In the local language, the name Opuwo<\/em> means “the end”. For travellers heading north, the town is the last significant settlement before entering Kaokoland<\/strong>, one of the wildest and most unspoilt regions of Southern Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opuwo is of particular interest because among the ethnic groups<\/strong> that make up its population are the Herero<\/strong> and Himba<\/strong> peoples. Numerous traditional villages<\/strong> can be found in the surrounding area and throughout the heart of Kaokoland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Himba and Herero are among Namibia’s most distinctive ethnic groups, both for their history and their cultural traditions. During the German colonial period<\/strong>, the Herero<\/strong> suffered a devastating genocide<\/strong>. As a result of their complex historical experience, elements of European military dress were incorporated into Herero clothing. Even today, Herero men are often seen wearing uniforms, while women wear long dresses and distinctive headdresses inspired by nineteenth-century European fashion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Himba<\/strong>, by contrast, are traditionally semi-nomadic pastoralists<\/strong>. During the second half of the nineteenth century, many fled to Angola to escape persecution by the Nama people. They gradually returned to their ancestral lands in Namibia from the 1920s onwards, preserving many of their traditions<\/strong>. At the centre of every Himba village burns a sacred fire<\/strong>, traditionally cared for by the eldest woman. Himba society places great importance on women, who are particularly recognisable for the distinctive reddish coating<\/strong> applied to their skin and hair. This mixture of ochre, butter and aromatic herbs<\/strong> helps protect the body from the sun and insects, while also serving an important aesthetic and cultural purpose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A gateway to Kaokoland and one of the best places to encounter the Himba and Herero people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1712,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2054","attrazioni","type-attrazioni","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n