Villages and settlements in Namibia are distinguished by the status the Government of Namibia has vested in them: Places in Namibia that are governed by a village council are villages, they are the smallest entities of local government. All other places except cities and towns are not self-governed, they are called settlements. [1]
As of 2015 [update] Namibia has 18 villages, each of them governed by a village council of up to five seats. Village councils are elected locally and have the authority to set up facilities like water, sewerage and cemeteries without the approval of the Minister of Urban and Rural Development. They may also declare streets and public places, collect fees for the services they provide, and buy immovable property without asking for explicit approval. The eighteen villages are: [2]
| Villages in Namibia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Village | Region | Population [3] | Notes |
| Aroab | ǁKaras | 1,660 | [4] |
| Berseba | ǁKaras | 784 | [5] [6] |
| Bethanie | ǁKaras | 1,748 | [7] |
| Koës | ǁKaras | 1,530 | |
| Tses | ǁKaras | 1,365 | [5] |
| Gibeon | Hardap | 2,631 | |
| Gochas | Hardap | 1,163 | |
| Kalkrand | Hardap | 1,238 | [8] |
| Stampriet | Hardap | 1,947 | |
| Maltahöhe | Hardap | 2,379 | [9] |
| Divundu | Kavango East | 746 | |
| Kamanjab | Kunene | 1,795 | |
| Okongo | Ohangwena | 2,236 | |
| Leonardville | Omaheke | 1,191 | |
| Witvlei | Omaheke | 1,768 | |
| Otjinene | Omaheke | 2,102 | [10] [11] |
| Tsandi | Omusati | 891 | |
| Bukalo | Zambezi | 600 | [12] |
| 1. Kunene 2. Omusati 3. Oshana 4. Ohangwena 5. Oshikoto | 6. Kavango West 7. Kavango East 8. Zambezi 9. Erongo 10. Otjozondjupa | 11. Omaheke 12. Khomas 13. Hardap 14. ǁKaras |
Settlements in Namibia are non self-governed populated places. While they may have a dedicated person responsible for their administration, this person is not elected but an employee of the respective regional administration. Some of the settlements in Namibia per Region are: