South West Africa

South West Africa was a colony in South Africa and Namibia (Central and Southern Africa) that lasted from 1915 to 1990 CE, about 75 years. Its people spoke Germanic languages (Gothic, Frankish, English, German, Dutch, Norse).

South Africa ruled the territory under a League of Nations mandate and extended apartheid to it. SWAPO fought a guerrilla war from 1966, and a UN-supervised election led to independence in 1990.

See South West Africa on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

1915 to 1990 CE

Duration

75 years

Type

Colony

Region

South Africa and Namibia, Central and Southern Africa

Language family

Germanic

Capital

Windhoek

Came from

• German South West Africa 1884 to 1915 CE

Became

• Namibia 1990 CE to the present

Events in Central and Southern Africa during its time

• 1948 Apartheid becomes law
• 1960 Congo independence and crisis

Neighbours in Central and Southern Africa

• Republic of South Africa (apartheid era) 1961 to 1994 CE
• Kingdom of Buganda c. 1300 to 1966 CE
• Portuguese Mozambique 1505 to 1975 CE
• Portuguese Angola 1575 to 1975 CE
• Sultanate of Zanzibar 1856 to 1964 CE
• British Kenya 1895 to 1963 CE
• Madagascar 1960 CE to the present
• Tanzania 1961 CE to the present
• French Madagascar 1896 to 1960 CE
• Uganda 1962 CE to the present

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE, North and West Africa
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Europe
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Middle East
• Portuguese Empire 1415 to 1999 CE, Europe
• United States 1776 CE to the present, North America
• United Kingdom 1801 CE to the present, Europe
• Haiti 1804 CE to the present, Mesoamerica and Caribbean
• Russian Empire 1721 to 1917 CE, Europe
• Dutch East Indies 1800 to 1949 CE, Southeast Asia
• Commonwealth of Australia 1901 CE to the present, Oceania

Questions