Kunene Region

Kunene Region
Region
Location of the Kunene Region in Namibia
Country	Namibia
Capital	Opuwo
Government
• Governor	Angelika Muharukua
Area
• Total	115,260 km2 (44,500 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	88,300
• Density	0.77/km2 (2.0/sq mi)
Time zone	South African Standard Time: UTC+1

Kunene is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia and home to the Himba ethnic group. Compared to the rest of Namibia, it is relatively underdeveloped. This is due to the mountainous inaccessible geography and the dryness that significantly hinders agriculture.

The region's name comes from the Kunene River which forms the northern border with Angola. The largest town and capital is Opuwo.

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:

The region comprises seven constituencies:

Kunene is one of few regions that Namibia's ruling SWAPO party does not dominate. Previously the rivalry was mainly with the United Democratic Front (UDF), but recently other parties show good results in Kunene's constituencies. In November 2008, SWAPO activists and politicians called for organization to "destroy" the UDF government in Kunene. SWAPO also claimed that UDF and Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) were "sabotaging" local government initiatives in the region due to incompetence.

Central to the politics of Kunene Region is the battle over the proposed Epupa Dam in Epupa Constituency near the border with Angola. Business leaders based in Opuwo, who are mostly Ovambo people, formed the Kaoko Development League which supports the proposed dam. The dam would bring in economic development to much of the Region but would interfere with the traditional way of life of the Himba people who reside in the area. A longtime rivalry exists between SWAPO and the Himba people.

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Wikipedia