À partir de XVIᵉ siècle
Cuvelai Basin, southern Angola
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Ovambo were a group of southern Angolan peoples whose societies developed around the Cuvelai river basin between the Cunene and Cubango (Okavango). Their settlement and agricultural system adapted to sandy, arid conditions and irregular rainfall through irrigation, livestock manure, river management, and drought-resistant millet and sorghum. Political authority was linked to environmental management: the king acted as rainmaker, allocated land, and organized dams and irrigation works.
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Le récit
The Ovambo inhabited the Cuvelai river basin in southern Angola, between the Cunene and Cubango, also known as the Okavango. The region was sandy and arid, with irregular rainfall, yet the rise of the Cuvelai and the flooding of grassy savannas enabled the inhabitants to create highly productive settled landscapes. Nineteenth-century travellers described inhabited parts of the region as resembling gardens.
Ovambo agriculture depended on managing water and soil fertility. Communities irrigated their farms and used livestock to manure the land, combining cultivation with stockbreeding in an environment where drought posed a constant challenge. Millet and sorghum remained staple crops because of their resistance to dry conditions, while groundnuts, beans, and some maize were known but less fully integrated than in central Angola.
Political authority was inseparable from production. The king was regarded as the rainmaker, distributed land, and organized river damming and other irrigation works. This relationship between royal power, environmental management, and agricultural intensification helped consolidate settlement and contributed to the development of a shared historical experience among the Ovambo peoples.
À partir de XVIᵉ siècle
Cuvelai Basin, southern Angola
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Ovambo were a group of southern Angolan peoples whose societies developed around the Cuvelai river basin between the Cunene and Cubango (Okavango). Their settlement and agricultural system adapted to sandy, arid conditions and irregular rainfall through irrigation, livestock manure, river management, and drought-resistant millet and sorghum. Political authority was linked to environmental management: the king acted as rainmaker, allocated land, and organized dams and irrigation works.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
The Ovambo inhabited the Cuvelai river basin in southern Angola, between the Cunene and Cubango, also known as the Okavango. The region was sandy and arid, with irregular rainfall, yet the rise of the Cuvelai and the flooding of grassy savannas enabled the inhabitants to create highly productive settled landscapes. Nineteenth-century travellers described inhabited parts of the region as resembling gardens.
Ovambo agriculture depended on managing water and soil fertility. Communities irrigated their farms and used livestock to manure the land, combining cultivation with stockbreeding in an environment where drought posed a constant challenge. Millet and sorghum remained staple crops because of their resistance to dry conditions, while groundnuts, beans, and some maize were known but less fully integrated than in central Angola.
Political authority was inseparable from production. The king was regarded as the rainmaker, distributed land, and organized river damming and other irrigation works. This relationship between royal power, environmental management, and agricultural intensification helped consolidate settlement and contributed to the development of a shared historical experience among the Ovambo peoples.
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