German South West Africa

German South West Africa Deutsch-Südwestafrika
1884–1915
Service flag of the Colonial Office Coat of arms of the German Empire
Green: German South West Africa Dark gray: Other German colonial possessions Darkest gray: German Empire (1911 borders)
Status	Colony of Germany
Capital	Windhuk
Official languages	German
Recognised regional languages	Afrikaans Khoekhoegowab Oshiwambo Otjiherero Setswana
Ethnic groups	99% Black African 0.8% White 0.2% other
Religion	Christianity Indigenous beliefs
Governor
• 1894–1905	Theodor von Leutwein
• 1905–1907	Friedrich von Lindequist
• 1907–1910	Bruno von Schuckmann
• 1910–1919	Theodor Seitz
Historical era	Scramble for Africa
• Start of colonial occupation by the German Empire	7 August 1884
• Herero-Namaqua Genocide	1904–1908
• Union of South Africa occupies German South West Africa	9 July 1915
• Treaty of Versailles	28 June 1919
Area
1912	835,100 km2 (322,400 sq mi)
Population
• 1912	250,000
Currency	German South West African Mark
Preceded by Succeeded by Uukwambi Uukwaluudhi Uukwangali South West Africa
Today part of	Namibia

German South West Africa (German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884^[1] until 1915,^[2] though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.

German rule over this territory was punctuated by numerous rebellions by its native African peoples, which culminated in a campaign of German reprisals from 1904 to 1908 known as the Herero and Namaqua genocide.

In 1915, during World War I, German South West Africa was invaded by the Western Allies in the form of South African and British forces. After the war its administration was taken over by the Union of South Africa (part of the British Empire) and the territory was administered as South West Africa under a League of Nations mandate. It became independent as Namibia on 21 March 1990.