The dry lands of Namibia have been inhabited since prehistoric times by San, Damara, and Nama. San people are Namibia's oldest indigenous inhabitants. Before its independence in 1990, the area was known first as German South-West Africa ( Deutsch-Südwestafrika), then as South-West Africa, reflecting the colonial occupation by the Germans and the South Africans. That word for the country was chosen by Mburumba Kerina who originally proposed the name the "Republic of Namib". The name Namib itself is of Nama origin and means "vast place". The name of the country is derived from the Namib desert, the oldest desert in the world. The large, arid Namib Desert from which the country derived its name has resulted in Namibia being overall one of the least densely populated countries in the world. Agriculture, tourism and the mining industry – including mining for gem diamonds, uranium, gold, silver and base metals – form the basis of its economy, while the manufacturing sector is comparatively small.
Namibia has a population of 2.55 million people and is a stable multi-party parliamentary democracy. However, Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands remained under South African control until 1994.
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Namibia obtained full independence from South Africa in 1990. Following continued guerrilla warfare, South Africa installed an interim administration in Namibia in 1985. In 1973, the UN recognised the South West Africa People's Organisation ( SWAPO) as the official representative of the Namibian people the party is dominated by the Ovambo, who are a large plurality in the territory. In the later 20th century, uprisings and demands for political representation by native African political activists seeking independence resulted in the UN assuming direct responsibility over the territory in 1966, but South Africa maintained de facto rule. From 1948, with the National Party elected to power, this included South Africa applying apartheid to what was then known as South West Africa. As Mandatory power, South Africa imposed its laws, including racial classifications and rules. In 1920, after the end of World War I, the League of Nations mandated administration of the colony to South Africa. German rule ended in 1915 with a defeat by South African forces.
Between 19, it perpetrated a genocide against the Herero and Nama people. In 1884, the German Empire established rule over most of the territory, forming a colony known as German South West Africa. In 1878, the Cape of Good Hope, then a British colony, annexed the port of Walvis Bay and the offshore Penguin Islands these became an integral part of the new Union of South Africa at its creation in 1910.
Since then, the Bantu groups, the largest being the Ovambo, have dominated the population of the country since the late 19th century, they have constituted a majority. Around the 14th century, immigrating Bantu peoples arrived as part of the Bantu expansion. The driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia has been inhabited since pre-historic times by the San, Damara and Nama people. Namibia is a member state of the United Nations (UN), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the Commonwealth of Nations. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek.
Namibia gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence. Although it does not border Zimbabwe, less than 200 metres (660 feet) of the Botswanan right bank of the Zambezi River separates the two countries. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. Namibia ( / n ə ˈ m ɪ b i ə/ ( listen), / n æ ˈ-/), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa.