Located in the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa, is the country's judicial capital. The city, whose name is derived from Dutch for "Fountain of Flowers," was founded in 1846 as a British outpost and has many historic buildings and beautiful parks.
The obelisk of the National Women's Memorial, 120 ft/36 m high, recalls the 26,000 Afrikaner women and children who died in concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War. There is also a war museum nearby. The National Afrikaans Literary Museum, First Raadsaal (the old town council) and National Botanical Garden are the town's other important sights. Bloemfontein lies 230 mi/375 km southwest of Johannesburg.
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