The Ovambo

The biggest group of the black population are the Ovambo. Their traditional settlement area is located between the Etosha pan and Kunene, however, they are also to be found in the remaining part of the country, because they allegorate the biggest contingent of workers in the mines and the industry.- diligent, obligingly.  

The Kavango

The Kavango live along the  Kavango river in the Caprivi stripe.Apart of the modern life, they have preserve their rural life-style with their old traditions,like the Caprivi tribes do. 

The Herero

The Herero are stock farmer and in earlier years they have been nomads.Their animals have not only economic,but also sacred importance and  create a high social respect at the same time. If you put the Herero  and the Damare together,are they both the middle-sized population groups of Namibia. Nevertheless , in the fights with the German protection troops, they had to accept sensitive losses .They live in western Botswana and Namibia adjoining in it. Especially the women of the Herero are recognized in their splendid clothes and their headgear, which developed itself from the last turn of the century of Europe.

In contrast the Himba have preserve their tradition to the same ethnic group,the Herero. They are the last nomads of Namibia. They live in the Kaoko-land  in the extreme northwest of the land. Indeed, the time hasn´t stopped for them as well, however, many traditions still stamp the life of these people like centuries ago. Their looks ,with the rich jewellery and the remarkable hairstyles are taking an especially  exotic effect to us. We have to leave them their peace.

The Damara

The Damara belong to the most mysterios ethnic groups of Namibia.They are very swarthy and call themselves with pride “Nu-khoin”, black people. For them counts,in demarcation to the light-skinned Nama and San that the dark colour is a beauty ideal. They belong, like them, to the oldest nations of the land.The Damara are established,beside pursue cattle breeding and horticulturing, they settle in family kraal to the south of the Kaokoland. In contrast to other black Africans, the Damara men remain slender. 

The Germans

The Germans arrived as missionaries at the beginning of the 19th century in South-West Africa. Since 1985 the region belongs to the German dependency, which brought further immigration of German settlers. The most of today´s 20000 ethnic German Namibians are their Descendants and speak astoundingly well German. In spite oft the big distance of the motherland they take care to be in habit with their cultural roots. The wilhelminischen churches,villas and business houses in Swakopmund and Lüderitz testify it. Many Germans pursue primarily cattle breeding or they have themselves successfully set up in other economic areas.

The Boers

The Boers (farmer) arrived at the beginning of the 17th century from Holland to the cape, which was annexed by the Englishmen in the 19^th century. because of this reason, more and more Boers withdrew into the internal land and reached partially the area of the north of the Oranje. In the beginning the moved through  the land and behaved very anyieldingly towards the Natives, which was not good for their reputation. 

For the rest, English is officialese  , followed by German and Afrikaans, which counts both as  lingua francas. Approximately 80% of the population are Christians, 20% are followers of physical religions.

The Nama

The Nama, called the “ Hottentot ” in earlier years, call themselves “ Khoikhoin”, the “ true people “. They are settled in South Namibia and they mainly live on farms as herdsmen.  Nevertheless, their mighty clan traditionally owns also big social influence ,even today. Today a grandson of the legendary Hendril Witbooi of the Orlaam- Nama sits as a minister in the cabintet of Nuiomas. Once  the light-skinned Nama put out their herds to pasture even up to the southern corner of the continent. Their language has the speech sounds, like we know them of the San,but the cannot communicate with them, nevertheless, the can with the Damara immigrant from the north-which is why? 

The Topnaas

The Topnaas are a faction of the Namas on the Kuiseb river. They are experts in the breeding of the Nasa fruit.

The SAN

Today, among the Bushmen (San) only 10 % are found as hunter and collector, because their living space is limited in the “bush man land”, the Kalahari-Sandveld , only because of the equipement of the nature reserves and by the agrarian. The San count as the natives of South-West Africa and belong to the minorities. 

The Baster

The Baster , which live largely in the small town Rehoboth to the south of Windhoek, are only represented with a low share of population. They immigrated from the cape province last century.They call themselves with pride “crossbreed”, that means that their group was originated from the connection of white and Nama women. 

Lingua franca is Africans ( Old-Dutch). Because this was the language of the colonists, English was introduced as an  officialese . Many businessmen and Farmers are speaking German.

Approximately 80% of the population are christened like a Christian,20% are followers of physical religions.