{{color|#0c0|high}} · [[List of Namibian regions by Human Development Index|1st]]"},"website":{"wt":"https://www.khomasrc.gov.na/"},"footnotes":{"wt":""},"official_name":{"wt":""},"population_est":{"wt":""},"pop_est_as_of":{"wt":""}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwAg">Region in Namibia
Khomas Region | |
---|---|
Country | Namibia |
Capital | Windhoek |
Government | |
• Governor | Laura McLeod-Katjirua [1] |
Area | |
• Total | 36,964 km2 (14,272 sq mi) |
Population (2023 census) | |
• Total | 494,605 [3] |
Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
HDI (2018) | 0.732 [4] high · 1st |
Website | https://www.khomasrc.gov.na/ |
Khomas is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its name refers to the Khomas Highland, a high plateau landscape that dominates this administrative subdivision. Khomas is centered on the capital city Windhoek and provides for this reason superior transportation infrastructure. It is located in the central highlands of the country and is bordered by the Erongo region to the west and the northwest and by the Otjozondjupa region to the north. To the east is the Omaheke region, while in the south is the Hardap region. The region is characterized by its hilly countrysize and many valleys. It has well-developed economical, financial, and trade sectors. Khomas Region occupies 4.5% of the land area of Namibia [5] but has the highest population of any of its regions (16.2%). Khomas is one of only three Namibian regions to have neither shoreline nor a foreign border.
Khomas is important electorally, as it is by far the most populous of the Namibian regions. As of 2020 [update] , it has 264,905 registered voters. [6]
The governor of Khomas Region is Laura McLeod-Katjirua. [1] The region comprises ten constituencies: [7]
Khomas region and the capital Windhoek was until 2020 dominated by the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) party. In the 2004 regional election for the National Assembly of Namibia, SWAPO won all ten constituencies. [11]
In the 2015 regional elections, SWAPO obtained 81% of the total votes (2010: 78%) [6] and again won in all ten constituencies. [12] In the 2020 regional election SWAPO obtained 38% of the total votes. It was still the strongest party but lost Windhoek Rural to the Landless People's Movement (LPM, a new party registered in 2018), Windhoek East to the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC, also a new party formed in August 2020), and Katutura Central to the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM). [6]
Khomas has 100 schools with a total of 73,302 pupils. [13]
According to the Namibia 2001 Population and Housing Census, Khomas had a population of 250,262 (123,613 females and 126,648 males or 102 males for every 100 females) growing at an annual rate of 4%. The fertility rate was 4.9 children per woman. 93% lived in urban areas while 7% lived in rural areas, and with an area of 37,007 km2, the population density was 6.8 persons per km2. By age, 11% of the population was under 5 years old, 18% between 5–14 years, 67% between 15–59 years, and 4% 60 years and older. The population was divided into 58,580 households, with an average size of 4.2 persons. 36% of households had a female head of house, while 64% had a male. For those 15 years and older, 61% had never married, 24% married with certificate, 3% married traditionally, 7% married consensually, 2% were divorced or separated, and 2% were widowed. [14] White Namibians and Coloureds form one third of the population of this region.
The most commonly spoken languages at home were Oshiwambo (37% of households), Afrikaans (24%), Nama/Damara (13%), and Otjiherero (9%). Other languages found in Khomas are English, German, and a smattering of other Namibian language groups. [15] For those 15 years and older, the literacy rate was 94%. In terms of education, 87% of girls and 86% of boys between the ages of 6-15 were attending school, and of those 15 years and older, 76% had left school, 12% were currently at school, and 8% had never attended. [14]
Households in Khomas earn by far the highest average annual income at N$47,407, well more than the national average of N$17,198. There is very limited subsistence farming in the region, with only 0.4 percent of the population engaged in farming, 0.3 percent of households are rearing animals, and 0.1 percent are earning income from cash cropping. Windhoek accommodates most of Namibia's light industry and manufacturing. Some of the most important are meat processing, bottling and canning, beer brewing, plastics, and refrigeration. The city is also Namibia's educational, commercial, and tourism capital. [15] In 2001 the employment rate for the labor force (46% of those 15+) was 71% employed and 29% unemployed. For those 15+ years old and not in the labor force (50%), 55% were students, 25% homemakers, and 20% retired, too old, etc. [14] According to the 2012 Namibia Labour Force Survey, unemployment in the Khomas Region stood at 26.5%. The two studies are methodologically not comparable. [16]
Among households, 98% had safe water, 20% no toilet facility, 69% electricity for lighting, 83% access to radio, and 9% had wood or charcoal for cooking. In terms of households' main sources of income, 1% derived it from farming, 74% from wages and salaries, 7% cash remittances, 11% from business or non-farming, and 4% from pension. [14]
For every 1000 live births there were 53 female infant deaths and 54 male. The life expectancy at birth was 56 years for females and 54 for males. Among children younger than 15, 5% had lost a mother, 10% a father, and 1% were orphaned by both parents. 4% of the entire population had a disability, of which 22% were deaf, 44% blind, 11% had a speech disability, 9% hand disability, 15% leg disability, and 4% mental disability. [14]
Hardap is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Mariental. Hardap contains the municipality of Mariental, the towns Rehoboth and Aranos, and the self-governed villages Gibeon, Gochas, Kalkrand, Stampriet and Maltahöhe. It is home to the Hardap Dam.
