History of Namibia

History of Namibia

Discover the heritage and history of Namibia with our travel tips.

Did you know that Namibia was once known as the German South West Africa? This was the name given when Namibia was colonized by Germany in the late 19th century. Germany was keen to hunt elephants that lived on the land for their ivory.

During colonization, disagreements occurred between two ethnic groups, the Namas and the Hereros. The Schutztruppe, a German protective force, were brought into the country to calm the conflict. Large numbers of indigenous people were killed during this time. Diamonds were discovered in Namibia in 1908, which caused further unrest in the country and caused Namibia to end up in martial law until 1919. As mandated by the League of Nations, the Union of South Africa took over Namibia’s administration until the United Nations (UN) was formed, and the country went into UN Trusteeship.

Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990. Dr Sam Nujoma was the first president of the country.

Despite being home to a vast desert, the country has much to offer, and Namibia tours have greatly helped the economy.