From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kunene region, Namibia
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| Area: |
144,255 km² (55,697 mi²) |
| Population: |
68,244 (2001), 64,017 (1991) |
| Population density |
0.6/km² (1.2/mi²) |
| Capital: |
Opuwo |
| Languages: |
Herero, Setswana, Afrikaans, German |
| Time Zone: |
South African Standard Time: UTC+1 |
Kunene (also known as Kaokoland) is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia and home to the Himba ethnic group. Compared to the rest of Namibia, it is relatively underdeveloped. This may be due to the mountainous inaccessible geography and the dryness that doesn't allow any form of farming. Infrastructure such as roads hardly exists. Kunene is one of the last remaining truly "wild" regions of Southern Africa and boasts a diversity of wildlife including elephants. The biggest town is Opuwo with a population of probably less than 5,000.
Its name comes from the Kunene River in the North that forms the border to Angola.
Kunene's western edge is the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, it borders Angola's Namibe Province, and in the far eastern part of its northern edge it borders Cunene Province. Domestically, it borders the following regions:
The region comprises six constituencies: Epupa, Opuwo, Outjo, Sesfontein, Kamanjab, and Khorixas.
