Since 1990, there have been a small number of places in Namibia which have been renamed, mainly for political, cultural, or linguistic reasons. Some names have been changed to remove colonial or apartheid references, often reverting to their original native language names. Other names (such as street names in Windhoek) have been renamed after foreign leaders or famous Namibians. Overall, Namibia has had fewer renamed places than neighbouring South Africa and Zimbabwe.
German period
editMost place names in German South West Africa continued to bear German spellings of the local names, as well as German translations of some local phrases. The few exceptions to the rule included places founded by the Rhenish Missionary Society, generally biblical names, as well as
- Hornkranz (Hoornkrans)
- Sandfontein
- Stolzenfels
- Waterberg (Omuverumue)
Regions and constituencies
edit- Caprivi Region → Zambezi Region (2013)[1][2]
- Okavango Region → Kavango Region (1998)[3]
- Brandberg Constituency → Dâures Constituency (1998)[4]
- Buitepos Constituency → Kalahari Constituency (1998)[4]
- Khomasdal North Constituency → Khomasdal Constituency (2013)[5]
- Lüderitz Constituency → ǃNamiǂNûs Constituency (2013)[1][6]
- Okalonga Constituency → Okalongo Constituency (1998)[4]
- Okatope Constituency → Onyaanya Constituency (1999)[7]
- Oshikoto Constituency → Tsumeb Constituency (1999)[7]
- Otjozondjou Constituency → Otjombinde Constituency (1998)[4]
- Rundu Rural West Constituency → Ncuncuni Constituency (2013)[5]
- Steinhausen Constituency → Okorukambe Constituency (2013)[5]
- Uutapi Constituency → Outapi Constituency (1998)[4]
- Wanaheda Constituency → Samora Machel Constituency (2003)[8]
Settlements
edit- ǀAixa-aibes → Warmbad (1760)
- ǃAutsawises → Berseba (1850)[9]
- Arahoab → Aranos (1960s)[10]
- ǀAi-ǁgams (Khoekhoegowab) / Otjomuise (Otjiherero) → Windhoek (1838) → Elberfeld / Barmen (1842) → Concordiaville (1844) → Esek (1844) → Windhoek[11]
- Kalkfontein → Karasburg (1939)[12]
- Klipfontein (ǀUiǂgandes) → Bethanie (1815)
- Naosanabis → Wesley Vale (1843) → Leonardville (20th century)[13]
- Schuckmannsburg → Luhonono (2013)[1]
- Welwitschia → Khorixas (1989)
Streets
editStatus: 2002[14]
| New Name | Old Name |
|---|---|
| Libertina Amathila Avenue | Brückenstraße |
| Anton Lubowski Avenue | Lazarettstraße |
| Daniel Tjongarero Street | Poststraße |
| Franziska Van Neel Street | Mosely Avenue Uranstraße |
| Hendrik Witbooi Street | Schulstraße Roonstraße |
| Hidipo Hamutenya Avenue | Feldstraße |
| Mandume ya Ndemufayo Street | Schlosserstraße |
| Moses ǁGaroëb Street | Nordring Südring |
| Nathaniel Maxuilili Street | Breite Straße |
| Nelson Mandela Avenue | Winterstraße |
| Rakotoka Street | Kolonelstraße Knoblochstraße Garnisonstraße |
| Sam Nujoma Avenue | Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße |
| Theo-Ben Gurirab Avenue | Bahnhofstraße |
| Tobias Hainyeko Street | Mittelstraße Garnisonstraße Moltkestraße |
| Vrede Rede Avenue | Louis-Botha-Straße Dante Avenue |
| New Name | Old Name |
|---|---|
| Aaron Tjatindi Street | Betlehem St |
| A. B. May Street | Kalk St |
| Amsas Street | Otjivero St |
| Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Street | Kruppstraße |
| Axali Doëseb Street | Louis Botha St |
| Bernt Carlsson Road | Pionier Road |
| Bishop Patropas Tjitjo Street | Genesis St[15] |
| Bishop A. C. Kamburona Street | Klaagliedere St Kronieke St |
| Bonifatius Haushiku Street | Jordan St[16] |
| Christa Davids Street | Paul Kruger St |
| Clemens Kapuuo Street | Sabbat Street |
| Daniel Munamava Street | Göringstraße |
| David Hosea Meroro Road | Hochland Road |
| Dr. António Agostinho Neto Square | Ausspannplatz |
| Dr. Mose Tjitendero Street | Malcom Spence St |
| Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda Street | Uhlandstraße |
| Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Avenue | Gevers St Mission Road |
| Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab Street | Burg St |
| Eneas Peter Nanyemba Road | Monte Christo Road[17] |
| Ephraim Hei Street | Handelinge St |
| Evergreen Street | Dorado Park St |
| Festus Lazarus Street | Lazarus St[18] |
| Fidel Castro Street | Peter Müller St |
| Fonnie Karuaihe Street | Lüderitz St |
| Frankie Fredericks Drive | Knudsen St |
| Frans Indongo Street | Bülowstraße |
| Fumbe Street | Ongeama St |
| Gaob Dr. Justus ǁGaroëb Street | Johann Albrecht St[19] |
| General Murtala Muhammed Avenue | Omuramba Road |
| General Karel Ndjoba Street | Hennie Laubscher St[20] |
| Hamutenya Wanahepo Ndadi Street | Reginald Walker St |
| Hans-Dietrich Genscher Street | Hostel St Rand St Pool St |
| Hendrik Witbooi Drive | Charl Marais Street |
| Hosea Kutako Drive | Okahandja Road T. V. More St |
| Independence Avenue | Kaiserstraße |
| Jackson Kaujeua Street | Storchstraße[15] |
| Joseph Mukwayu Ithana Street | Gloudina St |
| Julius K. Nyerere Street | Lazarett St[21] |
| Juuso Katangolo Street | Tuin St[15] |
| Katjikuru Katjiuongua Street | Düsseldorf St[15] |
