Namibia Travel Guide
Namibia Travel Guide
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People and culture
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Ethnic groups
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Himba
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Namibia Travel Guide

Himba



The Himba people share a common ethnic origin with the Hereros, having split from the main Herero group on the Namibia/Botswana border and moved west to present-day Kaokoland in search of available land. The place they found, however, is mountainous, sparsely vegetated and very arid. Cattle are central to their way of life, with the size of the herd an indication of wealth and prestige – but overgrazing of the poor soils is a major problem. The Himba are a minority group in Namibia (less than 1% of the population), and live almost entirely in their traditional areas in remote Kaokoland.

Traditional Himba crafts include work in skin and leather (head-dresses, girdles and aprons), jewellery (copper-wire neck-bands and bracelets), musical instruments, wooden neck-rests, basketry and pottery.


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