▁returned ▁to ▁trade ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁and ▁scra pped ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁ ▁Category : Ro yal ▁Navy ▁ship ▁names <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State ▁( , ▁, ▁abbre vi ated ▁as ▁O VS ) ▁was ▁an ▁independent ▁Bo er ▁so ver eign ▁republic ▁in ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁during ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁which ▁ceased ▁to ▁exist ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁defeated ▁and ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Bo er ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁historical ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁the ▁present - day ▁Free ▁State ▁province . ▁▁ ▁Ext ending ▁between ▁the ▁Orange ▁and ▁Va al ▁rivers , ▁its ▁borders ▁were ▁determined ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁when ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁proc laimed ▁as ▁the ▁Orange ▁River ▁S over e ig nt y , ▁with ▁a ▁British ▁Res ident ▁based ▁in ▁Blo em f onte in . ▁Blo em f onte in ▁and ▁the ▁southern ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁S over e ig nt y ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁settled ▁by ▁G ri qua ▁and ▁by ▁Tre k bo ere ▁from ▁the ▁Cape ▁Col ony . ▁ ▁The ▁Vo ort rek ker ▁Republic ▁of ▁Natal ia , ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 , ▁admin ister ed ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁through ▁a ▁land d rost ▁based ▁at ▁Win burg . ▁This ▁northern ▁area ▁was ▁later