, ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁Cape ▁Province , ▁Natal , ▁and ▁the ▁Trans va al . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁South ▁Africa ▁became ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁South ▁Africa . ▁ ▁The ▁republic ' s ▁name ▁der ives ▁partly ▁from ▁the ▁Orange ▁River , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁was ▁named ▁in ▁honour ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁r uling ▁family , ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Orange , ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁expl orer ▁Robert ▁Jacob ▁Gordon . ▁The ▁official ▁language ▁in ▁the ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State ▁was ▁Dutch . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁Vo ort re kk ers ▁ ▁Europe ans ▁first ▁visited ▁the ▁country ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Orange ▁River ▁towards ▁the ▁close ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁notable ▁visitors ▁was ▁the ▁Dutch ▁expl orer ▁Robert ▁Jacob ▁Gordon , ▁who ▁mapped ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁gave ▁the ▁Orange ▁River ▁its ▁name . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁population ▁was ▁sparse . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁S oth o ▁people ▁( colon ial ▁form ▁Bas uto ), ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁valle ys ▁of ▁the ▁Orange ▁and ▁Va al ▁were ▁Kor ana ▁and ▁other ▁K ho ik ho i , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁D rak ens berg ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁border ▁lived ▁numbers ▁of ▁Bush men . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁G ri qua ▁established ▁themselves ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Orange . ▁ ▁Bo er ▁imm igration ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 4 ▁far mers ▁of ▁Dutch ,