legislative) Pretoria (administrative) Bloemfontein (judicial) Pietermaritzburg (archival)
Common languages	Dutch, English, Afrikaans (after 1925)
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Monarch
• 1910-1936	George V
• 1936	Edward VIII
• 1936-1952	George VI
Governor-General
• 1910-1914	The Viscount Gladstone
• 1959-1961	Charles Robberts Swart
Prime Minister
• 1910-1919	Louis Botha
• 1919-'24, 1939-1948	Jan Smuts
• 1924-1939	J.B.M. Hertzog
• 1948-1954	D.F. Malan
• 1954-1958	J.G. Strijdom
• 1958-1961	H.F. Verwoerd
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Assembly
History
• Union	31 May 1910
• Statute of Westminster	11 December 1931
• Republic	31 May 1961
Area
1961	2,045,320 km2 (789,700 sq mi)
Population
• 1961	18216000
Currency	South African pound
ISO 3166 code	ZA
Preceded by Succeeded by British Cape Colony Colony of Natal Orange River Colony Transvaal Colony South Africa
Today part of	South Africa  Namibia

The Union of South Africa was an important country in southern Africa. It existed from 1910 to 1961. This period was a key part of the history of modern-day South Africa. The country was formed by uniting several different areas.

On May 31, 1910, four main regions came together. These were the British Cape Colony, the Natal Colony, the South African Republic (also known as Transvaal), and the Orange Free State. These areas became the first four provinces of the Union. They were called the Cape Province, the Natal Province, the Transvaal Province, and the Orange Free State Province.

The Union of South Africa was a self-governing part of the British Empire. It had its own government but still recognized the British monarch as its head of state. Its motto, "Ex Unitate Vires," means "From Unity, Strength" in Latin.

The Union ended on May 31, 1961. On this day, a new constitution was put in place. This changed the Union of South Africa into the Republic of South Africa.

Forming the Union

The idea of uniting the different parts of South Africa grew over time. Before 1910, the region had been a mix of British colonies and independent Boer republics. The South African War (also known as the Anglo-Boer War) ended in 1902. After this, leaders worked to bring the areas together.

The South Africa Act 1909 was a special law passed by the British Parliament. This law officially created the Union of South Africa. It set up the new country's government and how the provinces would work together.

Government and Leaders

The Union of South Africa was a Constitutional monarchy. This means it had a monarch (a king or queen) as its head of state. However, the real power was with an elected government.

The Monarch

The British monarch was the head of state for the Union. They were represented in South Africa by a Governor-General.

• King George V (1910-1936)
• King Edward VIII (1936)
• King George VI (1936-1952)
• Queen Elizabeth II (1952-1961)

The Governor-General

The Governor-General was the monarch's representative in South Africa. They acted on behalf of the King or Queen.

• The first Governor-General was The Viscount Gladstone (1910-1914).
• The last Governor-General was Charles Robberts Swart (1959-1961).

The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister was the head of the government. This person led the country's daily operations. They were chosen from the Parliament.

• Louis Botha was the first Prime Minister (1910-1919). He played a big role in forming the Union.
• Jan Smuts served two terms (1919-1924 and 1939-1948). He was a famous general and statesman.
• J.B.M. Hertzog was Prime Minister from 1924 to 1939.
• D.F. Malan led the country from 1948 to 1954.
• J.G. Strijdom was Prime Minister from 1954 to 1958.
• H.F. Verwoerd was the last Prime Minister of the Union (1958-1961). He oversaw the change to a republic.

Parliament

The Union had a Parliament that made laws. It had two parts:

• The Senate: This was the upper house.
• The House of Assembly: This was the lower house.

Languages and Capitals

The official languages of the Union were Dutch and English. After 1925, Afrikaans became an official language instead of Dutch. Afrikaans is a language that developed in South Africa.

The Union had multiple capital cities for different government functions:

• Cape Town was the legislative capital, where Parliament met.
• Pretoria was the administrative capital, where government offices were.
• Bloemfontein was the judicial capital, where the highest court was.
• Pietermaritzburg was an archival capital, for keeping important records.

South-West Africa

After World War I, the former German colony of German South-West Africa was put under the Union's care. This was done by the League of Nations. The Union treated South-West Africa almost like a fifth province. Today, this area is known as Namibia.

End of the Union

In 1960, a special vote (a referendum) was held. People voted on whether South Africa should become a republic. The majority voted yes. On May 31, 1961, the Union of South Africa officially ended. It was replaced by the Republic of South Africa. This meant South Africa no longer had the British monarch as its head of state. Instead, it had its own president.

Images for kids

• 

  The first Union cabinet

• 

  South West Africa stamp: Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on the 1947 Royal Tour of South Africa

See also

In Spanish: Unión Sudafricana para niños