Windhoek (to pronounce “Vihnt houk”) is the capital of the République of Namibia since its Indépendance in 1990 after having been that of the South-western African.

Windhoek means in Afrikaans “place where breath wind”.

History

Windhoek knew at least seven different names during its young history:

• Aigams for the first pastoral people,

• Otjomuise (place of vapors) for the Hereros,
• Queen Adelaide' S Bath in 1836 for the English explorers,
• Concordiaville for the Rhenish pastors,
• Winterkoek towards 1840 for Namas come from the Cape,
• Windhuk in 1890 for the German colonizers ,
• Windhoek since 1920 and the South-African mandate on the old German colony of the South-western African.

Rather exceptional fact in Southern Africa, the city kept its colonial name after the end of the South-African supervision and the independence acquired in 1990.

Windhoek is with Lüderitz and Swakopmund, both in Namibia, one of the three most Germanic cities of Africa.

Geography and demography

Located at 1650 m of altitude, the city and its agglomeration count more than 250.000 inhabitants.

One distinguishes there the center town, the districts mainly white, the mongrel district of Khomasdal and the black township of Katutura where live the majority of the inhabitants of the city.

Located at the center of the country, Windhoek is the main door of the tourists to the crossroads of the roads moving towards Swakopmund and the dunes of the Désert of Namib in the west, towards the park of Etosha in north, and towards Fish River Canyon and Lüderitz in the south.

Climate

Windhoek is located in a semi-desert area. The days of summer are very hot but the nights fraiches.

The spring months of June, July and August are the least rainy.

Access

Windhoek has two airports.

The international airport Hosea Kutako de Windhoek (WDH), in the past JG Strijdom, is located at 42 km in the East of the city. It is accessible by direct flights starting from London, Frankfort, Munich and Johannesburg and daily served by the companies South African Airways, LTU and Air Namibia.

The airport of Eros of lower capacity treats the flights of short distance and the flights Charter S.

The three principal access roads to Windhoek are those busy by Rehoboth, Gobabis and Okahandja.

The old colonial station of the downtown area is always in activity.

Principal arteries and tourism

The principal artery which goes from north to the south east Independence Avenue (more known during 100 years under the name of Kaiser-Strasse) and crosses in the center of the city the secondary artery, Sam Nujoma Drive (old Curt von François). In 1928, Kaiser Strasse was the first paved street of the followed capital later 10 years by Gobabis road.

Independence Which occurred and the Mall Post Str. the shops and the restaurants of the center town (Gatheman Haus) concentrate.

Near, over Robert Mugabe AV (ex-Leutwein Strasse), the church Lutheran (1910), true symbol of the Namibian capital, dominates the city at the side of the extremely German old man and the equestrian statue (1912) of Curt von François (Reiter-Denkmal) of which seems inspired that of Louis Botha with Pretoria. Also near, Tinten-Palast (1913) is the seat of the Parliament and the government. In the immediate surroundings follow one another of the colonial villas of German type (Lanvers villa), the cathedral co. Mary and the old station of the city.

Toponymy

Since 1990 and independence, many streets of Windhoek was renamed. Here the list of the principal changes occurred, while starting with the old name in italic:

Kaiser-Strasse : Independence Which occurred

Khomas Hochland - Curt Von François - Gobabis : Sam Nujoma Drive

Leutwein St : Robert Mugabe Road

Okahandja road - TV More : Hosea Kutako Avenue

Marconi : Hochland Road

Klein Windhoek : Nelson Mandela Drive

Republiek Road - Tal Street : Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue

Peter-Müller Strasse : Fidel Castro Which occurred

External bonds

• very complete Album Photographs of Windhoek
• Site of the town of Windhoek
• Windhoek on Travel.net
• Windhoek in photographs
• Site of the Namibian newspaper Allgemeine Zeitung
• 2 WebCams showing Windhoek and weather

Simple: Windhoek

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