Gobabis

**Gobabis** is a toun in eastren Namibie. It is the regional caipital o the Omaheke Region, an the destrict caipital o the Gobabis electoral constituency. Gobabis is situatit 200&nbsp;km (124 mile) doun the B6 motorway frae Windhoek tae Botswana.  The toun is 110&nbsp;km (68 mile) frae the Buitepos border post wi Botswana, an serves as an important link tae Sooth Africae on the tarred Trans-Kalahari Hieway. Gobabis is in the hert o the cattle farmin aurie. In fact Gobabis is sae proud o its cattle farmin that a statue o a lairge Brahman bull wi the inscription "Cattle Country" (i.e, "Cattle Kintra") greets visitors tae the toun. Gobabis borders the Kalahari Desert, an is tradeetionally in the land o the Herero fowk.

## History
### Etymology an pre-colonial history
The aurie arouod Gobabis an alang the Nossob River haed a strang population o elephants. The dounset itself wis a base camp for ivory hunters an a trading post for elephant tusks.

In 1856 a mission station wis established bi ane Friederich Eggert o the Rhenish Missionary Society. In the latter hauf o the 19t century an the early 20t century several conflicts flared up atween the Mbanderu an the Khauas Khoikhoi, as well as atween the settlers an the indigenous fowk. Gobabis is in an aurie whaur the Herero an the Nama fowk focht wars against ane anither, as well as wi settlers frae the Cape colony that occupied the land.

Accordin tae oral tradeetion, the earliest name for the dounset in this aurie wis the Khoekhoegowab wird ǂkhoandabes, *the place whaur the elephant came tae lick*. This reason for this name is speculatit tae be that elephant tusks that wad crack in the dry an het climate o the Omaheke wur at times stored richt in the dounset's well.

Later the place wis cawed "Gobabis" bi the Whites, this expression wis likely derived frae goba (argue, quarrel) an bis (place): *The place whaur fowk quarreled*. A common earlier interpretation o the name, ǂkhoa (Elephant) -bis (place), *Elephant fountain* wis introduced bi Heinrich Vedder an gained wide acceptance. Apairt frae linguistic problems, this interpretation wis contradictit bi an 1845 letter bi Reverend Joseph Tindall, a Wesleyan missionary, which states: "Reached Gobabis which I named 'Elephant's funtain'" - a place name lik "Place o Altercation" wad no bode too well for the missionary station he intendit tae establish.

### Colonial
The Gobabis destrict wis proclaimed bi the German authorities in Februar 1894 an in Juin the follaein year Gobabis wis occupied bi a German garrison. While the military fort, biggit in 1896-7, haes lang syne disappeared, ane o the few buildings datin back tae that era is the field hospital, or Lazarette, which haes been declared a naitional monument.

## Geografie

### Climate
Gobabis haes a semi-arid climate (*BSh*, accordin tae the Köppen climate classification), wi het simmers an cuil winters (wi mild days an chilly nichts). The average annual precipitation is .

## Economy
Gobabis continues tae grow as a toun due tae guids crossin frae the mines o landlocked Botswana tae the Namibian port o Walvis Bay, an furthermore frae consumer guids bein importit intae Namibie frae Johannesburg in Sooth Africae. Gobabis is connected tae the Namibian railwey seestem. The passenger train that uised tae run tae the caipital Windhoek fower times a week nae langer takes passangers. The toun hosts twa hospitals, a clinic, bankin an shoppin facilities. Legare Stadium is locatit in the toun.

## Notable landmarks
 The maist notable laundmerk upon enterin Gobabis frae Windhoek is the Cattle Country Statue.

## Sister ceeties
*  Drachten, the Netherlands
*  Smallingerland, the Netherlands

## References