Stampriet

Village in Hardap Region, Namibia Stampriet is a village in the Hardap Region of central Namibia. It had 3,388 inhabitants in 2023. Geography Stampriet is located 64 km (40 mi) north-east of Mariental and 1,177 m (3,862 ft) above sea level, in a barren area on the upper reaches of the Auob River where humans and animals alike depend on borehole water. Stampriet is the administrative center of the Mariental Rural electoral constituency. History Stampriet was founded in 1898 as a trading post in what was then German South West Africa. It was the scene of many battles between German and Nama troops. In 1970, the population included 70 whites, 1 mixed-race person, and 195 blacks. The name Stampriet is an Afrikaans translation of the Khoekhoe name Aams. Given that stamp is Afrikaans for "bump," and riet is Afrikaans for "reed," it is likely named ever after the reeds one must trample to reach the watering hole or as a place where the "reed dance" or Umhlanga (ceremony), the famed royal ritual in southern Africa, was held. At first it was called Stamprietfontein, but the suffix was abandoned later. Economy and infrastructure The local boreholes are strong, sometimes yielding up to 3.5 mi