Lüderitz

This article is about the town in Namibia. For its founder and namesake, see Adolf Lüderitz. For the former town in Germany, see Lüderitz, Germany.
Lüderitz
Lüderitzbucht
Town

View of Lüderitz

Coat of arms
Motto: Challenge, Innovation, Prosperity
Lüderitz

Location in Namibia

Coordinates: 26°38′45″S 15°9′14″E / 26.64583°S 15.15389°E / -26.64583; 15.15389Coordinates: 26°38′45″S 15°9′14″E / 26.64583°S 15.15389°E / -26.64583; 15.15389
Country  Namibia
Region ǁKaras Region
Constituency ǃNamiǂNûs Constituency
Established 1883
Government
 • Mayor Hambelela Suzan Ndjaleka[1]
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 12,537
Website http://www.luderitz-tc.com

Lüderitz is a harbour town [3] in southwest Namibia, lying on one of the least hospitable coasts in Africa. It is a port developed around Robert Harbour and Shark Island.

The town is known for its colonial architecture, including some Art Nouveau work, and for wildlife including seals, penguins, flamingos and ostriches. It is also home to a museum, and lies at the end of a currently decommissioned railway line to Keetmanshoop.

In 2013, it was reported that Lüderitz was renamed into ǃNamiǂNûs. This pertains only to the constituency, though.[4]

History

The bay on which Lüderitz is situated was first known to Europeans when Bartolomeu Dias encountered it in 1487. He named the bay Angra Pequena (Portuguese: Small Bay) and erected a padrão (stone cross) on the southern peninsula. In the 18th century Dutch adventurers and scientists explored the area in search of minerals but did not have much success. Further exploration expeditions followed in the early 19th century during which the vast wildlife in the ocean was discovered. Profitable enterprises were set up, including whaling, seal hunting, fishing, and guano-harvesting. Lüderitz thus began its life as a trading post.[5]

The town was founded in 1883 when Heinrich Vogelsang purchased Angra Pequena and some of the surrounding land on behalf of Adolf Lüderitz, a Hanseat from Bremen in Germany, from the local Nama chief Josef Frederiks II in Bethanie. When Adolf Lüderitz did not return from an expedition to the Orange River in 1886, Angra Pequena was named Lüderitzbucht in his honour.[5] In 1905, German authorities established a concentration camp on Shark Island The camp, access to which was very restricted, operated between 1905 and 1907 during the Herero Wars. Between 1,000 and 3,000 Africans from the Herero and Nama tribes died here as a result of the tragic conditions of forced labor. Their labor was used for expansion of the city, railway, port and on the farms of white settlers.[6][7][8]

In 1909, after the discovery of diamonds nearby, Lüderitz enjoyed a sudden surge of prosperity due to the development of a diamond rush to the area. In 1912 Lüderitz already had 1,100 inhabitants, not counting the indigenous population. Although situated in harsh environment between desert and Ocean, trade in the harbour town surged, and the adjacent diamond mining settlement of Kolmanskop was built.[9]

After the German World War I capitulation South Africa took over the administration of German South-West Africa in 1915. Many Germans were deported from Lüderitz, contributing to its shrinking in population numbers. From 1920 onwards, diamond mining was only conducted further south of town in places like Pomona and Elizabeth Bay. This development consequently led to the loss of Lüderitz' importance as trade place. Only small fishing enterprises, minimal dock activity, and a few carpet weavers remained.[9]

In an effort to remove colonial names from the maps of Namibia, in 2013 the Namibian government renamed the constituency ǃNamiǂNûs, its name prior to 1884.[10][11]

Geography

The harbour has a very shallow rock bottom, making it unusable for modern ships; this led to Walvis Bay becoming the centre of the Namibian shipping industry. Recently, however, the addition of a new quay has allowed larger fishing vessels to dock at Lüderitz. The town has also re-styled itself in an attempt to lure tourists to the area, which includes a new waterfront area for shops and offices.

Just outside Lüderitz lies the ghost town of Kolmanskop, a prominent tourist destination. This previously bustling diamond town is now abandoned, and fights a constant struggle against being buried under the shifting sand dunes of the Namib desert.

Conservation

Haviside's dolphin off Lüderitz

The coastline in the area is recognised by Bird Life and other global conservation groups as one of the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) for important coastal seabird breeding.