| Kuaima Riruako Street | Bachstraße |
| Laurent-Désiré Kabila Road | Populier Street |
| Mahatma Gandhi Street | Perset St Sterling St |
| Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue | Gamsberg Road Talstraße |
| Marcus Garvey Street | Babs St[22] |
| Marien Ngouabi Street | Körner St (eastern part)[23] |
| Mburumba Kerina Street | Bahnhofstraße |
| Mika Kaiyamo Street | Dorp St |
| Michelle McLean Street | Gold St |
| Nelson Mandela Avenue | Klein-Windhoek-Weg |
| Olof Palme Street | De Jager St |
| Omuzeme Street | Omuzu St |
| Paul Mogagabe Street | Trinitatis Straße |
| Phillip Shiimi Street | Zenobia Street[15] |
| Rev. Erwin Tjirimue Street | Legioen St[24] |
| Rev. Michael Scott Street | Neser St |
| Reverend Karuaera Street | Caesar St |
| Robert Mugabe Avenue | Joan Harrison Street Leutweinstraße |
| Sam Nujoma Drive | Curt von François Straße Gobabis Road |
| Sean McBride Street | Fanie Du Plessis St |
| Seretse Khama Street | Feld St[25] |
| Shanghai Road | Central Avenue Jaguar St |
| Shikongo Nuunyango Street | Penning St[26] |
| Tsukhoe //Gowases Street | Ranonkel St Begonia St Rooivalk St[27] |
| Simeon Shixungileni Street | Bismarckstraße |
| Werner List Street | Stübel St |
| Wika Drive | Liechtenstein St |
| Wilibald Kapuenene Street | Attie Potgieter St |
| Winnie Madikizela Mandela Road | Otjomuise Road[17] |
The sources of the previous renaming documents are outdated or no longer available and are being reprocessed.[28]
Airports
edit- J. G. Strydom International Airport → Hosea Kutako International Airport (1990)
Other
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Smith, David (9 August 2013). "Namibia wipes colonialism off the map". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ^ Smith, David (26 February 2015). "Lüderitz v !Nami≠nüs: dispute over town's name divides Namibia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ^ Fuller, B.; Prommer, I. (May 2000). "Background Readings" (PDF). Population-Development-Environment in Namibia. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis: xix.
- ^ a b c d e "Re-division of certain regions into constituencies: Regional Councils Act, 1992" (pdf). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 1940. Government of Namibia. 31 August 1998. pp. 7–25.
- ^ a b c "Creation of new regions and division and re-division of certain regions into constituencies: Regional Councils Act, 1992" (pdf). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 5261. Government of Namibia. 9 August 2013. pp. 1–39. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Lüderitz renaming misunderstood: Shanghala". Namibian Sun. 27 August 2013. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Amendment of Proclamation No. 25 of 1 September 1992, as amended by Proclamation No. 16 of 31 August 1998" (pdf). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 2233. Government of Namibia. 22 November 1999. p. 2.
- ^ "Re-division of certain regions into constituencies: Regional Councils Act, 1992" (pdf). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 2942. Government of Namibia. 28 March 2003. pp. 2–21.
- ^ "Karas Region Namibia, Berseba". Karas Regional Council. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
- ^ Raper, P.E. (1989). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Jonathan Ball Publishers. p. A. ISBN 0947464042.
- ^ "Pillaged Deserted, Developed: Windhoek is shining". Allgemeine Zeitung. 28 May 2007.
- ^ Tonchi, Victor L.; Lindeke, William A.; Grotpeter, John J. (31 August 2012). Historical Dictionary of Namibia. Scarecrow Press. p. 192. ISBN 9780810879904.
- ^ Dierks, Klaus. "Biographies of Namibian Personalities, W. Entry for Hendrik Witbooi". Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ Namibia: Minister Urges Swakopmund Residents to Accept Change. Maggi Bernard, AllAfrica.com, 12. Dezember 2002
- ^ a b c d e City of Windhoek Mass Street renaming NAMPA, 2018-10-01
- ^ Windhoeker Straßen werden umbenannt Allgemeine Zeitung, 2024-05-17
- ^ a b Roads renamed after liberation heroes The Namibian, 2021-12-06
- ^ City changes 13 street names Windhoek Express, 2019-11-14
- ^ Windhoek now has 17 new street names Windhoek Observer, 2024-05-20
- ^ Windhoek gets 17 new street names The Namibian, 2024-05-17
- ^ Govt honours Julius Nyerere with street naming The Namibian, 2019-05-28
- ^ Babs Street renamed Marcus Garvey New Era Live, 2018-02-05
- ^ Nujoma Hails Street's Renaming New Era Live, 2011-10-17
- ^ City of Windhoek honours heroes and heroines Namibia Economist, 2019-11-18
- ^ Among other streets to be renamed is Feld Street The Namibian, 2018-05-02
- ^ City of Windhoek honours heroes and heroines Namibia Economist, 2019-11-18
- ^ City of Windhoek honours heroes and heroines Namibia Economist, 2019-11-18
- ^ "Map of Windhoek Streets Renamed". www.map-of-namibia.com. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
- ^ Allen, Jeremiah (2010). Namibia (Other Places Travel Guide). Other Places Publishing. p. 130. ISBN 9780982261965.