Ruacana | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 17°25′20″S14°18′7″E / 17.42222°S 14.30194°E Coordinates: 17°25′20″S14°18′7″E / 17.42222°S 14.30194°E | |
Country | Namibia |
Region | Omusati Region |
Constituency | Ruacana Constituency |
Government | |
• Major | Simon Shooya |
Population (2011) [1] | |
• Total | 2,985 |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Climate | BSh |
Ruacana is a town in Omusati Region, northern Namibia and the district capital of the Ruacana electoral constituency. It is located on the border with Angola on the river Kunene. The town is known for the picturesque Ruacana Falls nearby, and for the Ruacana Power Station.
The place normally receives an annual average rainfall of 426 millimetres (16.8 in), although in the 2010/2011 rainy season 960 millimetres (38 in) were measured. [2]
The 600 hectares (1,500 acres) farm Etunda is situated near Ruacana. It is run as a government supported irrigation scheme and has been established in 1993. Half of the farm is commercial irrigation land, the other half is allocated to 82 small-scale farmers. Etunda cultivates maize, wheat, watermelons, bananas, and other produce. [3]
Ruacana was developed around the Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station, a major underground hydroelectric plant linked to the nearby dam across the border in Angola at Calueque. The dam and pumping station were bombed in a Cuban airstrike in 1988, during the Angolan Civil War. The facility was partially repaired and today NamPower operates three turbines producing a maximum of 240 megawatts. [4]
Ovazemba and Ovahimba people are native to the area. The name Ruacana originated from one of the first settlers in Ruacana called Ruhakana. The town was therefore named after a Mr Ruhakana, although it is currently written as "Ruacana". [5]
Ruacana's settlement status was upgraded to village in 2005, and to town in 2010. [6] It is now governed by a town council that has seven seats. [7] The 2015 local authority election was won by SWAPO which gained six seats and 826 votes. The remaining seat went to the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) which gained 53 votes. [8]
SWAPO also won the 2020 local authority election. It obtained 603 votes and gained five seats. The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020, obtained 192 votes and gained the remaining two seats. [9]
Ruacana Vocitional High School is located in Ruacana. [10] There are several other primary schools and secondary school such as Ombuumbu Secondary School, Tjihozu Primary School.
Omusati is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Outapi. The towns of Okahao, Oshikuku and Ruacana as well as the self-governed village Tsandi are situated in this region. As of 2020, Omusati had 148,834 registered voters.
Grootfontein is a city of 23,793 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of central Namibia. It is one of the three towns in the Otavi Triangle, situated on the B8 national road that leads from Otavi to the Caprivi Strip.
Omaruru is a city in the Erongo Region of central Namibia. The town has 14,000 inhabitants and owns 352 square kilometres (136 sq mi) of land. It is situated near Mount Erongo, on the usually dry Omaruru River. It is located on the main paved road from Swakopmund to Otjiwarongo. The name in the local Otjiherero language means 'bitter milk', as the cattle used to browse on a local bush that turned their milk bitter.
Katima Mulilo or simply Katima is the capital of the Zambezi Region in Namibia. It is located in the Caprivi Strip. It had 28,362 inhabitants in 2010, and comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban. It is located on the national road B8 on the banks of the Zambezi River in lush riverine vegetation with tropical birds and monkeys. The town receives an annual average rainfall of 654 millimetres (25.7 in).
Rehoboth is a town in central Namibia just north of the Tropic of Capricorn. Located 90 kilometres south of the Namibian capital Windhoek, Rehoboth lies on a high elevation plateau with several natural hot-water springs. It receives sparse mean annual rainfall of 240 millimetres (9.4 in), although in the 2010/2011 rainy season a record 731 millimetres (28.8 in) were measured. In 2005, it had a population of 21,378 later increased to 28,843 in 2011, according to the 2011 Namibian Population and Housing Census.
Okahandja is a city of 24,100 inhabitants in Otjozondjupa Region, central Namibia, and the district capital of the Okahandja electoral constituency. It is known as the Garden Town of Namibia. It is located 70 km north of Windhoek on the B1 road. It was founded around 1800, by two local groups, the Herero and the Nama.
Ondangwa is a town of 23,000 inhabitants in the Oshana Region of northern Namibia, bordering Oshikoto Region. Ondangwa was first established as a mission station of the Finnish Missionary Society in 1890. In 1914 it became a local seat of government.
Mariental is a city of 10,000 inhabitants in south-central Namibia, lying on the B1 national road 232 kilometres (144 mi) north of Keetmanshoop and 274 kilometres (170 mi) southeast of Windhoek. It lies at an elevation of 1,090 metres (3,580 ft). Mariental is connected to the TransNamib railway line from Windhoek to Keetmanshoop. The town and the surrounding area are in a hot, arid region.
Rundu is the capital and largest city of the Kavango-East Region in northern Namibia. It lies on the border with Angola on the banks of the Kavango River about 1,000 metres above sea level. Rundu's population is growing rapidly. The 2001 census counted 36,964 inhabitants; and for the 2011 census it has climbed to 63,430.
Karasburg is a town of 4,000 inhabitants in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia and the district capital of the Karasburg electoral constituency. It lies at the heart of the southern Namibian sheep farming industry.
Outjo is a city of 6,000 inhabitants in the Kunene Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of Outjo Constituency. It is best known as a main gateway to Etosha National Park.
Opuwo is the capital of the Kunene Region in north-western Namibia. The town is situated about 720 km north-northwest from the capital Windhoek, and has a population of 20,000. It is the commercial hub of the Kunene Region.
Gibeon is a village in Gibeon Constituency in the Hardap Region of Namibia.
Outapi wa Nakafingo na Temba, also Outapi or Uutapi and Ombalantu, is a town in northern Namibia near the border with Angola situated 90 km (56 mi) northwest of Oshakati. It is the capital of Omusati region and the district capital of the Outapi electoral constituency. The language spoken there is Oshiwambo.
Eenhana is the capital town of the Ohangwena Region, northern Namibia, on the border with Angola. It also used to be a mission station of the Finnish Missionary Society.
Arandis is a town in the Erongo Region of western central Namibia. It has been called the Uranium Capital of the World as it is located just 15 km outside the world's largest open-pit uranium mine, the Rössing Uranium Mine.
Nkurenkuru is a town on the south-western banks of the Kavango River. It is the capital of the Kavango West Region of northern Namibia, located 140 kilometres (87 mi) west of Rundu. It is also a former mission station of the Finnish Missionary Society.
Ruacana Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omusati Region of Namibia on the border to Angola. It had 10,722 inhabitants in 2004 and 9,285 registered voters in 2020. Its district capital is the settlement of Ruacana.
Aranos is a town in the Hardap Region of central South east Namibia. The place normally receives an annual average rainfall of 188 millimetres (7.4 in), although in the 2010/2011 rainy season 505 millimetres (19.9 in) were measured.
Leonardville is a village in Omaheke Region in eastern Namibia. It belongs to the Aminuis electoral constituency. The place normally receives an annual average rainfall of 236 millimetres (9.3 in), although in the 2010/2011 rainy season 530 millimetres (21 in) were measured.