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| Ethnic groups of Namibia |
Namibia is a land of many languages. Officially, the main language of communication is English. But in reality, the second most common language is Afrikaans, and since it was once a German colony, many mostly whites still speak German in Windhoek, Swakopmund or Lüderitz. But being in Africa, there are also many other tribes that speak their own language.
-The San (Bushmen) were among the first inhabitants of the land. Small in size, they were the painters of the few prehistoric rock paintings, some dating as far back as 27,000 years ago.
-The Nama tribe living in the desert along the Atlantic coast gave the country its actual official name: Namibia.
-The Damara are also an original tribe of Namibia, along with the Nama and the San. They live in a large area along the Skeleton Coast, in a region known as Damaraland.
The Bushmen, the Nama and the Damara, all speak a 'click-language'.
-However, the Hereros, who live north of the capital, were the first to fight for their independence, when the country was under the German rule. They live on cattle rather than traditional agriculture.
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| Windhoek: Herero Memorial |
The women wear a distinctive long Victorian gown and head-dress. They now live in the highland plateau north of Windhoek. One of their main settlement is the town of Okahandja (80km north of Windhoek). There are also Herero tribes in the neighboring countries of Angola and Botswana.
-The Himba are ethnically linked to the Herero but they split and moved to the remote Kaokaland.
-The Owambo, who now lives north of the Etosha Pan, originally came from the lakes of East Africa and their language also belongs to the Bantu family. They are the largest ethnic group of the country.
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| Sam Nujoma,'Father of the Nation' |
-The Kavango, also originally from East Africa, have now settled along the Okavango River, between Angola & Namibia, as far as the Caprivi strip in the Northeast. Their language belongs to the Bantu family.
-The Caprivians live in the eastern part of the Caprivi strip and their language also belongs to the Bantu family.
-Another important group is that of the Basters, a mix blood of Nama-Afrikaner.
-Like in South Africa, Namibia has kept a large number of white people (150,000) in majority Afrikaners (60%), but also either of German (20%) or British origins (20%).
Christian Sorand
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| The Herero costume |
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| Two generations of Herero women |
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| A Herero lady in Omaruru |
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| Street scene in Karibib |
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| Windhoek: African elegance |
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| On a street of Karibib |
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An old lady in Swakopmund
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| A group of Owambo at Etosha Park entrance |
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| School children in Katatura Township, Windhoek |
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| Art stalls at Walvis Bay |
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| Craft display in Windhoek |
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| Windhoek: Bushmen sculpture |
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| Katatura Township mural in Windhoek |
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| Traditional hut in the Bush |
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| Shop in Swakopmund |
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| Art shop in Swakopmund |
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| An African sculpture |
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| At the Okahandja Woodcraft Market |
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| Woman wood sculpture |
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| Feeding a cheetah. |
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| David (my tour guide) at Swakopmund jetty. |
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