History UsefulNotes / Namibia

** President: Nangolo Mbumba (acting president)[[note]]Succeeded Hage Geingob, who died on February 4, 2024. A new president will be elected in November 2024.[[/note]]
** Vice President: Nangolo Mbumba
** Prime Minister: Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
** Deputy Prime Minister: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah

* '''Area:''' 825,615 km
(318,772 sq mi) (34th)

** President: Hage Geingob

In 1890, the Chancellor of UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, Leo von Caprivi, negotiated a deal with UsefulNotes/{{Britain}}. Caprivi wanted access to the Zambezi river so German ships could navigate to its colonies in East Africa. In return, Germany gave up all claims to the British territory of [[UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}} Zanzibar]] (which it did not control; it just finally admitted that it was Britain's to "protect", and it wouldn't get in the way), and it also got the North Sea island of Heligoland as part of the deal.[[note]]There is a misconception that Germany "exchanged" Zanzibar for Heligoland ("trousers for a button"), an idea that was whipped up by UsefulNotes/OttoVonBismarck, who wanted to tarnish the reputation of his predecessor, Caprivi. In reality, the Germans never had any control over Zanzibar, and the deal merely confirmed it.[[/note]] Upon further checking, however, it turned out that just 60 kilometers down the Zambezi from the edge of the 450 kilometer-long territory given by Britain was the world's largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, leaving the river unnavigable. Despite this, the territory, now known as the Caprivi Strip, has remained throughout Namibia's existence. The Caprivi Strip is home to Lozi people, who are ethnically and linguistically quite different from the rest of the country's people and who were not even considered when it was formed. This led to the formation of a rebel group known as the Caprivi Liberation Army, who fought a war with the Namibian government in the late 90's.

Officially the '''Republic of Namibia''' ('''Afrikaans:''' ''Republiek van Namibië'', '''German:''' ''Republik Namibia'', '''Khoekhoegowab:''' ''Namibiab Republiki dib''), Namibia is a mainly-desert country in Southern Africa. It has a tiny population compared to its size; at 3 people per square kilometer, it is Africa's least and the world's second-least densely-peopled country.

In 1890, the Chancellor of UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, Leo von Caprivi, negotiated a deal with UsefulNotes/{{Britain}}. Caprivi wanted access to the Zambezi river so German ships could navigate to its colonies in East Africa. In return, Germany gave up all claims to the British territory of [[UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}} Zanzibar]] (which it did not control; it just finally admitted that it was Britain's to "protect", and it wouldn't get in the way), and it also got the North Sea island of Heligoland as part of the deal.[[note]]There is a misconception that Germany "exchanged" Zanzibar for Heligoland ("trousers for a button"), an idea that was whipped up by UsefulNotes/OttoVonBismarck, who wanted to tarnish the reputation of his predecessor, Caprivi. In reality, the Germans never had any control over Zanzibar, and the deal merely confirmed it.[[/note]]. Upon further checking, however, it turned out that just 60 kilometers down the Zambezi from the edge of the 450 kilometer-long territory given by Britain was the world's largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, leaving the river unnavigable. Despite this, the territory, now known as the Caprivi Strip, has remained throughout Namibia's existence. The Caprivi Strip is home to Lozi people, who are ethnically and linguistically quite different from the rest of the country's people and who were not even considered when it was formed. This led to the formation of a rebel group known as the Caprivi Liberation Army, who fought a war with the Namibian government in the late 90's.

Following UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, the Germans lost South West Africa to UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica, which was given a mandate by the League of Nations to govern the territory. After UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the League was replaced by the United Nations, which made decolonization a priority. Although it never legally integrated South West Africa, South Africa continuously refused to grant it independence, despite the UN making clear in 1966 that its rule over the territory was illegal. South Africa also tried to infuse its racist Apartheid rule by proposing for the creation of bantustans in South West Africa under the Odendaal Plan (though this was never implemented). The People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), the military wing of South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), rose up against the government in 1966, triggering over two decades of independence war against South Africa. The PLAN was supported by UsefulNotes/{{Angola}} and UsefulNotes/{{Cuba}}, which sent thousands of troops to aid the rebels. Although the war ended in a stalemate, it ultimately resulted in South Africa agreeing to leave South West Africa on the condition that Cuba would leave the continent, paving the way for Namibia to achieve independence in 1990. The SWAPO has governed the country since.

