Aroab
Encyclopedia
Aroab is a village with a population of approximately 2500 in the Keetmanshoop
district in the Karas
region in the southeast of Namibia
. Being situated on the edge of the Kalahari desert, the average annual rainfall is about 150-200mm. Aroab is the district centre of the Keetmanshoop Rural
electoral constituency.
tribe for sheep and rifles. A quarrel about a ground dam resulted in the two gentlemen splitting the land in two - Aroab and Streitdamm, the ranch adjoining Aroab to the west.
, Bramhan and various others to a lesser extent. Various sheep, cattle and goat stud breeders are registered in the area.
During the months of May - Aug (winter) meat hunting takes place widely. Huntable species are Oryx (gemsbok), Springbok and Kudu. To a lesser extent trophy hunting is also available.
and 142 km from Koës
. An unmanned gravel landing strip for light aircraft is situated northwest of the village.
Aroab has surprisingly many schools for such a small place. There are government primary schools (grades 1-7), a Roman Catholic school, a government senior secondary school (grades 8-12) and a private school. There is also a Roman Catholic clinic that provides basic medical services, a post office, Police station, Village Council and various churches (amongst others Dutch Reformed & Roman Catholic).
Other businesses include a farmer's cooperative, general dealer, windpump repairs & engineering and a small abattoir and butchery.
, the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance received the most votes in the town with 260. SWAPO finished in 2nd place with 211 votes, followed by the Rally for Democracy and Progress
(112) and the Congress of Democrats
(40).
Willem Appollus
, an Aroab native, represented Keetmanshoop Rural
in the Regional Council of Karas Region and the National Council of Namibia
from 2004-2010. He also served on the Aroab Local Authority from 1998-2004.
Keetmanshoop
Keetmanshoop is a city in Karas Region, southern Namibia, lying on the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Upington in South Africa. It is named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist and founder of the city....
district in the Karas
Karas
Karas may refer to:Places* Karas Region, Namibia* Karaš River, a river in Serbia and Romania * Karas Island, an island in Sebakor Bay, West Papua, Indonesia* Karaś, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, a village in north-central Poland...
region in the southeast of Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. Being situated on the edge of the Kalahari desert, the average annual rainfall is about 150-200mm. Aroab is the district centre of the Keetmanshoop Rural
Keetmanshoop Rural
Keetmanshoop Rural is an electoral constituency in the Karas Region of Namibia. It contains the Krönlein suburb of Keetmanshoop and the villages of Koës and Aroab, the settlements of Seeheim and Klein Karas, as well as several farming communities in the area...
electoral constituency.
Origin
In 1900 Misters Blaauw and Oppermann, supposedly of German descent, traded Aroab and the surrounding area from an indigenous NamaNama
Nama may mean:* Nama band, a Greek music group* Nama , a genus of plants in the family Hydrophyllaceae* Holy Name in Indian religions* Nama , a hero in ? folklore who built an ark to save his family from a flood...
tribe for sheep and rifles. A quarrel about a ground dam resulted in the two gentlemen splitting the land in two - Aroab and Streitdamm, the ranch adjoining Aroab to the west.
Economy
The vast majority of income is generated on ranches in the surrounding area stem from sheep, goat and cattle ranching for meat production purposes. The most common sheep breed ranched with is Dorper, with Persian, Van Rooy, Karakul and others to a lesser extent. Popular cattle breeds for this area are Nguni, BonsmaraBonsmara
The Bonsmara is a cross breed of cattle known for its high quality beef. Originating in South Africa as a scientific experiment of professor Jan Bonsma, the Bonsmara was created after many criss-cross matings consisting of 5/8 Afrikaner , 3/16 Hereford and 3/16 Shorthorn animals .-External...
, Bramhan and various others to a lesser extent. Various sheep, cattle and goat stud breeders are registered in the area.
During the months of May - Aug (winter) meat hunting takes place widely. Huntable species are Oryx (gemsbok), Springbok and Kudu. To a lesser extent trophy hunting is also available.
Infrastructure
Aroab is only reachable on land via gravel road - the C16 170 km from Keetmanshoop and 35 km from Klein Menasse / Rietfontein borderpost, the C11 182 km from KarasburgKarasburg
Karasburg is city of 4,000 inhabitants in the Karas Region of southern Namibia and the district capital of the Karasburg electoral constituency. It lies at the heart of the southern Namibian sheep farming industry.- Location :...
and 142 km from Koës
Koës
Koës is a village in the Karas Region of south-eastern Namibia. It belongs to the Keetmanshoop Rural electoral constituency.-References:...
. An unmanned gravel landing strip for light aircraft is situated northwest of the village.
Aroab has surprisingly many schools for such a small place. There are government primary schools (grades 1-7), a Roman Catholic school, a government senior secondary school (grades 8-12) and a private school. There is also a Roman Catholic clinic that provides basic medical services, a post office, Police station, Village Council and various churches (amongst others Dutch Reformed & Roman Catholic).
Other businesses include a farmer's cooperative, general dealer, windpump repairs & engineering and a small abattoir and butchery.
Politics
In the 2010 local authority electionNamibian local and regional elections, 2010
Namibia held elections for their local and regional councils on 26 and 27 November 2010. The terms of regional councillors and local authority representatives were originally set to expire in 2009...
, the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance received the most votes in the town with 260. SWAPO finished in 2nd place with 211 votes, followed by the Rally for Democracy and Progress
Rally for Democracy and Progress (Namibia)
The Rally for Democracy and Progress is an opposition political party in Namibia. It was launched on November 17 2007 under the leadership of Hidipo Hamutenya and Jesaya Nyamu, both former leading members of the ruling SWAPO party and cabinet ministers. Hamutenya had unsuccessfully sought the SWAPO...
(112) and the Congress of Democrats
Congress of Democrats
The Congress of Democrats is a political party in Namibia, led by Ben Ulenga. It is an opposition party represented in the National Assembly.The party is an observer of the Socialist International.- 2004 elections :...
(40).
Willem Appollus
Willem Appollus
Willem Rudolph Appollus is a Namibian politician and schoolteacher. Appollus joined SWAPO in the late 1980s and represented Keetmanshoop Rural in the National Council of Namibia from 2004-2010.-Career:...
, an Aroab native, represented Keetmanshoop Rural
Keetmanshoop Rural
Keetmanshoop Rural is an electoral constituency in the Karas Region of Namibia. It contains the Krönlein suburb of Keetmanshoop and the villages of Koës and Aroab, the settlements of Seeheim and Klein Karas, as well as several farming communities in the area...
in the Regional Council of Karas Region and the National Council of Namibia
National Council of Namibia
The National Council of Namibia is the upper chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament.The 26 National Council members are chosen by regional councils, which are directly elected for a term of six-years. Each of the 13 regional councils chooses two of its members to serve on the National Council...
from 2004-2010. He also served on the Aroab Local Authority from 1998-2004.