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2000 years ago
The San (Bushmen) are generally acknowledged to have been the earliest
inhabitants of the region.
ca. 500 -
Nama herders migrated to the region leaving cave paintings to record
their activities. |
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1500s - The Portuguese
explorers Diego Cam and Bartholomeu Dias land on the Namibian coast.
ca 1600s - The Herero tribe settles in
the western and northern regions of Namibia. |
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1800s -
The Ovambo tribe migrates into Namibia.
Dutch and British expeditions explore the coastal areas, their captains
laying claims (however disallowed by their governments) to parts of
the coast.
1840s - The inhospitable Namib Desert, which had posed a formidable
barrier to earlier European exploration is breached. English and German
missionaries arrive in the territory, followed by travellers, traders
and hunters. |
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1878 -
Walvis Bay is annexed by the United Kingdom on behalf of the Cape
Colony. Walvis Bay is incorporated into the Cape of Good Hope in 1884.
1883 - After negotiations with a local
chief, the German trader Adolf Lüderitz purchases Lüderitz
on 1st May. Negotiations between Germany and the United Kingdom results
in Germany's annexation of the coastal region, excluding Walvis Bay.
1884 - The United Kingdom recognises
the hinterland up to 20º east longitude as a German sphere of
interest.
1884-85 - The
German Empire, under Otto von Bismarck, declares South West Africa
a protectorate.
1886 - Germany and Portugal define the
boundaries of South West Africa by treaty.
1890 - Germany and the United Kingdom
define the boundaries of the territory. Under agreement, the Caprivi
Strip becomes part of South West Africa on 1 July. Under German administration,
the Strip would provide access to the Zambezi River and German colonies
in East Africa. In exchange, the British received the islands of Zanzibar
and Helgoland. South West Africa becomes a German colony. |
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1903 - Conflicts
between the indigenous people and the Europeans over the control of
land leads to the outbreaks of violence during this decade. Orlam
Chief Hendrik Witbooi and Herero Chief Samuel Maharero launch the
first anti-colonial offensive on the Germans. The conflict escalates
to the Nama/Herero revolt in 1904.
1907 - A peace treaty is signed
by German Governor von Lindequist and the Namas. The uncompromising
German military campaign had claimed 54,000 Herero (out of a total
population of 70,000) and an additional 30,000 lives.
1908 - The discovery of diamonds
near Lüderitz leads to an influx of Europeans.
1913 - The strengthened German
presence elects a "whites only" parliament seated in the
Tintenpalast (which houses today's Parliament.) in Windhoek. |
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