The region was largely uncontacted by the West until the 19th century; the Portuguese reached the Skeleton Coast in the late 15th century, but did not attempt to brave the treacherous Namib Desert. Afrikaans-speaking mixed-race people like the Oorlams and Basters settled the region in the 18th century and built some of its earliest permanent settlements, including Windhoek (although the name only dates back to 1890). Eventually, the region fell prey to the European Scramble for Africa. Between 1884 and 1915, Namibia was an colony called [[UsefulNotes/ImperialGermany German South West Africa]], and to this day, the country still has a small but notable German minority.

In 1890, the Chancellor of UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, Leo von Caprivi, negotiated a deal with UsefulNotes/{{Britain}}. Caprivi wanted access to the Zambezi river so German ships could navigate to its colonies in East Africa. In return, Germany gave up all claims to the British territory of [[UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}} Zanzibar]] (which it did not control; it just finally admitted that it was Britain's to "protect", and it wouldn't get in the way), and it also got the North Sea island of Heligoland as part of the deal.[[note]]There is a misconception that Germany "exchanged" Zanzibar for Heligoland ("trousers for a button"), an idea that was whipped up by UsefulNotes/OttoVonBismarck, who wanted to tarnish the reputation of his predecessor, Caprivi. In reality, the Germans never had any control over Zanzibar, and the deal merely confirmed it.[[/note]]. Upon further checking, however, it turned out that just 60 kilometers down the Zambezi from the edge of the 450 kilometer-long territory given by Britain was the world's largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, leaving the river unnavigable. Despite this, the territory, now known as the Caprivi Strip, has remained throughout Namibia's existence. The Caprivi Strip is home to Lozi people, who are ethnically and linguistically quite different from the rest of the country's people and who were not even considered when it was formed. This lead to the formation of a rebel group known as the Caprivi Liberation Army, who fought a war with the Namibian government in the late 90's.

From 1904 to 1908, the Imperial German government conducted an extermination campaign against the Herero and Nama people, totaling over 80% of their population. It is now considered the 20th century's earliest genocide. Although concentration camps were used in the earlier UsefulNotes/TheSecondBoerWar, the Herero and Namaqua genocide saw probably the earliest instance of camps being used to exterminate a people, thus making it something of a precursor to the much-larger [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust Holocaust]]. The German government officially apologized for the genocide in 2004, but refused to compensate the victims' descendants until 2021, when it agreed to pay €1.1 billion over a span of 30 years.

Following UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, the Germans lost South West Africa to UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica, which was given a mandate by the League of Nations to govern the territory. The League was replaced by the United Nations after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and the UN made decolonization a priority. Although it never legally integrated South West Africa, South Africa continuously refused to grant it independence, despite the UN making clear in 1966 that its rule over the territory was illegal. South Africa also tried to infuse its racist Apartheid rule by proposing for the creation of bantustans in South West Africa under the Odendaal Plan (though this was never implemented). The People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), the military wing of South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), rose up against the government in 1966, triggering over two decades of independence war against South Africa. The PLAN was supported by UsefulNotes/{{Angola}} and UsefulNotes/{{Cuba}}, which sent thousands of troops to aid the rebels. Although the war ended in a stalemate, it ultimately resulted in South Africa agreeing to leave South West Africa on the condition that Cuba would leave the continent, paving the way for Namibia to achieve independence in 1990. The SWAPO has governed the country since.

The country is known in the world for its San "Bushmen" people, who still practice hunting and gathering. They make up only a small minority, however; most of the country's population consists of Bantu-speaking pastoralists and sedentary people, such as the Ovambo, Kavango, and Herero. Non-Bantu ethnic groups like the Damara and Nama were long thought to be pastoral relatives of the San (they were grouped under the umbrella term "Khoisan"), but the idea is largely discredited today.

Officially the '''Republic of Namibia''' ('''Afrikaans:''' ''Republiek van Namibië'', '''German:''' ''Republik Namibia'', '''Khoekhoegowab:''' ''Namibiab Republiki dib''), Namibia is a country in Southern Africa known for its desert and the San people who live there. One of the major tribes, the Herero were nearly decimated under German occupation of the country. Its capital city is Windhoek. Is one of the world's youngest nations, having only been independent since 1990, when it [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibian_War_of_Independence fought South Africa]] to gain its independence.

