Oshikoto Region
Details
Details
Oshikoto
Oshikoto is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. The area is 26,607 km ², the population of 160 788 (2001 ). Oshikoto is part of the populous northern part of the Republic; the capital of the region since August 18, 2008 Omuthiya, which was given the status of a city on the same day. Until then, the mining town of Tsumeb was the capital of the region.
Geography
In the largest part of the area the roads are good: The National Road B1 through the region and connects the north and the south. The radio-based communication network in the country is limited to Tsumeb, but telecommunications is in the whole region to Oshakati, thanks to a recently laid fiber-optic cable possible.
Management
The twelve (12 ) cities and election districts of the region are as follows:
- Engodi with 14,995 inhabitants,
- Guinas 8,435 inhabitants,
- Okankolo with 12,926 inhabitants,
- Olukonda with 9,094 inhabitants,
- Omuntele with 21,884 inhabitants,
- Omuthiya with 23 384 inhabitants,
- Onayena with 15,684 inhabitants,
- Oniipa with 23 913 inhabitants,
- Onyaanya with 13,474 inhabitants and
- Tsumeb with 14.113 inhabitants.
The population of the region has grown significantly in the past few years, due in part to a redistribution within the Oshivambo -speaking area. Outside of Tsumeb and Oniipa, people have settled along the paved road; some of these settlements reach a considerable size.
Economy
Principal industry in the northern part of the region is agriculture, while in the southern part prevail above all the livestock and mining. Historical and cultural link between the two regions is the people of Ndonga that since early times degraded in Tsumeb copper ore and produced therefrom rings and tools.
Omahangu is mainly cultivated cereal crop in the north, while cattle ranching is operated in the area of Mangetti and Tsumeb. Although the Tsumeb mine is exploitable only for a limited period of time so it provides yet together with their associated supporting industries and the service sector for a recovery of the municipalities in the region.