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Walvis Bay, originally "Walvisbaai" meaning "Whale Bay" in Afrikaans, is an area in Namibia with a chequered history. The bay has been a haven for sea vessels because of its natural deep-water harbour. Being rich in plankton and marine life , these waters drew large numbers of whales. This attracted whalers and fishing vessels. A succession of colonists exploited the location and resources of this strategic harbour settlement. The harbour’s value in relation to the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope had caught the attention of world powers since it was discovered. This explains the complicated political status of Walvis Bay down the years. Walvis Bay is 30 km (18,6 mi) from Swakopmund.
In 1487, the renowned Portuguese navigator Bartholomew Dias anchored his flagship São Cristavao in Walvis Bay on 8 December 1487, on his expedition to discover a sea route to the East via the Cape of Good Hope. He name the bay "O Golfo de Santa Maria da Conceição." However, the Portuguese did not formally stake claim to Walvis Bay.
Nothing much was done with Walvis Bay until 1840, when in the scramble for AfricaThe Scramble for Africa was the period between the 1880s and the start of World War I, when colonial empires in Africa were acquired faster than anywhere else on the globe. It is the canonical example of the New Imperialism. The latter half of 19th centur, Great BritainGreat Britain (often abbreviated as Britain is an island lying off the western coast of Europe, comprising the main territory of the United Kingdom. Great Britain is also used as a political term describing the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales,, a premier seafaring nation at the time, annexed Walvis Bay and a small area surrounding the territory to forestall German ambitions in the region and to ensure safe passage of British ships around the Cape. In 1910, Walvis Bay, as well as the Cape ColonyThe Cape Colony was a part of South Africa under British occupation during the 19th century. It stretched from the Atlantic Ocean eastwards: the final eastern boundary, after several wars against the Xhosa, stood at the Fish River. In the north, the Orang, became part of the newly formed Union of South AfricaThe Union of South Africa came into being on May 31, 1910 when the old Cape Colony and Natal Colony were combined with the defeated South African Republic and Orange Free State (renamed the Orange River Colony) after the Boer War. The various parts were t. However, a dispute arose with GermanyThe Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland is one of the world's leading industrialized countries, located in the middle of the European Union. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east over the enclave’s boundaries. This was eventually settled in 1911 and Walvis Bay was allocated an area of 1,124 km² (697,5 mi²).
South African Forces ousted the Germans in 1915 and Walvis Bay was quickly integrated into the new martial law regime established in South-West AfricaSouth-West Africa is the former name ( 1884- 1990) of Namibia under German (as German South-West Africa, Deutsch Sud-West Afrika and (from 1915) South African administration. South-West Africa formally excluded Walvis Bay, a small South African-ruled coas. South Africa was later rewarded control over South West Africa by the League of NationsThe League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War with goals of reducing armaments, settling disputes between countries and maintaining living conditions, but The League proved incapable of preventing aggression by. Civilian rule was restored in South-West Africa in 1921 and Walvis Bay became an integral part of South West Africa. In 1971, with independence for South-West Africa imminent, South Africa transferred power over Walvis Bay back to its Cape Province.
In its attempt to avoid losing control of Walvis Bay in 1977 to a possibly hostile SWAPO led government, the then South African Government reimposed direct rule and reasserted its claim of sovereignty based on the original annexation. In 1978, the United Nations Security Council provided for bilateral negotiations between South Africa and a future Namibia to resolve the political status of Walvis Bay.
In 1990, South-West Africa gained independence. A new nation, Namibia, was born but Walvis Bay remained under South African control. It took until 1994 for Walvis Bay to be formally returned to Namibia after the local business community and investors in Walvis Bay applied pressure on the South African authorities to resolve the political status of Walvis Bay. It was formally transferred to Namibian sovereignty at midnight on 28 February 1994.
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