GRIQUALAND

GRIQUALAND, WEST AND EAST, were British territories in South Africa.

The former lies to the N.E. of Cape Colony, between the Orange River on the S. and Bechuanaland on the N.; the diamond industry, of which Kimberley is the centre, is the chief source of wealth, and was begun in 1867; Kimberley is also the seat of government. Presently Griqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province. It became part of Cape Colony in 1881.

The latter, situated in No-Man's-Land, between the Kaffir country and S. Natal, is chiefly inhabited by Griquas and Basutos. Griqualand East, officially known as New Griqualand, was one of four short-lived Griqua states in Southern Africa from the early 1860s until the late 1870s and was located between the Umzimkulu and Kinira Rivers, south of the Sotho Kingdom. It was annexed to Cape colony in 1871, though it was controlled by a chief-magistrate. Griqua was a name given to half-bloods of Dutch fathers and Hottentot mothers.