Postage Stamps, South Africa

Postage Stamps, South Africa

“1952 — 14 March. Tercentenary of the landing of Van Riebeeck.” (Rosenthal & Blum 1969:152).

Date 1952 Origin South Africa Size 40mm x 24mm Acquired March 2021 From Rosebank Market, Jhb Price R250 for collector’s album

South-West Africa

“South-West Africa. Territory administered by the Republic of South Africa. Its 317,887 sq. miles make it considerably larger than any single province in the Republic. From north to south it measures 1,300 miles. For reasons of convenience, Walvis Bay and its environs, covering 374 sq. miles, though actually a part of the Cape Province, are administered along with the rest of the territory. Save for a barren coastal zone, mainly occupied by sandhills, South-West Africa comprises a series of great plateaux, and desert conditions prevail over considerable areas. The principal rivers are the Orange (q.v.), which forms the southern boundary, the Cunene (q.v.), on the northern boundary, the Zambesi, on which South-West Africa abuts along the Caprivi Zipfel (q.v.), the Okavango, the Chobe or Linyanti and the Kwando. There are also relatively small rivers like the Swakop and Kuisep. Colonisation of South-West Africa began with the advent of early white traders from the Cape in the 18th and early 19th centuries, who were followed (about 1840) by missionaries, mainly from Germany. Several of their stations have since become towns, including Keetmashoop and the capital, Windhoek. In 1884 Adolf Lüderitz (q.v.), with the approval of Bismarck, established German authority first at Angra Pequena, the renamed Lüderitzbucht, and soon afterwards inland. During the ensuing years the difficulty in subduing the native tribes culminated in the Herero War (q.v.). The discovery of diamonds in 1908 gave a great impetus to prosperity, and substantially added to the number of white settlers, who, by the time the First World War broke out, numbered about 20,000. Railways were built, towns laid out and wireless installations provided. During World War I forces from the Union defeated the German troops in South-West Africa, who surrendered at Korab in 1915. The country remained under military administration until 1919, when under the Treaty of Versailles Germany renounced the ownership of her colonies, which were placed under the League of Nations. The latter in its turn entrusted the mandate over South-West Africa to the Union, which formally accepted it on September 12, 191. From January 1, 1921, civil administration began under an Administrator, and in 1925 South-West Africa received its own

Legislative Assembly. Since 1949 the territory has been represented in the Union parliament by 4 Senators and 6 Members in the House of Assembly. The population is estimated at about 500,000, of which about 87,000 are Whites. Rehoboth (q.v.) possesses certain traditional rights of self-government, while most of the native tribes are under their own chiefs in reserves. Following the establishment of the United Nations, the rights of the former League of Nations were taken over, and the Union began submitting annual reports, as it had done to the League of Nations. Criticism and attacks on the Union policy led to their suspension. The principal industries of South-West Africa are: the production of diamonds (q.v.), most of which come from the semi-desert coastal zone, and the cultivation of karakul skins, which have created a market of international importance. Among the