On what date did Namibia become independent?

Namibia became independent on 21 March 1990. The date marked the end of South African administration and the birth of the independent Republic of Namibia.

Namibia had previously been known as South West Africa. Germany established colonial rule there in the late nineteenth century, and South Africa later administered the territory, including under a League of Nations mandate after the First World War.

The independence process followed years of conflict involving South African forces and the South West Africa People’s Organisation, or SWAPO. A United Nations-supervised transition led to elections for a constituent assembly in 1989, followed by independence in 1990.

Sam Nujoma became Namibia’s first president. The country’s independence date is celebrated annually as Independence Day, a national public holiday.