The ǁKharas Region is the southernmost, largest, and least densely populated of the 14 regions of Namibia; its capital is Keetmanshoop. The name assigned to the region reflects the prominence of the Karas mountain range in its southern part. The ǁKharas region contains the municipality of Keetmanshoop, the towns Karasburg, Lüderitz and Oranjemund, and the self-governed villages Aroab, Berseba, Bethanie, Koës and Tses.
Erongo is one of the 14 regions of Namibia. The capital is Swakopmund. It is named after Mount Erongo, a well-known landmark in Namibia and in this area. Erongo contains the municipalities of Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Henties Bay and Omaruru, as well as the towns Arandis, Karibib and Usakos. All the main centres within this region are connected by paved roads.
Ohangwena is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Eenhana. Major settlements in the region are the towns Eenhana and Helao Nafidi as well as the self-governed village of Okongo and the proclaimed settlements Ongenga and Omungwelume. As of 2020, Ohangwena had 150,724 registered voters.
Kunene is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its capital is Opuwo, its governor is Marius Sheya. The region's name comes from the Kunene River which forms the northern border with Angola. Besides the capital Opuwo, the region contains the municipality of Outjo, the town Khorixas and the self-governed village Kamanjab. Kunene is home to the Himba people, a subtribe of the Herero, as well as to Damara people and Nama people. As of 2020, Kunene had 58,548 registered voters.
Hakahana is a suburb of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. The township is situated in the north of the town between the suburbs of Katutura, Wanaheda, and Okuryangava.
Samora Machel Constituency is a constituency in Windhoek in the Khomas Region of central Namibia. The constituency is located across four northern suburbs of Windhoek: Wanaheda, Greenwell Matongo, Goreangab, and part of Havana. It had a population of 50,110 in 2011, up from 29,382 in 2001. As of 2020 it had 45,962 registered voters.
Katutura Central is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia, comprising the extensions 2–5 and 7–11 of Windhoek's suburb Katutura. Katutura is a township that was founded by the then apartheid government of Namibia for black people in the 1950s, when the previous township, Old Location, was converted into the suburb Hochland Park.
Katutura East is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. It consists of the extensions 1, 6, and 19 of the suburb Katutura, a township within Windhoek that was founded by the then Apartheid government of Namibia for black people in the 1950s. It had a population of 18,501 in 2011, up from 17,745 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 15,878 registered voters.
Khomasdal Constituency is a constituency in Windhoek in the Khomas Region of Namibia. As of December 2019 it had 25,550 registered voters. The constituency consists of parts of the suburbs Khomasdal, Katutura, and Otjomuise. It had a population of 43,921 in 2011, up from 27,950 in 2001.
Windhoek East is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. It consists of the upper-class suburbs of Windhoek: Auasblick, Avis, Klein Windhoek, Ludwigsdorf, Luxury Hill, Olympia, and Suiderhof. It had a population of 22,712 in 2011, up from 17,674 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 17,308 registered voters.
Windhoek Rural is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. Its district capital is the settlement of Groot Aub. It had a population of 22,254 in 2011, up from 20,212 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 13,625 registered voters.
John Pandeni constituency, formerly known as Soweto, is is an electoral constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. In 2008, it was renamed after John Pandeni, a member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) and its militant wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). Pandeni was the first regional councillor for the former Soweto constituency and the first governor of Khomas. This constituency is inside the city of Windhoek in the formerly all-Black suburb of Katutura. It had a population of 15,121 in 2011, up from 13,865 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 14,758 registered voters.
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Katutura is a township of Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia. Katutura was created in 1961 following the forced removal of Windhoek's black population from the Old Location, which afterwards was developed into the suburb of Hochland Park. Sam Nujoma Stadium, built in 2005, is located within Katutura. Katutura Community Radio, a community-based radio station, also operates from the township. Katutura State Hospital, one of two State Hospitals in the Windhoek area, is located in the township.
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