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The history of Namibia has passed through several distinct stages, and Namibia as a modern state has only existed since the early 1980s. Previous to independence the area occupied by modern Namibia was part of as German colony as German South West Africa and more recently as South West Africa administered from South Africa.1 Early-history to 19th century
Bushmen (or San) are generally assumed to have been the earliest inhabitants of the region comprising modern-day Namibia. Later inhabitants include the Nama and the Damara or Berg Dama . The Bantu-speaking Ovambo and Herero migrated from the north in about the 14th century A.D.
The inhospitable Namib Desert constituted a formidable barrier to European exploration until the late 18th century, when successions of travelers, traders, hunters, and missionaries explored the area. The 1878, the United Kingdom annexed Walvis BayWalvis Bay, Namibia Area 1,124 km² (696. 9 mi²) Established 1840 Population 45,400 Population Density 30. 2/mi²) Administrative Division Erongo Mayor Augustinus Katiti Time Zone South African Standard Time: UTC+1 Latitude and Longitude Latitude: 22. 95°S on behalf of Cape ColonyThe Cape Colony was a part of South Africa under British occupation during the 19th century. It stretched from the Atlantic Ocean eastwards: the final eastern boundary, after several wars against the Xhosa, stood at the Fish River. In the north, the Orang, and the area was incorporated into the Cape of Good HopeThe Cape of Good Hope is a headland in South Africa, near Cape Town, traditionally — and incorrectly — regarded as marking the turning point between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Technically, the division between the two oceans lies farther eas in 1884. In 1883, a German trader, Adolf Lüderitz , claimed the rest of the coastal region after negotiations with a local chief. Negotiations between the United Kingdom and Germany resulted in Germany's annexation of the coastal region, excluding Walvis Bay. The following year, the United Kingdom recognized the hinterland up to 20 degrees east longitude as a German sphere of influenceA sphere of influence is a metaphorical region of political influences surrounding a country. It is also known as an SOI. When a country falls into another's "sphere of influence" that country frequently becomes subsidiary to the more powerful one, operat. A region, Caprivi Strip, became a part of South West Africa after an agreement on July 1, 1890, between the United Kingdom and Germany. The British recognized that the strip would fall under German administration to provide access to the Zambezi River and German colonies in East Africa. In exchange, the British received the islands of ZanzibarZanzibar Tanzania, comprises a pair of islands off the east coast of Africa called Zanzibar ('Unguja') (1994 est. 800,000, 1,554 km²) and Pemba. They are, together with Mafia Island, sometimes referred to as the Spice Islands, though the term is more comm and Heligoland.
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