Kunene region, Namibia

Area:	144,255 km² (55,697 mi²)
Population:	68,244 (2001), 64,017 (1991)
Population density	0.6/km² (1.2/mi²)
Capital:	Opuwo
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 significantly hinders agriculture.

The largest town and capital is Opuwo.

The region's name comes from the Kunene River which forms the northern border with 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:

• Omusati - northeast, west of Oshana
• Oshana - northeast, between Oshana and Oshikoto
• Oshikoto - northeast, east of Oshikoto
• Otjozondjupa - east
• Erongo - south

The region comprises six constituencies: Epupa, Opuwo, Outjo, Sesfontein, Kamanjab, and Khorixas.

Politics

In the 2004 election for the National Assembly of Namibia, voters in Kunene Region supported numerous parties. Three parties (SWAPO with 36.81%), (UDF with 24.41%) and DTA (with 21.43%) enjoyed at least 20% of the regional vote. Nationally, no party besides SWAPO earned more than 7.2% of the vote. The UDF earned it's single highest vote total and 22.19% of the party's national vote total in the region.

References