Kunene Region

About Kunene Region

The Kunene Region lies in the north-western part of Namibia. This region comprises the western part of former Ovambo, Koakoland, Damaraland north of the Ugab river and the Magisterial District of Outjo. The Kunene River divides Namibia's Kunene Region from Angola to the north. With its large supply of water and its hydroelectric plant at Ruacana, this river will play an increasingly important role in Namibia. Since 1969 there has been rough plans to build a new dam near the Epupa Falls however poor public participation during the feasibility study phase conducted in the late 1990s has lead to this idea being put on hold once again. For a detailed report on the situation read the online Scientific American article titled The Himba and the Dam. The area is mostly arid and is dominated by mountains, plains and the Skeleton Coast Park.The availability of water has largely determined the regional settlement pattern and thus most settlements are located near natural springs inland. There is very poor access to the coast from the rest of the Kunene Region and the entire coastal region is under the control of the Skeleton Coast Park.Outjo forms the communications and transport hub of the region. It is serviced by rail and tarred road from Otjiwarongo and Usakos. Outjo thus forms the centre from which consumer items and other goods are distributed throughout the region, to towns such as Opuwo, Khorixas, Kamanjab and Ruacana to the north. These centres are connected by constructed gravel roads, which are usually best traversed in a 4 x 4 vehicle.The Himba or Ovahimba indigenous population are a marginalized nomadic group whose livelihood is dependent on sheep, goats, and some cattle, together with subsistence agriculture along the bank of the Kunene River