Mercury Island, Ichaboe Island, Halifax Island and the Possession Islands support the entire Namibian breeding population of Cape gannets (Morus capensis), 96% of the Namibian population of the endangered African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), and nearly one quarter of the global breeding population of crowned cormorants (Phalacrocorax coronatus).[12]

Approximately 80% of the global population of the endangered Bank cormorant (Phalacrocorax neglectus) breeds on Mercury Island and in the Ichaboe Islands.

In April 2009, an oil spill from an oil tanker risked hundreds of African penguins and other flora and fauna.

Several species of cetaceans, most notably Haviside's dolphins, can be seen close to the shore while larger whales such as southern right,[13][14] humpback, minke, fin, pygmy right, are less common but gradually increasing in numbers.

Climate

Lüderitz has a mild desert climate (BWn, according to the Köppen climate classification), with pleasant temperatures throughout the year. The average annual precipitation is 23 mm (1 in). Windy and cold conditions can occur due to the cold South Atlantic current on the coast.

Climate data for Lüderitz
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 32.5
(90.5)		 30.0
(86)		 34.1
(93.4)		 36.5
(97.7)		 33.0
(91.4)		 31.6
(88.9)		 30.7
(87.3)		 33.0
(91.4)		 35.1
(95.2)		 35.0
(95)		 37.5
(99.5)		 30.6
(87.1)		 37.5
(99.5)
Average high °C (°F) 21.4
(70.5)		 21.3
(70.3)		 21.1
(70)		 19.9
(67.8)		 19.2
(66.6)		 19.0
(66.2)		 17.9
(64.2)		 17.2
(63)		 17.3
(63.1)		 18.0
(64.4)		 19.2
(66.6)		 20.5
(68.9)		 19.3
(66.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 17.7
(63.9)		 17.8
(64)		 17.4
(63.3)		 16.3
(61.3)		 15.5
(59.9)		 15.1
(59.2)		 14.1
(57.4)		 13.7
(56.7)		 13.9
(57)		 14.7
(58.5)		 15.8
(60.4)		 17.0
(62.6)		 15.7
(60.3)
Average low °C (°F) 14.0
(57.2)		 14.3
(57.7)		 13.8
(56.8)		 12.6
(54.7)		 11.7
(53.1)		 11.2
(52.2)		 10.4
(50.7)		 10.2
(50.4)		 10.5
(50.9)		 11.4
(52.5)		 12.3
(54.1)		 13.5
(56.3)		 12.1
(53.8)
Record low °C (°F) 5.5
(41.9)		 5.0
(41)		 6.0
(42.8)		 5.5
(41.9)		 3.3
(37.9)		 0.2
(32.4)		 3.0
(37.4)		 4.8
(40.6)		 3.4
(38.1)		 3.4
(38.1)		 4.9
(40.8)		 3.9
(39)		 0.2
(32.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 0
(0)		 1
(0.04)		 2
(0.08)		 2
(0.08)		 3
(0.12)		 3
(0.12)		 1
(0.04)		 2
(0.08)		 1
(0.04)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 17
(0.67)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.4 1.0 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.7 10.6
Average relative humidity (%) 82 81 82 80 79 72 74 78 80 80 80 80 79
Mean monthly sunshine hours 198.4 203.4 257.3 216.0 213.9 144.0 170.5 201.5 216.0 201.5 189.0 176.7 2,388.2
Mean daily sunshine hours 6.4 7.2 8.3 7.2 6.9 4.8 5.5 6.5 7.2 6.5 6.3 5.7 6.5
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[15]

Sport

Lüderitz is home to the Lüderitz Speed Challenge, the only international sporting event held in the town. This is an annual month-long speed sailing event held in the last quarter of the year under the auspices of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC).[16]

In 1984 Lüderitz was the starting point for explorer and sailor Amyr Klink's successful solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, rowing for 101 days all the way to the Brazilian coast with no other form of propulsion.[17]

In October 2011, Turkish adventurer Erden Eruç left Lüderitz for the final ocean crossing of his solo human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth. Eruç rowed to South America in a 7.1 m (23.3 ft) by 1.9 m (6.2 ft) oceangoing plywood rowboat, taking five months for the crossing to the town of Güiria, Venezuela.[18][19]

Economy and infrastructure

Construction of a new port at Shearwater Bay, 30 km south of Lüderitz, has been proposed for the export of coal from Botswana with a 1600 km railway connecting the two.[20]

Lüderitz is the terminus of the 318 kilometres (198 mi) railway line to Seeheim where the railway connects to the rest of the country's network. This line, built by inmates of the concentration camp on Shark Island, was completed in 1908[21] but is currently not operational. Rebuilding of a remaining 47 kilometres (29 mi) track gap to Aus has been delayed since 2009.

