Former political entity, South Africa.
Consisting of a group of noncontiguous black enclaves, it was established by South African authorities as a "homeland" for the Tswana people and granted its independence in 1977, with its capital at Mmabatho. It was never internationally recognized as independent. Under the 1993 South African constitution, Bophuthatswana was dissolved and the area was reincorporated into South Africa. Its various enclaves, with a population of more than 2,500,000, became parts of Orange Free State (now Free State) and the newly created North-West and Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga) provinces.