An overview of Namibia
This awesome land, Namibia, is one of stunning contrasts, stark beauty, extraordinary landscapes; it presents a kaleidoscope of colours, great diversity of peoples and cultures and a multiplicity of wildlife, whilst further boasting some of the most spectacular, yet fragile, desert ecosystems in the world. It is veritably a geologist’s and naturalist’s paradise. Very much a desert land, Namibia is surely one of Africa’s most interesting and unusual countries, most certainly the driest in Sub-Saharan Africa. In spite of this aridity, an astonishing variety of wildlife exists here, including unique, desert-adapted species, together with huge numbers of game of many varieties, especially throughout its many fabled National Parks.
Namibia, formerly known as South West Africa, is a huge country, 824,268 sq km in size, the fifth biggest on the African continent, and 31st largest in the world; it stretches for about 1,300 km from south to north whilst its width, from west to east, varies between 480 and 930 km. Namibia is bordered by South Africa in the south (967 km of shared border), Angola (1376 km) and Zambia (233 km) in the north and Botswana (1360 km) and Zimbabwe (fractional) to the east; from the lofty heights of a huge Baobab tree on Impalila Island in the Caprivi Region, you can see the only point in the world where four countries (Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) meet. Thought to be the oldest desert in the world, the Namib Desert stretches along the whole western coast of the country, while the Kalahari Desert runs along its south eastern border with Botswana. Namibia has only a tiny population of some 2.1 million (2006 estimate), and the density of this populace at just 2 persons per sq km makes it one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries. The population is comprised of 86% Black Africans, 7% White and 7% Coloured (of mixed descent). The Owambo tribe represents at least half of all the Black Africans, whilst other tribes include Damara, Herero, Kavango, Nama, Caprivian, San (Bushmen), Rehoboth Baster, Himba, Topnaar and Tswana. The majority of people live either in the capital city Windhoek (250,000 +) or in the far northern regions of Owamboland (also 250,000 +) and Kavango (over 200,000).
The country is altogether divided into 13 regions, namely Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto (these are known colloquially as Owamboland or the four ‘O’s) in the north, Kunene in the north west, Kavango and Caprivi in the north east, Erongo to the west, Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Khomas in the central areas with Hardap and Karas to the south.
Namibia is situated in the sub-tropics, and its climate is influenced by the cold Benguela current, running northwards offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. Cool moist air is pushed inland, creating a temperate westerly coastline and the extreme desert conditions of the Namib where a rolling, advective fog brings sustenance nightly for all the desert’s flora and fauna. Most of the country receives less than 250 mm of annual rainfall, 80% of which falls during the summer months (October to April). The coastal region has less than 25 mm a year, whilst the highest rainfall occurs in the north and north east (up to 700mm annually). There are five perennial rivers in Namibia, all forming a border with neighbouring countries. The Gariep (Orange) river is in the south, dividing Namibia from South Africa. The Kunene, in the far north, forms a natural border with Angola. The Kavango separates the country from Botswana, as too does the Kwando / Linyanti / Chobe to the east after running through Angola earlier in its course, whilst the mighty Zambezi parts Namibia from Zambia and Zimbabwe on its travels. All other rivers in the country are ephemeral, running only when good rains are received in their catchment areas. Flash floods should always be borne in mind in the rainy season; remember that river waters can collect and run from a long distance away, before surprising you as you stand under a clear blue sky - do take care!
The official language of Namibia is English, but there are many different languages spoken throughout the land. Bantu languages are spoken by the Owambo, Herero, Kavango, some Caprivians and the Tswana peoples. Khoisan languages are spoken by the San (Bushmen), the Nama and Damaras, whilst the Caucasian elements speak mainly English, Afrikaans and German. Herero women, although always colourfully dressed in many bright colours, do continue to wear conservative, impractical and extremely hot attire that was fashioned for them by puritanical, nineteenth century missionaries. Very different from the nomadic Himba tribespeople of the North West who tend to wear only loin cloths and self made primordial decorations, the womenfolk coating themselves in red ochre as protection from the sun.
Namibia’s constitution clearly protects its environment; Article 95 (abridged here) declares: ‘The State shall actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people by adopting policies aimed at the maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of Namibia and utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future.’ It was the first country in the world to include such a Constitutional Article.
In 1486 a Portuguese sailor and explorer, Diego Cao, erected a stone cross at Cape Cross, north of Swakopmund on the west coast. A second cross followed two years later, planted by another Portuguese, Bartolommeo Dias, to be known as Dias Point, close to where Luderitz exits today. The first recorded Mission Stations were established at Warmbad and Blydeverwacht, both in the south of the country, during 1805. Nowadays, Namibia’s peoples follow mostly Christian beliefs - the Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Anglican and Dutch Reformed Churches altogether account for 90% of the population, the remainder following local indigenous beliefs.
The country became a German Protectorate in 1884, during Bismarck’s rule. It remained as German South West Africa until 1915, when South Africa took control during World War I. In 1920 the Union of South Africa received a mandate from the League of Nations to govern the region as if it were part of South Africa. In 1966 there commenced a long drawn out struggle between the occupying South African forces and the South West Africa Peoples Organisation (SWAPO). The United Nations thus retracted their mandate and renamed the country, known at that time as simply South West Africa, Namibia. The country became independent on March 21 1990; SWAPO has been the democratically elected ruling party ever since. The current President is Hifikepunye Pohamba, who took office in March 2005, replacing Sam Nujoma, ‘the founding father of the nation’, who had previously presided over the country for the three terms and fifteen years following Independence.
Namibia is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds and is fast becoming one of the leading uranium producers too. Tsumeb is the only known mine to have produced over 200 different minerals. Other major industries include fishing, agriculture and the burgeoning tourism industry.
