What was previous name of South Africa?

Answer 1

The country was formed in 1910 from the merging of four independent state entities.

1. The Cape Colony

2. The Orange Free State

3. The Transvaal Republic

4. The Colony of Natal

From 1910 until 1961 the merger (or union) was reflected in the name and it was called "The Union of South Africa". During this time it was nominally under a British governor and the Queen, but practically it was independent.

The country became fully independent from Britain in 1961, and since then it has been known as "The Republic of South Africa"

Answer 2

On 31 May 1910, four self-governing regions in Southern Africa combined into a single country called the Union of South Africa.

Two of these regions -- the Cape Colony and Natal -- had been self-governing British colonies since the Napoleonic Wars. The other two regions, located inland, were the former fully-independent Boer republics who were defeated in the Boer War of 1899-1902: the Orange Free State north of the Orange River, and the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (renamed Transvaal), north of the Vaal River.

The Cape, Natal, Free State and Transvaal became the original four "provinces" of South Africa which was an independent "dominion" inside the British Commonwealth. On 31 May 1961 --- the 51st anniversary of Union -- South Africa broke all ties with the Commonwealth and became a fully-independent republic.