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namibia:
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The earliest known inhabitants of the region that is now Namibia were the San, a nomadic gatherer-hunter society. By around
500 A.D. the Nama, a pastoral people, had moved into the area; the Herero settled in the western and northern regions around 1600, and
the Ovambo came in around 1800.
Europeans, specifically Portuguese navigators, first visited Namibia in the early 15th century, and although Portuguese, Dutch, British
and Germans all landed there subsequently and annexed parts of the region, European interest in the area didn't intensify until the late
19th century. During that period, Germany annexed all of Namibia except the Walvis Bay region, which fell under British control.
From 1904 to 1907, the Herero population revolted and was eventually brutally defeated by the Germans. The Germans were finally defeated
by South African troops during World War I. After the war, the League of Nations granted South Africa a mandate to rule the territory;
the United Nations renewed the mandate following World War II, but refused to sanction South Africa's annexation of the region.
Nevertheless, South Africa increased its control until 1945, when it granted parliamentary representation to the white population,
divided Namibian farmland into white-owned farms and passed laws confining blacks to "reserves." Weary of forced labor and confinement,
Namibians (who were then about 90% of the total population) began to demonstrate and formed political parties, most of which by 1960
merged to form South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO).
In 1966, the UN passed a resolution terminating the South African mandate, but South Africa refused to recognize the UN's authority over
the area and moved to suppress indigenous resistance. SWAPO responded with boycotts and guerilla-style opposition, and after receiving
threats from the world community, South Africa promised Namibian independence by 1978.
By 1988, Namibia had still not achieved independence, and the U.S. brokered an agreement tying withdrawal of Cuban troops from
neighboring Angola to withdrawal of South African troops from Namibia. Free elections held in 1989 voted in SWAPO leader Sam Nujoma,
and in 1990 Namibia finally achieved independence.
Late in 1999, Namibia agreed to allow Angola to pursue Angolan rebels into its territory, thus involving Namibia in the long Angolan
civil wars.
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