Walvis Bay is a part of Namibia that was formerly a district of South Africa. It lies in west-central Namibia along the Atlantic Ocean. Walvis Bay covers 434 square miles (1,124 square kilometers). Its largest city, also called Walvis Bay, is Namibia’s chief port.
Portuguese sailors were the first white people to see the Walvis Bay area. They landed there in 1487, but Black Africans had settled in the area long before. Walvis Bay came under British rule in 1878 as part of the Cape Colony. In 1910, the Cape Colony became one of the four colonies that formed South Africa. From 1922 through 1977, South Africa administered Walvis Bay as part of Namibia, then called South West Africa. In 1978, South Africa began to govern Walvis Bay directly.
South Africa kept Walvis Bay after Namibia became independent in 1990. But Namibian leaders sought to make the district part of their country. In 1994, South Africa turned the district over to Namibia.