One of the country's most notable features is the long panhandle in the northeast. This extension is called the Caprivi Strip and, unsurprisingly, is result of European colonialism. Between 1884 and 1915, Namibia was known as German South West Africa[[note]]To this day, Namibia still as a small but notable German-descended minority).[[/note]] In 1890, the chancellor of Germany, Leo Von Caprivi, negotiated a deal with Britain. Caprivi wanted access to the Zambezi river so German ships could navigate to the African east coast. In return, Germany gave up all claims to the British territory of Zanzibar[[note]]The deal also included a bit of other mutual acknowledgements of claims and renunciations of other claims, but Germany did not at any time have any real control over Zanzibar, they just finally admitted that it was Britain's to "protect" and they wouldn't get in the way. Another thing Germany got in exchange was the North Sea island of Heligoland which is why a LittleKnownFact claims Germany exchanged Zanzibar for Heligoland which may have seemed a bad deal at the time, which is exactly why UsefulNotes/OttoVonBismarck summed up the treaty as the "Heligoland Zanzibar treaty" giving rise to the misconception[[/note]] and was granted the 450 kilometer-long strip of land. However, it turned out that just 60 kilometers down the Zambezi from the edge of the strip was the world's largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, leaving the river unnavigable. Despite this, the strip has remained throughout the country's existence.

The Caprivi Strip is home to Lozi people, who are ethnically and linguistically quite different from the rest of the country's people and who were not even considered when it was formed. This lead to the formation of a rebel group known as the Caprivi Liberation Army, who fought a war with the Namibian government in the late 90's.

Not only is one of the least densely populated countries (second only after Mongolia), it also has a huge income inequality (partially because of the Apartheid era). It's also expensive, since a lot of things have to be imported from other countries.

* ANaziByAnyOtherName: In Windhoek, Goering Street is ''not'' named after Hermann Göring. It is, however, named after his father, colonial administrator ''Heinrich'' Göring, who has just as much of a history.
** In 2020, the country made international headlines due to the election of a certain Councilor named '''UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler''' Uunona[[note]]his father gave him the name, not knowing who Hitler was[[/note]]. Uunona, to his credit, acknowledges the history associated with the name, has stated he has no plans for world domination, and prefers not to be called by his middle name, instead preferring to be called "Adolf" in private and "Adolf Uunona" in public for this reason. Politically, he's the farthest thing from the other Hitler, as not only was Uunona an anti-Apartheid activist, he was also associated with the very left wing MPLA. Incidentally, Creator/TrevorNoah mentioned in his memoir ''Born a Crime'' that the name Hitler isn't unheard of in UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica. History education for Black Africans during UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra--which extended to Namibia under South African occupation--was as abysmal as the rest of the segregated school system, and UsefulNotes/WorldWarII is distant enough there that many people just think of Hitler as the guy so threatening that other European powers had to call on their colonial subjects from around the world to help take him down.
* TheArtifact: Namibia was a strange case of this after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII ([=WWII=]). South Africa conquered then-German South-West Africa during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI and, after that, kept the territory (now plain South-West Africa) as a UsefulNotes/LeagueOfNations ([=LON=]) mandate. But, after [=WWII=], when the [=LON=] got replaced by the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations ([=UN=]), all former mandates became [=UN=] trust territories overseen by the [=UN=] Trusteeship Council. Except one, that is: as South Africa refused to do the conversion, Namibia became the lone [=LON=] mandate overseen by the [=UN=] General Assembly (as successor to the [=LON=] Assembly). Ultimately an anti-[[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra Apartheid]] [=UN=] simply cancelled the whole bizarre shebang in 1966 and then Namibia became a plainly illegally-occupied territory until its independence in 1990.
* CrossingTheDesert: Namib and Kalahari Desert.

** In 2020, the country made international headlines due to the election of a certain Councilor named '''UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler''' Uunona[[note]]his father gave him the name, not knowing who Hitler was[[/note]]. Uunona, to his credit, acknowledges the history associated with the name, has stated he has no plans for world domination, and prefers not to be called by his middle name, instead preferring to be called "Adolf" in private and "Adolf Uunona" in public for this reason. Politically, he's the farthest thing from the other Hitler, as not only was Uunona an anti-Apartheid activist, he was also associated with the very left wing MPLA. Incidentally, Creator/TrevorNoah mentioned in ''Literature/BornACrime'' that the name Hitler isn't unheard of in UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica. History education for Black Africans during UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra--which extended to Namibia under South African occupation--was as abysmal as the rest of the segregated school system, and UsefulNotes/WorldWarII is distant enough there that many people just think of Hitler as the guy so threatening that other European powers had to call on their colonial subjects from around the world to help take him down.