Media

Lüderitz has a local monthly newspaper, Buchter News. The paper, which was started as a source of free English-language reading material, is run by volunteers from the British gap year charity Project Trust.

Politics

Lüderitz is governed by a town council that currently has seven seats.[22]

Education

Previously the German school Deutsche Schule Lüderitzbucht was in the city.[23]

Landmarks

View of Felsenkirche and Lüderitz

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lüderitz.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Respect the elderly: Lüderitz mayor The Namibian, 7 January 2011
  2. ↑ "Table 4.2.2 Urban population by Census years (2001 and 2011)" (PDF). Namibia 2011 - Population and Housing Census Main Report. Namibia Statistics Agency. p. 39. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  3. ↑ Luderit Town Council
  4. ↑ "Lüderitz renaming misunderstood – Shangala." Namibian Sun.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 von Schmettau, Konny (28 February 2013). "Lüderitzbucht: Gründer- und Diamantenstadt" [Lüderitzbucht: Town of Pioneers and Diamonds]. Allgemeine Zeitung (in German) (Tourismus Namibia monthly supplement). p. 6.
  6. ↑ Zimmerer & Zeller 2003, p. 80.
  7. ↑ Overmans, Rüdiger (1999). In der Hand des Feindes : Kriegsgefangenschaft von der Antike bis zum Zweiten Weltkrieg (in German). p. 291. Die Verhältnisse in Swakopmund, zu denen sich Tecklenburg äußerte, stellten keine Ausnahme dar. Noch schlimmer lagen die Verhältnisse im Konzentrationslager auf der Haifischinsel vor Lüderitzbucht, dem größten Gefangenenlager. Dort wurden sowohl Herero wie Nama interniert und ihrem Schicksal überlassen. Die Inhaftierung auf de." reprinted in Jürgen Zimmerer Deutsche Herrschaft über Afrikaner: Staatlicher Machtanspruch und ... (2004). Page 46.
  8. ↑ Erichsen 2005, pp. .
  9. 1 2 "Unverwüstliche Felsenkirche zwischen Wüste und Meer" [Indestructible Rock Church between Desert and Ocean]. Gondwana History (in German) (supplement to various Namibian newspapers) (92).
  10. ↑ http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Namibia-renames-Caprivi-Strip-20130808
  11. ↑ Nakale, Albertina (9 August 2013). "President divides Kavango into two". New Era.
  12. ↑ "Walk on our coastline". Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project (NACOMA). Retrieved October 21, 2008.
  13. ↑ The Namibian Sun. 2013. Southern right whale - The right whale to protect. Retrieved on 24 October 2015
  14. ↑ Travel News Namibia. 2012. The return of the whales. Retrieved on 24 October 2014
  15. ↑ "Klimatafel von Lüderitz-Diaz Point (Leuchtturm) / Namibia" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  16. ↑ "World's best at Luderitz Speed Challenge | Sailing News". Seabreeze.com.au. 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  17. ↑ "O herói do Atlântico" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  18. ↑ "Media Kit -> Project Summary Document" (PDF). Around-n-Over (PDF file linked from "http://www.around-n-over.org/media/mediakit.htm"). 22 Aug 2012. Retrieved 3 Mar 2014. External link in |publisher= (help)
  19. ↑ "The Ocean Rowing Society - Erden Eruç, Atlantic South-East to North-West, Namibia to Venezuela". The Ocean Rowing Society. Retrieved 3 Mar 2014.
  20. ↑ http://railwaysafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2484
  21. ↑ Dierks, Klaus. "The Development of the Namibian Railway Network. The Rail History Until the 1990s". www.klausdierks.com. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  22. ↑ "Know Your Local Authority". Election Watch (3) (Institute for Public Policy Research). 2015. p. 4.
  23. ↑ "Deutscher Bundestag 4. Wahlperiode Drucksache IV/3672" (Archive). Bundestag (West Germany). 23 June 1965. Retrieved on 12 March 2016. p. 32/51.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Tjihenuna, Theresia (2 September 2014). "Three new heritage sites proclaimed". The Namibian.
  25. ↑ Bause, Tanja (21 May 2012). "Lüderitz church celebrates centenary". The Namibian.
  26. ↑ Becker, Klaus J. (25 May 2015). "Neuer Eigner übernimmt 135 Jahre alte Firma" [New owner takes over 135-year-old company]. Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).

Literature

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