Cultures of Namibia: North or South? Quiz

Answer: Northern Namibia

The Himba people are an ancient, semi-nomadic tribe who have been in Africa for centuries. The Himba live primarily in the northwestern part of Namibia, in what would be the top-left corner of the country as seen on a map. The Himba speak the Otjihimba language and live in cone-shaped tents made of mud and leaves. They believe in a supreme being called Mukuru, and also hold religious beliefs around the concept of fire.

Perhaps one of the most famous aspects of the Himba people is their "red women", which refers to the red mixture that women of this tribe put all over their bodies. The paste is known as otjize, and is a mixture of butter, fat, and red ochre stone that is then heated with smoke and applied to the skin. Though the tradition supposedly comes from the desire to distinguish women from men, the paste also helps protect the women's skin from the sun. The Himba are mostly in Namibia but there are some members of this tribe living in neighboring Angola.

Answer: Northern Namibia

The Ovambo or Owambo people are by far the most dominant tribe in Namibia in terms of population. A Bantu-speaking tribe, the Ovambo represent about half of the country's total population. This fact may also help explain why most of the Namibian people live in the northern part of the country, considering how much of the total population is represented by the Ovambo. Some historical accounts place the migration of the Ovambo people to Namibian territory as far as the 14th century. Their nomadic lifestyle may help explain why the German colonization of Namibia did not significantly affect the group.

The Ovambo attempted to resist British and Portuguese imperial forces at the beginning of the 20th century but were largely unsuccessful. They were later governed by South Africa before being declared independent in 1973. The Ovambo now live in a land known as Ovamboland, where they continue to practice communal farming and hunting. Interestingly, most of the Ovambo are Lutheran Christians instead of following the group's traditional religion, possibly because of the impact missionaries made in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Answer: Southern Namibia

Afrikaners is the name given to the descendants of Dutch and German colonizers who were in South Africa decades ago. Also known as Boers (which translates to "farmers" from Dutch), Afrikaners ruled South Africa through much of the 20th century via the National Party. This party had a significant role in establishing the discriminatory apartheid policies that kept Africans separated based on their race. It wasn't until 1994 that people of all races obtained the right to vote in South Africa.

The Afrikaners today mostly live in South Africa, but the second country with the most people of this ethnic group is Namibia. Also known as White Namibians, they are a white minority that is descended from German, Portuguese, English, and Dutch ancestors. Most of them live in central and southern Namibia, particularly in the capital Windhoek.

Answer: Northern Namibia

The Kavango people live in the Namibian region of the same name, located in the northeast of the country along the Angolan border. After the Ovambo, who comprise an overwhelming majority of Namibia's population, the Kavango are one of the most prominent ethnic groups in the country.

They live along the Okavango River, which they use to harvest and eat fish. The Kavango are known for their woodworking skill, for which they primarily use the local dolfwood. The Kavango carve and sell all sorts of items, including drums and other musical instruments, tables, and ornaments. One of the foods they are known for is mahangu, a type of porridge made with an eponymous cereal also called pearl millet.

Answer: Southern Namibia

The Nama or Namakwa people live primarily in Namibia, but there are also members of this tribe located in Botswana and South Africa. Like other cultures in Africa, their language (known also as Nama or Khoekhoe) has many click sounds incorporated into it.

The group is one of the few remaining Khoisan peoples in southern Africa, though they are historically considered one of the earliest nomadic tribes on the continent. The Nama lifestyle has changed from being cattle farmers to migrant workers in nearby places, as a result of a dramatic loss of people and resources at the beginning of the 20th century.

Some sources like Encyclopedia Britannica attribute these losses to the frequent fighting in which the Nama were involved against German colonizers and the neighboring Herero people.

Answer: Southern Namibia

The Basters are similar to Afrikaners in that they are descended from European colonizers and settlers. They live in central and southern Namibia. Their name translates from Dutch to "bastard", a name probably given because many of them were born as a result of cross-breeding between natives and settlers. Even though the word has a pejorative connotation, the group themselves do not see it that way.

