Nkurenkuru
| Nkurenkuru | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Nkurenkuru
|
|
| Coordinates: 17°37′S 18°36′E / 17.617°S 18.600°ECoordinates: 17°37′S 18°36′E / 17.617°S 18.600°E | |
| Country |
 Namibia
|
| Region | Kavango West |
| Constituency | Mpungu Constituency |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Heikki Hausiku (SWAPO) |
| Elevation | 1,093 m (3,586 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 618 |
| Time zone | West Africa Time (UTC+1) |
| Area code(s) | +66 |
| Climate | BSh |
Nkurenkuru (1.093 m above sea level) is a town on the south-western banks of the Kavango River. It is the capital of the Kavango West Region of northern Namibia, located 140 kilometres (87 mi) west of Rundu. It is also a former mission station of the Finnish Missionary Society.
Nkurenkuru has a population of around 618 (in 2011) inhabitants and is homestead of the local Uukwangali kings and until 1936, also was capital for the entire region. Since then, the seat of the regional government was moved to Rundu, due to its strategically more central location. It is the smallest town in Namibia.
On the opposite, north-eastern banks of the river lies Cuangar in Angola and the two towns are linked via a nearby border post. Today, Nkurenkuru is the second town of the Kavango region, after Rundu.
The history of Nkurenkuru (formerly also Kuring Kuru), Kwangali language: „the old place”, is closely linked with the history of the Kwangali people, the westernmost of the five kingdoms of the Kavango people.
The currently oldest deliverances date around the middle of the 18th century, when Uukwangali queen (hompa) Mate I. and her people left their former area of settlement on the Kwando River near Mashi and moved about 500 km to the west into an area near Makuzu 17°29′0″S 18°28′0″E / 17.48333°S 18.46667°E, around 20 km to the northwest of Nkurenkuru. Successor of Queen Mate I. became hompa Nankali (1750–1775). During her reign tensions arose with neighboring people and the Kwangali moved from Mazuku first to Sihangu near Mukukuta and then further to Karai (nearby today's Cuangar). Likely during the reign of hompa Siremo, Nkurenkuru was founded in 1820 and became homestead of the kings under King Mpande in 1880.
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Wikipedia