Conversations almost always begin with a hello and how are you doing. Namibians tend to be indirect communicators. Greetings are especially important to Namibians. However, the schools of Namibia are facing a shortage of teachers proficient in the English language, and a report reveals that 98% of the country’s teachers lack sufficient training in the language. The language is now used in the government administration of the country and is the medium of instruction in schools and universities. Historically, they have shown little interest in the central and southern parts of Namibia, where conditions do not suit their traditional way of life.Īfter Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990, the new government of the country allowed only the English language as the official language and mentioned the same in the constitution of the country. The Ovambo, Kavango, and East Caprivian peoples, who occupy the relatively well-watered and wooded northern part of the country, are settled, farmers and herders. The Ovambo make up about half of Namibia’s people. About 60% of the whites speak Afrikaans (a language derived from the 17th century Dutch), 32% speak German, and 7% speak English. The minority white population is primarily of South African, British, and German descent, with a few Portuguese. By formal estimations, there are 11 ethnic groups in Namibia, although realistically each of these is actually a collection of smaller ethnic groups that share similar languages and customs.
The Coloureds and Basters share similar genealogical origins and cultural attributes (such as home language) but nonetheless maintain distinctly separate communal identities, as do most white Namibians and black Namibians, respectively. The principal groups are the Ovambo, Kavango, Herero, Himba, Damara, mixed-race (Coloured and Rehoboth Baster), White Namibians (Afrikaner, German, Swedish, British, and Portuguese), Nama, Caprivian (Lozi), San, and Namibia is home to a small Jewish community of about 100 people.
Islam in Namibia is subscribed to by about 9,000 people, many of them Nama. The US government received no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice in 2007. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. According to the United States DRL, in 2007 up to 75% were Protestant, including as much as 50% Lutheran.įoreign missionary groups operate in the country. Religion in Namibia is dominated by various branches of Christianity, with more than 90 % of Namibian citizens identifying themselves as Christian. Each hut serves a particular purpose as a bedroom, kitchen, or storage room. Families still live in homesteads, groups of huts enclosed by wooden fence poles. Around 50 percent of Namibians belong to the Ovambos, most of whom live in the northern regions of the country.Īlthough missionaries turned most of the Ovambo into practicing Christians, specifically Lutherans, many still follow traditional customs. Namibia’s diverse and, at times, harsh climate contributed to its colorful history with skirmishes, international and national, reflected in much of its modern history. Southern African nation with German being a widely spoken language today and German architecture and cuisine featuring prominently. German colonization left its own imprint on this With just 2.1 persons per square kilometer and a population of 2.5 million, Namibia’s different cultures span an impressively diverse population for what is a sparsely populated country.įrom the Bantu-speaking Ovambo and Herero tribes (the latter of which are admired for their colorful Victorian dress) to the Damara minorities and nomadic San Bushmen, Namibia boasts cultural and historical flavor in spades. It is among these people, however, that cultural tradition survive most strongly. The Namibian majority still has a substantial number of rural inhabitants who lead largely impoverished lives. Culture in Namibia is a blend of many different people and its culture and customs have absorbed both African and European elements and fused them into a blend of the two.
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