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Namibia Travel

History

The harsh and unrelenting nature of Namibia acted as a deterrent to an early European colonisation of this country. Isolated contact with European explorers, traders and hunters stretched back as far as the end of the fifteenth century when Bartholomeus Diaz, the Portuguese explorer, erected his ‘padrão’ or circled cross at Luderitz. Exploration of the interior was effectively blocked by the extreme conditions of the Namib Desert, which stretches along the entire length of the Namibian coast. Nevertheless Britain hoisted her flag at all possible landing areas along the coast by 1795 to exert her control over the rich marine resources. During the early part of the nineteenth century missionary groups from Britain and later Germany, established settlements in many parts of present-day Namibia. The German missionaries in particular established the German language in the territory, a precursor for later German colonisation.

By 1878 Britain annexed a small enclave around the port of Walvis Bay and as a result of the Berlin Conference of European colonial powers of 1884, Germany was able to consolidate its dominance over the remainder of the territory. German settlers and their governor arrived and the land was parcelled out to the new settlers and large German companies, with little regard to the needs of the original inhabitants of the territory. The Nama and Herero people rose in a revolt against the forcible acquisition of their land in 1904, which was crushed by German colonial troops and settlers. Many of the Nama and Herero perished as a result of the uprising. Many Hereros fled into present day Botswana where a sizeable Herero population is still resident.

South African troops were mobilised into ‘South West Africa’, as Namibia was known at the beginning of World War One, they ejected the German colonial administration from the territory by 1915. An interim South African administration was established and the League of Nations mandated South West Africa to South Africa in 1920. South Africa administered the territory for a period of seventy years during which time the economy and national infrastructure developed significantly; +/- 500 Billion South African Rand in South African tax payers money were ploughed in to pay for the establishment of the infrastructure. Unfortunately the South African administration imported their policies, which leaned to favour racial segregation into South West Africa. This policy accelerated and was ultimately enforced by law after the National Party victory in South Africa in 1948. The territory was increasingly treated as an additional province of South Africa and a long-running dispute over the territorial status of South West Africa between the South African government and the United Nations ensued. It must be mentioned in fairness to the South African public that they put a great deal more into Namibia than they took out. Private enterprise fared considerably better and were ironically often not South African based. In 1966 the United Nations unanimously ended South Africa’s mandate over South West Africa and instituted Resolution 435 in 1969, which called for South Africa’s immediate withdrawal from the territory. However the withdrawal only came about after the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990.

From the mid 1960’s a low level guerrilla war was waged against the South African Defence Force that particularly involved the northern Owamboland areas along the Angolan border. With the collapse of the Portuguese administration in Angola in 1975, the guerrilla war waged by Sam Nujoma’s SWAPO escalated. South African troops engaged in a protracted war against SWAPO and its allies which included the Angolan government and Cuban troops. Eventually after negotiations with both external organisations such as the United Nations and internal political parties together with a gradual erosion of South African military supremacy in this war, an agreement was reached. This agreement paved the way for South African withdrawal, the incorporation of Walvis Bay into Namibia and Namibian independence, which was achieved in 1990. Sam Nujoma became president of Namibia as a result of elections held prior to the independence date. Large mining concessions and land ownership by multinationals as is the case in many other African countries are also in Namibia the order of the day. On the ground the Namibians in the street love their country and all work hard to make a success of their futures. Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain attended Independence celebrations.

Travel to Namib Region	Travel to Caprivi Strip
Travel to Central Namibia	Travel to Northern Namibia
Travel to Southern Namibia	Travel to Skeleton Coast Region

Tours covering Namibia - Show all safaris & tours covering Namibia »»
	Sossusvlei Shuttle 2010 : Windhoek - Sossusvlei - Windhoek From US$678 per person per night	A 3-day trip that takes you from Windhoek to the spectacular dunes of the Sossuvlei and back to Windhoek. Stay overnight in the luxurious Namib Naukluft Lodge. *Tour Duration:* 3 days

	Royal Livingstone Hotel, Impalila Island Lodge & Susuwe Island Lodge From per person per night	A stunning 7 day trip to the mighty Victoria Falls, the north-eastern tip of Namibia and the remote Kwando River. This trip provides visitors with the opportunity to experience luxury and tranquility as well as a wild and untouched island stay. *Tour Duration:* 7 days

	Royal Livingstone & Ntwala Island Lodge From per person per night	An exclusive 5 day trip to the mighty Victoria Falls and the Mambova rapids. The Royal Livingstone is a 5 star luxury hotel situated on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls, with a unique Zambezi River frontage. Ntwala Island Lodge lies at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers, 80 km upstream from Victoria Falls. This Lodge comprises four ultra luxury styled suites, each inclusive of a private plunge pool fringed by white sand. *Tour Duration:* 5 days

