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Geography |
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Capital |
Windhoek (2001 census) pop. 233,529. |
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Area |
823,145 sq. km. (320,827 sq. mi.); the size of Texas and Louisiana
combined. |
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Terrain |
Varies from coastal desert to semiarid mountains and
plateau. |
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Climate |
Semidesert and high plateau. |
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People |
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Nationality |
Noun and adjective--Namibian(s). |
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Population |
(2002 est.): 1.8 million. |
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Groups |
Black 87%; white 6%; mixed race 7%. About 50% of the population
belong to Ovambo ethnic group, and 9% to the Kavango
ethnic group. Other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama
5%, Caprivian 4%, San 3%, Baster 2%, and Tswana 0.5%. |
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Religions |
Predominantly Christian; also indigenous beliefs. |
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Languages |
English (official); Afrikaans, German, Oshivambo, Herero,
Nama/Damara, other indigenous languages. |
Namibians are of diverse ethnic origins. The principal groups are
the Ovambo, Kavango, Herero/Himba, Damara, mixed race ("colored" and
Rehoboth Baster), white (Afrikaner, German, and Portuguese), Nama,
Caprivian, San, and Tswana.
The Ovambo make up about half of Namibia's people. The Ovambo,
Kavango, and East Caprivian peoples, who occupy the relatively
well-watered and wooded northern part of the country, are settled
farmers and herders. Historically, these groups had little contact
with the Nama, Damara, and Herero, who roamed the central part of
the country vying for control of sparse pastureland. German colonial
rule destroyed the war-making ability of the tribes but did not
erase their identities or traditional organization. People from the
more populous north have settled throughout the country in recent
decades as a result of urbanization, industrialization, and the
demand for labor.
Missionary work during the 1800s drew many Namibians to
Christianity. While most Namibian Christians are Lutheran, there
also are Roman Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Jewish, African
Methodist Episcopal, and Dutch Reformed Christians represented.
Education and services have been extended in varying degrees to most
rural areas in recent years. Although the national literacy rate is
quite high (estimated to be 85%), it is important to note that the
number of Namibians that are functionally literate and have the
skills that the labor market needs is significantly lower. |
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Government &
History |
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Official Name |
Republic of Namibia |
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Government |
Republic. |
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Independence |
March 21, 1990. |
The San are generally assumed to have been the earliest inhabitants
of the region. Later inhabitants include the Nama and the Damara or
Berg Dama. The Bantu-speaking Ovambo and Herero migrated from the
north in about the 14th century A.D.
The inhospitable Namib Desert constituted a formidable barrier to
European exploration until the late 18th century, when successions
of travelers, traders, hunters, and missionaries explored the area.
In 1878, the United Kingdom annexed Walvis Bay on behalf of Cape
Colony, and the area was incorporated into the Cape of Good Hope in
1884. In 1883, a German trader, Adolf Luderitz, claimed the rest of
the coastal region after negotiations with a local chief.
Negotiations between the United Kingdom and Germany resulted in
Germany's annexation of the coastal region, excluding Walvis Bay.
The following year, the United Kingdom recognized the hinterland up
to 20 degrees east longitude as a German sphere of influence. A
region later known as the Caprivi Strip became a part of South West
Africa after an agreement on July 1, 1890, between the United
Kingdom and Germany. The British recognized that the strip would
fall under German administration to provide access to the Zambezi
River and German colonies in East Africa. In exchange, the British
received the islands of Zanzibar and Heligoland.
German colonial power was consolidated, and prime grazing land
passed to white control as a result of the Herero and Nama wars of
1904-08. German administration ended during World War I following
South African occupation in 1915.
On December 17, 1920, South Africa undertook administration of South
West Africa under the terms of Article 22 of the Covenant of the
League of Nations and a mandate agreement by the League Council. The
mandate agreement gave South Africa full power of administration and
legislation over the territory. It required that South Africa
promote the material and moral well-being and social progress of the
people.
When the League of Nations was dissolved in 1946, the newly formed
United Nations inherited its supervisory authority for the
territory. South Africa refused UN requests to place the territory
under a trusteeship agreement. During the 1960s, as the European
powers granted independence to their colonies and trust territories
in Africa, pressure mounted on South Africa to do so in Namibia,
which was then known as South West Africa. In 1966, the UN General
Assembly revoked South Africa's mandate.
Also in 1966, the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO)
began its armed struggle to liberate Namibia, in part from bases
abroad. After Angola became independent in 1975, SWAPO established
bases in the southern part of that country. Hostilities intensified
over the years, particularly in the north.
In a 1971 advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice
upheld UN authority over Namibia, determining that the South African
presence in Namibia was illegal and that South Africa therefore was
obligated to withdraw its administration from Namibia immediately.
The Court also advised UN member states to refrain from implying
legal recognition or assistance to the South African presence. |
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