Erongo Region

Various mining operations occur within this region at places such as Navachab and on a smaller scale at places surrounding Uis and the desert area. Karibib also has a marble industry. Walvis Bay, fully incorporated into the Erongo Region in 1994, is the principal home of Namibia's fishing industry. Walvis Bay also boasts the only deep sea port and is the second largest town in the country. Swakopmund and Langstrand are popular beach resorts; Arandis supports mining industry and Swakopmund boasts manufacturing.

This region, with its link to the coast of Namibia, is well developed. Facilities such as schools, hospitals and clinics, the supply of electricity and telecommunication services are, with a few exceptions, well established. Erongo has 66 schools with a total of 32,114 pupils.{{cite news |title=School counsellors overstretched |last1=Miyanicwe |first1=Clemans |last2=Kahiurika |first2=Ndanki |date=27 November 2013 |work=The Namibian |page=1}}

File:Wahlkreise in Erongo (2014).svg

The region comprises seven electoral constituencies:

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• Arandis
• Dâures (formerly Brandberg Constituency)
• Karibib
• Omaruru
• Swakopmund
• Walvis Bay Rural
• Walvis Bay Urban

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Erongo is one of a few Namibian regions where there is considerable opposition support. In the 2004 regional election for the National Assembly of Namibia, the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) won in five of the seven constituencies, two were won by the United Democratic Front (UDF).{{Cite news | title=Electoral Act, 1992: Notification of Result of General Election for Regional Councils | newspaper=Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia | issue=3366 | page=12 | publisher=Government of Namibia | date=3 January 2005 | url=http://www.lac.org.na/laws/2005/3366.pdf}}

In the 2015 regional elections, SWAPO obtained 65% of the total votes (2010: 67%) and won six of the seven constituencies with only Dâures, traditionally a UDF stronghold, narrowly won by the opposition.{{Cite web |title=Regional Council Election Results 2015 |publisher=Electoral Commission of Namibia |date=3 December 2015 |page=1 |url=http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/223442/Regional+Counils+Election+Results_Duly+elected+candidates+2015.pdf/32493774-80b3-4be3-9ca1-1f6ce187673a?version=1.0 |access-date=17 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208163948/http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/223442/Regional+Counils+Election+Results_Duly+elected+candidates+2015.pdf/32493774-80b3-4be3-9ca1-1f6ce187673a?version=1.0 |archive-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite news |title=Mixed results for opposition in regional polls |last=Menges |first=Werner |newspaper=The Namibian |date=29 November 2015 |url=http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?page=archive-read&id=144849 |access-date=10 January 2017 |archive-date=11 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111000853/http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?page=archive-read&id=144849 |url-status=live }} In the 2020 regional election the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020, was the strongest party. It obtained 36.8% of votes overall and won three constituencies, including Swakopmund and Walvis Bay Urban. SWAPO obtained 30.5% of all votes and also won three constituencies. Dâures was again narrowly won by the UDF.

The governors of Erongo are: {{incomplete list |date=March 2021}}

• Cleophas Mutjavikua (2015–2020){{Cite news |title=President announces governors |newspaper=The Namibian |date=10 April 2015 |url=http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=25471 |access-date=14 April 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150414075438/http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=25471 |archive-date=14 April 2015 |url-status=dead}}
• Neville Andre Itope (2020–present)

According to the Namibia 2023 Population and Housing Census, Erongo had a population of 240,206 (117,884 females and 122,322 males or 104 males for every 100 females) growing at an annual rate of 3.9%. The fertility rate was 2.9 children per woman. 89.9% inhabitants lived in urban areas while 10.1% lived in rural areas, and with an area of 63,579 km², the population density was 3.8 persons per km². By age, 11% of the population was under 5 years old, 18.6% between 5–14 years, 36.4% between 15–34 years, 28.3% between 34-59 years, and 5.8% were 60 years and older. The population was divided into 74,795 households, with an average size of 3.1 persons. 42.7% of households had a female head of house, while 57.3% had a male head. For those 15 years and older, 70.3% had never married, 21.3% married with certificate, 1.4% married traditionally, 2.6% in a consensual union, 1.7% were divorced or separated, and 2.1% were widowed.{{cite web |title=Namibia 2023 Population and Housing Census|url=https://census.nsanamibia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-Population-and-Housing-Census-Main-Report-28-Oct-2024.pdf |publisher=National Planning Commission |year=2023 |access-date=2025-04-07}}

The most commonly spoken languages at home were Oshiwambo (38.8% of households), Afrikaans (20.4%), and Damara/Nama (18.8%), Herero (9.6%) and English (5.3%) .{{Cite web |title=Namibia 2011 Population and Housing Census Report |url=http://www.nsa.org.na/files/downloads/Namibia%202011%20Population%20and%20Housing%20Census%20Main%20Report.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002064316/http://www.nsa.org.na/files/downloads/Namibia%202011%20Population%20and%20Housing%20Census%20Main%20Report.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-10-02 |date=2013-10-02 |access-date=2019-01-28}} For those 15 years and older, the literacy rate was 95.4%. In terms of education, 89% of girls and 86% of boys between the ages of 6–15 were attending school, and of those older than 15, 78.1% had left school, 15.6% were currently at school, and 4.4% had never attended.

In 2001 the employment rate for the labor force (71% of those 15+) was 66% employed and 34% unemployed. For those 15+ years old and not in the labor force (24%), 35% were students, 34% homemakers, and 31% retired, too old, etc. According to the 2023 Namibia Labour Force Survey, unemployment in the Erongo Region stood at 32%. The two studies are methodologically not comparable.{{cite news |url=http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2013/april/article/unemployment-rate-still-alarmingly-high/ |title=Unemployment rate still alarmingly high |last=Duddy |first=Jo Maré |date=11 April 2013 |newspaper=The Namibian |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414025748/http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2013/april/article/unemployment-rate-still-alarmingly-high |archive-date=14 April 2013}}

Among households, 97.6% had safe water, 9.7% no toilet facility, 77.9% electricity for lighting, 47.8% access to internet, and 13.3% had wood or charcoal for cooking. In terms of household's main sources of income, 0.7% derived it from farming, 68.7% from wages and salaries, 8% cash remittances, 7.5% from business or non-farming, and 7.7% from pension.

• Skeleton Coast

• {{URL|www.erc.com.na}} Official web site: Erongo Regional Council

{{Commons|Erongo}}

{{wikivoyage|Erongo}}

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{{Regions of Namibia}}

{{Constituencies of the Erongo Region}}

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Category:Regions of Namibia