Himba people
Ethnic group of Namibia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Himba (singular: OmuHimba, plural: OvaHimba) are an ethnic group with an estimated population of about 50,000 people[1] living in northern Namibia, in the Kunene Region (formerly Kaokoland) and on the other side of the Kunene River in southern Angola.[1] There are also a few groups left of the OvaTwa, who the OvaHimba consider to be part of their tribe, but are hunter-gatherers. Culturally distinguishable from the Herero people, the OvaHimba are a semi-nomadic, pastoralist people and speak OtjiHimba, a variety of Herero, which belongs to the Bantu family within Niger–Congo.[1] The OvaHimba are semi-nomadic as they have base homesteads where crops are cultivated, but may have to move within the year depending on rainfall and where there is access to water.
OvaHimba | |
---|---|
Total population | |
about 50,000[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Namibia | - |
Angola | - |
Languages | |
OtjiHimba (a variety of Herero) | |
Religion | |
Monotheistic (Mukuru and Ancestor Reverence) | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Herero people, Bantu peoples |
The OvaHimba are considered the last (semi-) nomadic people of Namibia.