The Basters (also known as Baasters or Rehoboth Basters) are the descendents of liaisons between the Cape Colony Dutch and indigenous African women. They largely live in Namibia and are similar to Coloured or Griqua people in South Africa. Map of European presence in 1652 The Cape Colony was a part of South Africa under British occupation during the 19th century. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second_largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... In the South African context, the term Coloured refers to various people of mixed Bantu, Khoisan, and European descent (with some Malay or Indian ancestry, especially in the Western Cape) together with some racially pure Khoisans. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Griqua are a subgroup of South Africas heterogeneous and multiracial Coloured people. ...

The name Baster is derived from the Dutch word for ‘mixed race’ (or ‘bastard’). While some people consider this term pejorative, the Basters proudly use the term as an indication of their history in the same way as the Métis or "New People" of Canada. Heavily Calvinist, Basters sing hymns identical to those heard in seventeenth century Netherlands and the religious fervour of the Basters is clear from their motto: "Groei in Geloof" (Grow in your faith). Known as "the last dregs of the Great Trek", most Basters see themselves as white rather than black, still speak Afrikaans, sport Dutch names and take pride in being considered more Dutch than the Dutch. A métis is a person born to parents who belong to different groups defined by visible physical differences, chiefly colour of skin. ... In an unadorned church, the 17th century congregation stands to hear the sermon. ... In South African history, the Great Trek was an eastward and north-eastward migration of the Boers, descendants primarily of immigrants from western mainland Europe. ... Afrikaans is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia. ...

The Basters left their original home in the Cape Colony in 1868 to trek northwards in search of land and settled in Rehoboth (in what is now central Namibia). In 1872, the Basters founded the "Free Republic of Rehoboth", designed a German influenced national flag and produced a constitution that continues to govern the actions of the Baster to the current day. While they remain predominately based around Rehoboth, some Basters continued to trek northward, settling in the southern Angolan city of Lubango, where they are known as the Ouivamo (many of these were forced to return to Namibia between 1928 and 1930 by white South Africans, who couldn't understand why their illiterate and deeply religious cousins wanted to live amongst the `savages’). 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Rehoboth, town [population 2005: 21,378], central Namibia. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Lubango, formerly known as Sá da Bandeira in the Portuguese colonial period, is the capital city of the Angolan province of Huila. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Following the German annexation of German South-West Africa, the Basters worked with the German colonialists and fought on the German side during the Herero Wars. As a result, they were able to keep their land and cattle while the Nama and the Herero were stripped of their rights and shipped off to Concentration camps. The cooperation between the Basters and the German Empire ended on 8 May 1915 when Germany declared war on the Basters following the Basters refusal to assist the German war effort in World War I. Considering themselves South African, the Basters offered to serve with the South African forces during the war but were rebuffed by General Louis Botha, who said that coloureds should not concern themselves with a war between South Africa and Germany. Flag of German South West Africa German South-West Africa (German: Deutsch-S dwestafrika or DSWA) was a colony of Germany from 1884 to 1915, when it was taken over by South Africa and administered as South-West Africa, later becoming Namibia. ... German troops in combat with the Herero in a painting by Richard Knötel The Herero Wars were a series of colonial wars between German forces and the Herero tribe of southwestern Africa. ... A concentration camp is a large detention center created for political opponents, aliens, specific ethnic or religious groups, civilians of a critical war-zone, or other groups of people, often during a war. ... Jump to: navigation, search May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... Louis Botha Louis Botha (September 17, 1862-August 27, 1919) was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the modern South African state, then called the Union of South Africa. ...

Some Basters continue to push the legitimacy of the Free Republic of Rehoboth. It is claimed the republic was recognised by the League of Nations and that according to international law, the Republic should retain the status of a sovereign nation. In 1952, the Basters presented a petition to the United Nations to this effect, with no visible result. In 1979, South Africa offered the Basters self determination if they fought against South-West Africa People's Organisation, the Namibian independence movement. The Basters refused, deciding to remain neutral and settling instead for a semi-autonomous Baster homeland (known as “Baster Gebiet”) based around Rehoboth, similar to the South African Bantustans. Baster Gebiet would exist until 29 July 1989 and the imminent independence of Namibia. Jump to: navigation, search The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. ... Jump to: navigation, search Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, group of people or oneself. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945. ... Jump to: navigation, search This page refers to the year 1979. ... Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ... The South West African Peoples Organization is a political party in Namibia. ... Unofficial Flag of Rehoboth Rehoboth (or Basterland) was a bantustan in South West Africa (present-day Namibia), intended by the apartheid government to be a self-governing homeland for the Baster people. ... Map of the black homelands in South Africa as of 1986 Bantustan refers to any of the territories designated as tribal homelands for black South Africans (and Namibians) during the apartheid era. ... Jump to: navigation, search July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Many Basters continue to seek autonomy for their affairs and Baster nationalism is represented in the Namibian political process through the Rehoboth Freedom Party. Many Basters remain suspicious of the Namibian government, especially in the extension of sufferage to women; although not explicitly clear, the 1872 Constitution of the Baster Community does not provide for female leaders or women being given the vote. The tradition of the Basters can also be seen by the fact that they have had only three leaders (known as "Kapteins") since 1872; Hermanus van Wyk, the 'Moses' of the Baster nation who led the community to Rehoboth from South Africa, Johannes "Hans" Diergaardt and John McNab.

While the current numbers of Basters remain unclear (figures between 20 000 and 40 000 are given), the Basters are concerned that their unique heritage will be lost in a modern Namibia led by the descendents of the people whose anti-colonialist rebellions the Baster helped to quell.