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Namibia - Tourist Information
Statistics Statistics Population: 2.0 million Area: 852 418 sq. kms. GDP per capita: US$ 7 000 Languages: English, Afrikaans, German		Introduction Incredible quiet is the overwhelming impression of this vast, sparsely populated country. Rugged mountains of sun-seared rock point their jagged edges into the vast expanse of blue African sky.... More »»
Climate Namibia is considered an arid country with an average precipitation level of only 270mm. The climate is generally temperate to warm in the interior with a temperate yet very dry climate along the... More »»		Currency and Credit Cards The currency in Namibia is the Namibian Dollar. The currency in Namibia is the Namibian Dollar. At this moment there are banknotes in denominations of $200, $100, $50, $20 and $10 and coins of $5, $1,... More »»
Electricity The Namibian power grid uses 220/240 volts AC 50 Hertz. Wall sockets (round 3 pin) are rated to carry a maximum of 15 amps. It is important to carry a 3 pin round adapter, which can be purchased in... More »»		Public Holidays 01 January - New Year’s Day 21 March - Independence Day Good Friday (Easter weekend) - April (variable date) Family Day (Easter weekend) - April (variable date) 01 May - Workers day 04 May -... More »»
Visas and Entry Requirements Valid passports are required by all foreign nationals to enter Namibia. Citizens of the following countries do not require visas to enter Namibia: United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Russia,... More »»		Economy Namibia is particularly rich in alluvial diamond deposits that are mined with earth moving equipment along the southern coastal areas, under the immense sand dunes along the coast, and from the seabed... More »»
Geography Namibia is situated between the Cunene and Kavango Rivers forming part of Angola’s border in the north and the Orange River, which demarcates South Africa’s border in the south, with Botswana forming... More »»		History The harsh and unrelenting nature of Namibia acted as a deterrent to an early European colonisation of this country. Isolated contact with European explorers, traders and hunters stretched back as far... More »»
Physical Features The Namib, the most ancient desert in the world, acts as a barrier between the central highlands and the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Namibia’s long coastline is set against a backdrop of vast... More »»		Political Features Namibia is divided into thirteen regions and its official, yet least spoken language, is English. English is the language of business and government. The capital city is Windhoek, which is situated at... More »»
Accommodation Namibia provides a wide-range of tourist accommodation ranging from luxury hotels to bed and breakfast type accommodation to simple National Parks bungalows and campsites.		Banks and Foreign Exchange Banking hours in most centres are 09h00 to 15h30 Mondays to Fridays, and 08h30 to 11j00 on Saturday. Foreign bank notes and travellers cheques may be converted into local currency at most banks... More »»
Business Hours Most businesses and shops are open between 08h30 and 17h00 on weekdays and between 09h00 and 13h00 on Saturdays.		Dining and Drinking Namibian food reflects the agricultural and marine resources of the country. Superb meat products including beef, lamb and venison feature prominently. The countries rich marine reserves also reflect... More »»
Media and Television A small variety of daily and weekly English and other local language newspapers are available in Namibia. In addition regular periodicals produced in South Africa covering every conceivable subject... More »»		Medical Care Visitors are responsible for their own medical needs and it is advisable to carry comprehensive medical insurance. There are Public Hospitals in Windhoek and in most towns with services ranging from... More »»
Postal Services Post Offices are open from 08h30 to 16h00 on weekdays and from 08h30 to 12h00 on Saturdays.		Telephones A modern and efficient telephone service is available in almost all parts of the country. Direct national and international dialling is possible in almost all areas. Pay phones operating with coins... More »»
Tipping Tipping for service is standard practice in Namibia and usually ranges around 10% in restaurants and about N$5 for hotel porters. Cleaners and maids in hotels and Bed and Breakfast establishments... More »»		Air Travel Direct flights from Germany and the United Kingdom link Namibia direct to Europe. Flights from other European countries, North and South America, Australia, the Far East and the Middle East provide... More »»
Road Travel and Public Transport The road network is well developed and of a high standard. Most major international and a number of local car hire companies are represented in Namibia. Easy access to car hire from Windhoek airport... More »»		Security Namibia is a relatively crime free country. Petty thieving can be a problem and occasionally crime of a more serious nature does occur. Visitors should be aware of the following: · Avoid lonely and... More »»

NAMIBIA

Namibia Travel

History

Tours covering Namibia

Namibia - Tourist Information

Map of Namibia