# Otavi > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Otavi > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Otavi.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otavi > Source revision: 1343297227 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Town in Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia Otavi Otjitavi Town Aerial view of Otavi (2018) Seal Nickname: otavio Motto: Volhard en Oorwin Otavi Location in Namibia Coordinates: 19°39′S 17°20′E / 19.650°S 17.333°E / -19.650; 17.333 Country Namibia Region Otjozondjupa Region Constituency Otavi Constituency Area • Total 165 sq mi (428 km2) Population (2023 census)[1][2] • Total 10,756 • Density 65.1/sq mi (25.1/km2) Time zone UTC+2 (SAST) Climate BSh **Otavi** is a town with 10,000 inhabitants in the [Otjozondjupa Region](/source/Otjozondjupa_Region) of [Namibia](/source/Namibia). Situated 360 km north of [Windhoek](/source/Windhoek), it is the district capital of the [Otavi electoral constituency](/source/Otavi_Constituency). ## Geography The towns of Otavi, [Tsumeb](/source/Tsumeb) (to the north) and [Grootfontein](/source/Grootfontein) (to the northeast) define an area known as the "Otavi Triangle", also known as the Otavi Mountainland. This geographical region is sometimes referred to as the "Golden Triangle", or as the "maize Triangle", owing to the cultivation of maize in the area.[3] The three towns that define the triangle are roughly 60 km from each other. Most of the area is [dolomitic](/source/Dolomite_(mineral)) ([Precambrian](/source/Precambrian)) and the district was renowned for its mineral wealth in the past. Most of the deposits have now been exhausted. *Elefantenberg* (elephant mountain), a mountain 1,624 meters above sea level, is located about 7 km south of Otavi.[4] ## Economy and infrastructure Much of the town's economy relies on the two grocery stores, a mill, two banks, two gas stations, and many surrounding game/cattle farms, as well as a handful of other small business. The owners of most of these businesses are [Afrikaners](/source/Afrikaners) (white Africans or [Boer](/source/Boer), ultimately Dutch in heritage) or Germans. Due to financial mismanagement, Otavi lost its town status in 2004 and was downgraded to "village". After revenue picked up again, town status was reinstated in November 2010. With the foundation of the [Ohorongo Cement](/source/Ohorongo_Cement) factory and the Otjikoto mine, operated by [B2Gold](/source/B2Gold), business and employment rate has been recovering.[5] A [steel](/source/Steel) manufacturing plant is also being developed. The project will cost $201 million and it's expected to produce 100,000 tons of steel.[6] ### Transport *Elefantenberg* south of Otavi next to the [B1](/source/B1_road_(Namibia)) (2014) Otavi is a railway junction where the line from [Windhoek](/source/Windhoek) to [Oshikango](/source/Oshikango) branches off the line to [Grootfontein](/source/Grootfontein). The town is served by the [Otavi railway station](/source/Otavi_railway_station). Otavi is situated next to the [B1](/source/B1_road_(Namibia)) - the longest National Road, running the length of [Namibia](/source/Namibia) - about 370 km from the capital, [Windhoek](/source/Windhoek). There is also a municipal pool from the Apartheid area on hertzhog avenue ## History On July 1, 1915, the German Army was [defeated at Otavi](/source/Battle_of_Otavi) by South African troops; on July 9 they surrendered nearby and signed the Khorab Peace Treaty. [A public monument](/source/Khorab_Memorial) to this event was erected in 1973 outside of Otavi.[7] During the [South African Border War](/source/South_African_Border_War) SWASpes, the [1 SWA Specialist Unit](/source/1_SWA_Specialist_Unit) was based here, moving from [Oshivelo](/source/Oshivelo) in 1979. The unit consisted of horse mounted troops, dog trackers, human trackers and motorcycle units to hunt insurgents.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## Politics Otavi is governed by a town council that currently[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Otavi&action=edit) has seven seats.[8] The [2015 local authority election](/source/Namibian_local_and_regional_elections%2C_2015) was won by [SWAPO](/source/SWAPO) which gained six seats and 957 votes. The remaining seat went to the [Democratic Turnhalle Alliance](/source/Democratic_Turnhalle_Alliance) (DTA) which gained 79 votes.[9] [SWAPO](/source/SWAPO) also won the [2020 local authority election](/source/2020_Namibian_local_and_regional_elections). It obtained 1,092 votes and gained five seats. One seat each went to the [Independent Patriots for Change](/source/Independent_Patriots_for_Change) (IPC, an opposition party formed in August 2020) and to the [Landless People's Movement](/source/Landless_People's_Movement_(Namibia)) (LPM, an opposition party formed in 2016) with 260 and 167 votes, respectively.