History

The San (Bushmen) are thought to be Namibia’s earliest inhabitants. By the 14th century, the Nama, Damara, and Bantu-speaking Ovambo and Herero peoples had also settled in the area. Starting in the early 1800s, white farmers, mostly Boers, began jostling for land and power too.

Around the same time, a succession of travelers, traders, hunters, and missionaries began trickling into Namibia, and soon Britain and Germany seized different parts of the country. By 1900, Germany had consolidated its power over Namibia and began snatching up its most fertile land. That action led to a rebellion by the Nama and Herero people, who put aside past differences and joined together to drive out the Germans. The Germans squelched the rebellion after a brief battle and went on to destroy about 75 percent of the Herero population.

As a result of World War I, Germany lost control of Namibia (then called West South Africa), and, through a United Nations mandate, the country became a South African territory. South Africa quickly imposed its power on Namibia and further stripped native peoples of their land and rights, creating an apartheid state. During the 1960s, as European powers granted independence to their colonies, international pressure built for South Africa to do the same. In 1966 the UN revoked South Africa’s mandate.

Meanwhile, the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) began its armed struggle to liberate Namibia, partly through bases abroad. In 1978, UN Resolution 435, a proposal worked out by the United States, a number of European and African nations, including South Africa, and members of SWAPO, called for South Africa’s withdrawal from Namibia. Despite its having agreed to the proposal, South Africa refused to budge, and implementation of Resolution 435 didn’t actually begin until 1989. Over the next several months, political prisoners were granted amnesty, discriminatory legislation was repealed, and South Africa withdrew from Namibia. On March 21, 1990, Namibia officially achieved its independence.

The Top 5: Local Advice

1. Located in southwestern Africa, Namibia is a large country the size of Texas and Louisiana combined. It shares borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the southeast and is divided into 13 regions: Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Okavango, Caprivi, Kunene, Otjozondjupa, Erongo, Khomas, Omaheko, Hardap, and Karas.

2. Namibian dollars (NAD) are the local currency, but South African rands are also used within the country. (Namibian dollars may not be used in South Africa, however.) One American dollar is equal to approximately seven NAD.

3. Freedom of the press is not an issue here; in fact, Namibia is one of the more press-friendly countries in Africa. The major newspapers are the Namibian, a private, English and Oshiwambo-language daily; Namibia Economist, a daily; Die Republikein, an Afrikaans daily; New Era, a government-owned daily; Windhoek Observer, a private weekly; and Allgemeine Zeitung, a German-language daily.

4. The official language in Namibia is English. Afrikaans, German, Oshivambo, Herero, Nama, and other indigenous languages are also spoken throughout the country.

5. Smoking in public places has recently been banned in Namibia.

Travel Video