German South-West Africa (German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika, DSWA) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, when it was taken over by the Union of South Africa (as part of the British Empire) and administered as South-West Africa, finally becoming Namibia in 1990. With an area of 835,100 km², it was one and a half times the size of the mainland German Empire in Europe (without its colonies) at the time.
Initial European contact with th...
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German South-West Africa (German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika, DSWA) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, when it was taken over by the Union of South Africa (as part of the British Empire) and administered as South-West Africa, finally becoming Namibia in 1990. With an area of 835,100 km², it was one and a half times the size of the mainland German Empire in Europe (without its colonies) at the time.
Initial European contact with the areas which would become German South-West Africa came from traders and sailors, starting in January 1486 when Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão, possibly accompanied by Martin Behaim, landed at Cape Cross. However, for several centuries, European settlement would remain limited and temporary. In February 1805 the London Missionary Society established a small mission in Blydeverwacht, but the efforts of this group met with little success. In 1840 the London Missionary Society transferred all of its activities to the German Rhenish Missionary...
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