Windhoek

Windhoek, city in central Namibia (formerly South West Africa), capital of the country. Located at an altitude of about 1,645 m (5,400 ft) and surrounded by hills, Windhoek is an administrative, commercial, and transport centre. Karakul sheepskins are traded here, and manufactured goods include clothes and processed food. The city is served by trunk roads, railways, and an international airport. It is connected by road and rail to Walvis Bay, Namibia’s major Atlantic seaport, and to South Africa. Windhoek is the site of the Government Archives (1939); the State Museum (1958), which features displays on natural history; and the headquarters of the South West African Scientific Society.

During the 19th century, the site of Windhoek was the domain of a Nama leader who had gained control of the area from the Herero people. The settlement, which became the capital of the German dependency of South West Africa in 1892, was captured by South African troops in 1915 during World War I, and was subsequently administered by South Africa under a League of Nations mandate. Many Germans stayed on, however, and the city has retained a German flavour. In 1990, while under South African control, South-West Africa became Namibia and Windhoek was named as its capital. Population 237,000 (2003 estimate).