Namibia

Culture:

Eleven ethnic groups make up the majority of the population, which is overall around two million people, with each tribe contributing its own traditions to the core of Namibian culture. The population is youthful, with 44 percent aged fourteen and under and only 4 percent aged older than 65. About 60 percent live in the far north, where rainfall is sufficient for grain farming. Most households are not nuclear families, but contain other kin as well. The head of the household manages domestic finances, makes important decisions, and organizes productive activities.

The tribes are divided as follows – About half of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe, which has several sub-tribes. Approximately 9 belong to the Kavangos tribe. Other ethnic groups are Herero (7 %), Damara (7%), Nama (5%), Caprivian (4%), Bushmen (3%), Baster (2%) and Tswana (0.5%).

The oldest inhabitants, the San, are known to be great storytellers and love music, dance and mimicry. The Nama of the south have a tradition of prose and poetry and a natural talent for music. Eight Owambo sub-tribes reside in Namibia, the largest being the Kwanyama. One of the interesting features of the traditional Owambo social system is that lineage is traced through the mother and through maternal ancestors. The Herero are a pastoral cattle-breeding people. Herero women wear Victorian-style dresses adapted from the wives of Rhenish missionaries. The Himba women (of Herero descent) rub their bodies with a mixture of red ochre and fat, wear traditional body ornaments and garments, and have hairstyles that correspond to their age, sex and social status.
Most Namibians speak Bantu languages like Oshiwambo and Otjiherero as their first language. Others speak Khoisan languages (Nama/Damara and various Bushman languages). Afrikaans is the most widely spoken language, which became popular as a common language during occupation. German is spoken by most of the white population. However, English is the official language, and is mainly spoken by young people and urban dwellers.

Nature:

Because of the regional climatic differences within the country, Namibia has a broad variety of plant species from desert and semi-desert vegetation to subtropical plants. Most of country is savannah with low scrubs and grasses prospering in the arid conditions. With rain, these same areas often spout various wild flowers, though seldom for long. In contrasting form, the Caprivi and Kavango regions support a great deal of aquatic plant life and leafy vegetation along the many waterways and riverbanks. But no mention of Namibian flora would be complete without the Kokerboom or quiver tree and the Welwitschia, one of the oldest plants known to man.

This quiver tree is indigenous to the southern part of Namibia and gets its common name from the Bushmen who use its branches and bark to make quivers for their arrows. The plants are aloe succulents and can reach a height of up to 9 meters in height.
East of the Skeleton Coast, the Welwitschia is another desert-adapted species that absorbs dew and precipitation from fog over specially developed structures on their leaves. It grows flat on the ground and has only two leaves from its thick trunk. The leaves continue to grow throughout the long life of the plant. It is hard to determine the age of these plants, but it is believed that they live up to 1,500 years or more.

Climate:

This is Africa and the climate reflects it. But just as Namibia is filled with contrasting geography, equivalent climactic differences do apply depending on your location. Partially covered by the Namib, one of the world’s driest deserts, Namibia’s climate is generally very dry and pleasant. The cold Benguella current keeps the coast cool, damp and free of rain for most of the year. Inland, all the rain falls in summer (November to April). January and February are hot, when daytime temperatures in the interior can exceed 40ºC (104ºF), but nights are usually cool. Winter nights can be fairly cold, but days are generally warm and quite nice. The bottom line – Namibia is a year-round destination. Just pack accordingly.