[10] ## Education This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (March 2016) Otavi has three schools, namely: Otavi Primary School, Khorab Senior Secondary School and the Deutsche Privatschule Otavi-Namibia. Previously the German *Regierungsschule Otavi* (Government School Otavi) was situated in Otavi.[11] ## See also - [Transport in Namibia](/source/Transport_in_Namibia) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-nsa_1-0)** ["Table 4.2.2 Urban population by Census years (2001 and 2011)"](http://cms.my.na/assets/documents/p19dmn58guram30ttun89rdrp1.pdf) (PDF). *Namibia 2011 - Population and Housing Census Main Report*. Namibia Statistics Agency. p. 39. Retrieved 24 August 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["2023 Population & Housing Census Preliminary Report"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240324152514/https://nsa.nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Preliminary-Report-doc-fn.pdf) (PDF). *Statistics Namibia*. Archived from [the original](https://nsa.nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Preliminary-Report-doc-fn.pdf) (PDF) on 2024-03-24. Retrieved 2024-03-16. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [FAO/WFP CROP, LIVESTOCK AND FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO NAMIBIA](http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/ak334e/ak334e00.htm) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Mapcarta](https://mapcarta.com/de/19061122) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ǃHoaës, Irene (19 November 2010). ["Otavi making a U-turn"](http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=14191). *[New Era](/source/New_Era_(Namibia))*.{{[cite news](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_news)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Otavi steel manufacturing plant to boost construction industry in Namibia"](https://constructionreviewonline.com/news/otavi-steel-manufacturing-plant-to-boost-construction-industry-in-namibia/). *Construction Review Online*. 2018-12-02. Retrieved 2020-11-30. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Imperial German Forces forced to unconditional surrender by Union of South Africa Forces during World War I"](https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/imperial-german-forces-forced-unconditional-surrender-union-south-africa-forces-during). *www.sahistory.org.za*. South African History Online. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** "Know Your Local Authority". *Election Watch*. No. 3. Institute for Public Policy Research. 2015. p. 4. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Local elections results"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151210194328/http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/218731/LA+results+%28press+release%29+2015.pdf/870a030b-8547-487f-ad18-b22713b16d4c?version=1.0). [Electoral Commission of Namibia](/source/Electoral_Commission_of_Namibia). 28 November 2015. p. 7. Archived from [the original](http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/218731/LA+results+%28press+release%29+2015.pdf/870a030b-8547-487f-ad18-b22713b16d4c?version=1.0) on 10 December 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Publication of results and particulars in respect of general elections for local authority councils: Electoral Act, 2014"](https://www.ecn.na/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/7497-Gov-N65-Results-LA-2020.pdf) (pdf). *[Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia](/source/Government_Gazette_of_the_Republic_of_Namibia)*. No. 7497. [Government of Namibia](/source/Government_of_Namibia). 1 April 2021. p. 20. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** "[Deutscher Bundestag 4. Wahlperiode Drucksache IV/3672](http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/04/036/0403672.pdf)" ([Archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20160312191648/http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/04/036/0403672.pdf)). [Bundestag](/source/Bundestag) (West Germany). 23 June 1965. Retrieved on 12 March 2016. p. 32/51. [19°39′S 17°20′E / 19.650°S 17.333°E / -19.650; 17.333](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Otavi¶ms=19_39_S_17_20_E_region:NA_type:city) Authority control databases International VIAF WorldCat National United States Israel --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Otavi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otavi) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otavi?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.