Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the east and south. Although it does not border Zimbabwe, less than 200 metres of the Botswanan right bank of the Zambezi River separates the two countries. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek.
Some of the key events about Namibia
- 1884The territory became a German colony known as German South West Africa
- 1884German colonization of Namibia began, leading to decades of oppression and exploitation
- 1904The Herero and Nama genocide began, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of indigenous people
- 1915South African forces took control of the territory during World War I
- 1915South African forces occupied Namibia during World War I, extending colonial rule
- 1946South Africa refused to place Namibia under UN trusteeship, defying international pressure
- 1966The United Nations terminated South Africa's mandate to govern Namibia
- 1966Armed struggle for independence began, leading to a prolonged conflict
- 1971The International Court of Justice declared South Africa's presence in Namibia illegal
- 1978The UN Security Council passed Resolution 435, setting out a plan for Namibian independence
- 1978South Africa rejected UN proposals for Namibian independence, prolonging the conflict
- 1988A ceasefire was agreed upon between South Africa, Angola, and Cuba, paving the way for Namibian independence
- 1988A severe drought affected much of Namibia, causing widespread crop failures and livestock losses
- 1989The implementation of UN Resolution 435 began, leading to free and fair elections
- 1990Namibia gained independence from South Africa on March 21
- 1994Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands were officially integrated into Namibia
- 1998Namibia experienced its worst floods in living memory, displacing thousands of people
- 2001The country's first marine protected area, the Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area, was established
- 2010Namibia was ranked as the 5th most democratic country in Africa by the Democracy Index
- 2013Namibia declared a state of emergency due to severe drought conditions affecting over 330,000 people
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.