Karibib

History

Originally Karibib was a waterhole known to the Herero under the name Otjandjomboimwe. Expecting business opportunities arising from the railway construction between Swakopmund and Windhoek, Eduard Hälbich, merchant at Otjimbingwe, bought the waterhole and 20,000 hectares of land surrounding it from Herero headman Zacharias Zeraua. The deal was finalised on 7 January 1895, the purchase price was 22,500 marks (ℳ), two ox wagons, and 742 pounds 5 shillings that Zeraua had incurred in debts in Hälbich's shop in Otjimbingwe. Karibib began to grow quickly when on 30 May 1900 the railway construction reached the newly founded place. 1 June 1900 marks the day of the official foundation of Karibib at the occasion of the first train arriving from Swakopmund. The railway station was built, a medical practice, storage facilities, a prison, and living quarters were erected, and the population rose to 274. This development disadvantaged the settlement of Otjimbingwe; ox wagons that before would travel via Otjimbingwe on the Alter Baiweg (Old bay path) would now take the route through Karibib.

Geography

Karibib comprises of town land.

Most-observed species

• Pale Chanting-Goshawk

  Melierax canorus (Thunberg, 1799) · Aves
  82
• White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

  Plocepasser mahali A.Smith, 1836 · Aves
  74
• Cape Starling

  Lamprotornis nitens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  47
• Little Swift

  Apus affinis (J.E.Gray, 1830) · Aves
  46
• Southern Fiscal

  Lanius collaris Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  37
• Namaqua Dove

  Oena capensis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  30
• Ring-necked Dove

  Streptopelia capicola (Sundevall, 1857) · Aves
  25
• Short-toed Rock-Thrush

  Monticola brevipes (Waterhouse, 1838) · Aves
  23

Most recent

• M 3.5 — 2019-03-02
  24 km ENE of Karibib, Namibia