Instead, they adopt it as part of their historical and cultural identity. The Basters moved around throughout history, but they have always been in what is now Namibian and South African territory.

The Baster community commemorates the Battle of Sam Khubis every May 8. In that battle, German forces that outnumbered the Basters killed many members of the tribe but withdrew the next day.

Answer: Northern Namibia

The Herero people live in the northeastern side of Namibia since the 16th century. Some suggest that the Herero are a subtribe of the Himba people, but the Himba have a distinct identity and live on the other side of northern Namibia. The Herero wear colorful traditional clothing that they sew themselves. Their livelihood strongly depends on cattle, as the cow serves as their primary food source. The Herero mostly feed on different parts of the cow, including some unconventional choices like tripe and testicles. Their diet also includes mushrooms, spinach, and beans. Though the overwhelming majority of Hereros live in Namibia, they can also be found in parts of Angola and Botswana.

The Herero are also known because of the infamous Herero and Namaqua genocide, where the German Empire killed thousands of Hereros and Nama people. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), German forces perpetrated the genocide to obtain the land, and did it through cruel methods like starvation, forced labor, and medical experiments. The USHMM claims that this tragedy was a precursor to the Holocaust because it was also based on ideas of racial superiority.

Answer: Northern Namibia

If you look at a map of Namibia, you will notice that a strip of land on the very northeast of the country sticks out just above Botswana. This area bordering the Zambezi River is known as the Caprivi Strip, a territory named after German chancellor Leo von Caprivi. According to author (and multiple-time "Jeopardy!" champion) Ken Jennings, the odd reason behind the existence of this strangely-shaped piece of land is that "someone forgot about the largest waterfall in the world". Jennings wrote in an article for Conde Nast Traveler magazine that Germans wanted this territory to gain access to the Zambezi River, which in turn would give them entry to other African lands. However, the Germans apparently overlooked that they could've attained this goal easily through the Victoria Falls, instead of the hard-to-navigate Caprivian waters.

Today, Caprivians still live along the river, divided into multiple villages. Their subsistence depends on hunting and gathering, as well as farming various crops like millet, beans, corn, and potatoes. Some of the inhabitants there have expressed their desire to become an independent country, believing that their rich flora and fauna would allow them to survive without being a part of Namibia.

Answer: Northern Namibia

The Damara people live in the northwestern part of Namibia, just below the Himba and near the important Namibian city of Otjiwarongo. The culture speaks the Khoekhoe language, known for its distinctive click consonant sounds. The Damaran people evolved from being aboriginal hunter-gatherers to a more agricultural society based on cattle and farming. Damarans have also migrated to big cities like Windoek; indeed, Prime Ministers Theo-Ben Gurirab and Hage Geingob both had Damaran roots.

The Damara are one of the oldest ethnic groups in Namibia and in Africa as a whole. They live in traditional huts and have various traditions involving fire, smoke, and musical instruments like drums.

Answer: Northern Namibia

The San people, also known as Bushmen, are perhaps one of the better-known Namibian cultures globally. They live in the northeastern part of Namibia and are considered to be one of the oldest hunter-gatherer groups in the world's history. Today, they continue to live a lifestyle based on hunting, farming, and gathering fruits and vegetables. One of the subcultures within the San people is the !Kung people, whose religious belief system includes a supreme being called !Xu.

The San have been extensively studied by anthropologists and historians. John Marshall, Spencer Wells, and Professor David Lewis-Williams have all produced work about this unique tribe. They also were featured in the film "The Gods Must be Crazy", which was a success in both South Africa and the United States.

You may have noticed that this quiz contained more cultures located in Northern Namibia. This can be partly attributed to the fact that, as a whole, most of the people of Namibia live in the northern part of the country. There are regions in the south that are essentially unpopulated.