| History of Namibia |
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The National Archives of Namibia (NAN) is the national archives of Namibia, located in Windhoek. It was established in 1939 and today [update] shares a building with the National Library of Namibia. NAN belongs to the National Library and Archives service of the Namibian government, in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. [1]
The Imperial German administration of German South West Africa established a record-keeping system at the Tintenpalast building, the seat of successive parliaments. In 1939 the South West Africa Archives Depot was founded by the South African government of South West Africa. German documents surviving World War I were incorporated. In 1957 the Archives moved into the building of the Windhoek Public Library in Lüderitz Street. [2]
After Namibian independence in 1990 the Archives was administered by the Government of Namibia, mandated by the Archives Act (Act #12 of 1992). In 2000 was moved into its current building in Eugène Marais Street in downtown Windhoek, where the National Library of Namibia is also situated. [2]
In 1993 the Archives held 5,600 maps, 61,000 photographs, 2,000 audio cassettes, 450 films and a complete collection of all local newspapers from 1897 to 1962. [3] Of particular importance are the Hendrik Witbooi Papers, inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register – Africa, the Hoachanas Peace Treaty of 1858, and the Vaderlike Wette of the Basters of Rehoboth. [2]
In 2022 the Archives counted 6,000 maps and building plans, 40,000 photos and 30,000 audiovisual items. Government and court records occupy more than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of shelves. [4]
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. Although it does not border Zimbabwe, less than 200 metres of the Botswanan right bank of the Zambezi River separates the two countries. Namibia gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek. Namibia is a member state of the United Nations (UN), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Walvis Bay is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The city covers a total area of 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi) of land.
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 2020 was 431,000 which is growing continually due to an influx from all over Namibia.
"Namibia, Land of the Brave" is the national anthem of Namibia, adopted in December 1991. It was written by Axali Doëseb, who was the director of a traditional music group from the Kalahari desert. Doëseb was chosen to write it after winning a contest held after Namibia became independent in 1990.
Hosea Kutako International Airport is the main international airport of Namibia, serving the capital city Windhoek. Located well east of the city, 45 km (28 mi), it is Namibia's largest airport with international connections. From its founding in 1965 to the independence of Namibia in 1990, it was named J.G. Strijdom Airport. The name of the airport after its renaming in 1990 is in honor of Namibian national hero Hosea Kutako.
German Namibians are a community of people descended from ethnic German colonists who settled in present-day Namibia. In 1883, the German trader Adolf Lüderitz bought what would become the southern coast of Namibia from Josef Frederiks II, a chief of the local Oorlam people, and founded the city of Lüderitz. The German government, eager to gain overseas possessions, annexed the territory soon after, proclaiming it German South West Africa. Small numbers of Germans subsequently immigrated there, many coming as soldiers, traders, diamond miners, or colonial officials. In 1915, during the course of World War I, Germany lost its colonial possessions, including South West Africa ; after the war, the former German colony was administered as a South African mandate. The German settlers were allowed to remain and, until independence in 1990, German remained an official language of the territory alongside Afrikaans and English.
The Diocese of Namibia is part of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which is itself part of the Anglican Communion. The diocese, which covers the whole country of Namibia, was originally known as the Diocese of Damaraland. Most of the Anglicans in Namibia live in Ovamboland in the north of the country and speak the Oshikwanyama language.
The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), formerly known as Polytechnic of Namibia, is a public university located in the city of Windhoek, Namibia. Andrew Niikondo is its acting vice-chancellor. NUST was headed by the founding vice-chancellor Tjama Tjivikua until March 2019. After two acting appointments, Erold Naomab was appointed vice-chancellor in January 2021. The largely ceremonial role of chancellor of the university is held by Peter Katjavivi.
Tourism in Namibia is a major industry, contributing N$7.2 billion to the country's gross domestic product. Annually, over one million travelers visit Namibia, with roughly one in three coming from South Africa, then Germany and finally the United Kingdom, Italy and France. The country is among the prime destinations in Africa and is known for ecotourism which features Namibia's extensive wildlife.
The National Library of Namibia (NLN) is the legal deposit and copyright library for Namibia. The library is situated in Windhoek. NLN belongs to the National Library and Archives service of the Namibian government, in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture.
White Namibians are people of European birth or descent living in Namibia. The majority of White Namibians are Afrikaners, with many of the White minority being German Namibians. Many are also Portuguese or English immigrants. Current estimates of the White Namibian population run between 75,000 and 150,000. This imprecision in data is because the Namibian government no longer collects data based on race.
The Allgemeine Zeitung founded in 1916, is the oldest daily newspaper in Namibia and the only German-language daily in Africa to survive World War I.
The Supreme Court of Namibia is the highest court in the judicial system of Namibia. It is the court of last resort and the highest appellate court in the country. It is located in the city centre of Namibia's capital city, Windhoek. A Supreme Court decision is supreme in that it can only be reversed by an Act of Parliament that contradicts it, or by another ruling of the Supreme Court itself.
German South West Africa was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. With a total area of 835,100 km², it was one and a half times the size of the mainland German Empire in Europe at the time. The colony had a population of around 2,600 Germans.
The Alte Feste is a fortress and museum in downtown Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.
Namibia is a multilingual country wherein German is recognised as a national language. While English has been the sole official language of the country since 1990, in many areas of the country, German enjoys official status at a community level.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Windhoek, Namibia.
Bank BIC Namibia Limited is a commercial bank in Namibia. It is licensed by the Bank of Namibia, the central bank and national banking regulator. The bank is a subsidiary of the Bank BIC Group, a financial services conglomerate, based in Angola, with banking subsidiaries in Angola, Portugal, Cape Verde and Namibia, with a representative office in South Africa.
Squatting in Namibia is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. After Namibian independence in 1990, squatting increased as people migrated to the cities. By 2020, 401,748 people were living in 113 informal settlements across the country.
The National Museum of Namibia is a historical and zoological museum in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.
Coordinates: 22°33′25.9″S17°5′10.8″E / 22.557194°S 17.086333°E