 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2018) |
Aus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aerial view of Aus (2019) | |
  Aus Location in Namibia | |
| Coordinates: 26°40′S 16°16′E / 26.667°S 16.267°E | |
| Country |  Namibia |
| Region | ǁKaras Region |
| Constituency | ǃNamiǂNûs Constituency |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,066 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (South African Standard Time) |
| Climate | BWk |
Aus is a settlement in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia. It lies on a railway line and the B4 national road, 230 km west of Keetmanshoop and about 125 km east of Lüderitz and belongs to the ǃNamiǂNûs electoral constituency. Trains from Keetmanshoop now end their journey at the village but formerly continued on to Lüderitz. The settlement is small but has a number of amenities including a hotel, police station, shop and garage. It is located in the Aus Mountains above the plains of the Namib Desert. The climate is usually hot and arid but snow has been recorded in the winter of 1963, and the area features the coldest winters recorded in Namibia.
The village's name comes from the Khoekhoe for "big snake." The village was formerly the site of a prisoner-of-war camp established by the South African army in 1915 to house German inmates captured during the First World War. The inmates initially lived in tents but later built brick houses. The number of prisoners reached 1500 but by May 1919 the last inmates left and the camp closed. A plaque marks the site today and some of the houses have been reconstructed. Gold was rumored to have been discovered in the area before then.
The area west of Aus is noted for its herd of feral horses living in the desert. Their origin is uncertain but today there is a population of between 150 and 200 individuals which have adapted to the harsh environment. They urinate less than domestic horses and can go five days without water. They drink at an artificial water hole at Garub Pan where a blind has been erected to enable tourists to watch the animals without disturbing them.
In 1970, the population of Aus was 767, of which 197 were white. The town obtained village status in 1925 and municipal status in 1949.