13 Ethnic Groups — One Country
Namibia is a multi-ethnic state with 13 officially recognized ethnic groups — an astonishing diversity for a country with only 2.6 million inhabitants:
| Group | Proportion | Region | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ovambo | ~50% | North (Ovamboland) | Largest group, base of SWAPO |
| Kavango | ~9% | Northeast | Famous woodcarvers |
| Herero | ~7% | Central, East | Victorian dresses, cattle farming |
| Damara | ~7% | Central-West | Click language, Damaraland |
| Nama | ~5% | South | Khoi-San related, Afrikaans |
| Caprivians | ~4% | Caprivi Strip | Culturally closer to Zambia |
| San (Bushmen) | ~3% | Northeast, Kalahari | Oldest inhabitants, hunter-gatherers |
| Baster | ~2% | Rehoboth | Descendants of Cape settlers and Nama |
| Whites | ~6% | Nationwide, especially Windhoek | German and Afrikaans-speaking |
| Coloureds | ~4% | Cities | Mixed heritage |
What sets Namibia apart from many African countries: The ethnic diversity has led to hardly any conflicts since independence. English as a neutral official language (no group speaks it as a mother tongue) and the deliberate nation-building policy of SWAPO have contributed to this.