** In 2020, the country made international headlines due to the election of a certain Councilor named '''UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler''' Uunona[[note]]his father gave him the name, not knowing who Hitler was[[/note]]. Uunona, to his credit, acknowledges the history associated with the name, has stated he has no plans for world domination, and prefers not to be called by his middle name, instead preferring to be called "Adolf" in private and "Adolf Uunona" in public for this reason. Politically, he's the farthest thing from the other Hitler, as not only was Uunona an anti-Apartheid activist, he was also associated with the very left wing MPLA.

* '''Highest point:''' Brandberg (2573 m/8,442 ft) (100th)

* '''Highest point:''' Brandberg (2573 m/8,442 ft) (99th)

* '''Highest point:''' Brandberg (2573 m/8,442 ft) (100th)

* '''Highest point:''' Brandberg (2573 m/8,442 ft) (95th)

* '''Highest point:''' Brandberg (2573 m/8,442 ft) (114th)

* '''ISO-3166-1 Code:''' NA

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A country in Southern Africa. Known for its desert and the San people who live there. One of the major tribes, the Herero were nearly decimated under German occupation of the country. Its capital city is Windhoek. Is one of the world's youngest nations, having only been independent since 1990, when it [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibian_War_of_Independence fought South Africa]] to gain its independence.

One of the country's most notable features is the long panhandle in the northeast. This extension is called the Caprivi Strip and, unsurprisingly, is result of European colonialism. Between 1884 and 1915, Namibia was known as German South West Africa[[note]]To this day, Namibia still as a small but notable German-descended minority).[[/note]] In 1890, the chancellor of Germany, Leo Von Caprivi, negotiated a deal with Britain. Caprivi wanted access to the Zambezi river so German ships could navigate to the African east coast. In return, Germany gave up all claims to the British territory of Zanzibar[[note]]The deal also included a bit of other mutual acknowledgements of claims and renunciations of other claims, but Germany did not at any time have any real control over Zanzibar, they just finally admitted that it was Britain's to "protect" and they wouldn't get in the way. Another thing Germany got in exchange was the North Sea island of Heligoland which is why a LittleKnownFact claims Germany exchanged Zanzibar for Heligoland which may have seemed a bad deal at the time, which is exactly why UsefulNotes/OttoVonBismarck summed up the treaty as the "Heligoland Zanzibar treaty" giving rise to the misconception[[/note]] and was granted the 450 kilometer-long strip of land. However, it turned out that just 60 kilometers down the Zambezi from the edge of the strip was the world's largest waterfall, Victoria falls, leaving the river unnavigable. Despite this, the strip has remained throughout the country's existence.

!!Namibia and Namibians in fiction:

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<<|UsefulNotes/{{Africa}}|>>

* TheArtifact: Namibia was a strange case of this after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII ([=WWII=]). South Africa conquered then-German South-West Africa during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI and, after that, kept the territory (now plain South-West Africa) as a UsefulNotes/LeagueOfNations ([=LON=]) mandate. But, after [=WWII=], when the [=LON=] got replaced by the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations ([=UN=]), all former mandates became [=UN=] trust territories overseen by the [=UN=] Trusteeship Council. Except one, that is: as South Africa refused to do the conversion, Namibia became the lone [=LON=] mandate overseen by the [=UN=] General Assembly (as successor to the [=LON=] Assembly). Ultimately an anti-[[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra Apartheid]] [=UN=] simply cancelled the whole bizarre shebang in 1966 and then Namibia became a plane illegally occupied territory until 1990.

* TheArtifact: Namibia was a strange case of this after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII ([=WWII=]). South Africa conquered then-German South-West Africa during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI and, after that, kept the territory (now plain South-West Africa) as a UsefulNotes/LeagueOfNations ([=LON=]) mandate. But, after [=WWII=], when the [=LON=] got replaced by the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations ([=UN=]), all former mandates became [=UN=] trust territories overseen by the [=UN=] Trusteeship Council. Except one, that is: as South Africa refused to do the conversion, Namibia became the lone [=LON=] mandate overseen by the [=UN=] General Assembly (as successor to the [=LON=] Assembly). Ultimately an anti-UsefulNotes/[[TheApartheidEra Apartheid]] [=UN=] simply cancelled the whole bizarre shebang in 1966 and then Namibia became a plane illegally occupied territory until 1990.