What is South West Africa?
{{other uses|South West Africa (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox Former Country |native_name = ''{{lang|af|Suidwes-Afrika}}''<br>''{{lang|nl|Zuidwest-Afrika}}''<br>''{{lang|de|Südwestafrika}}'' |conventional_long_name = South West Africa |common_name = |status = League of Nations Mandate |empire = South Africa |year_start = 1915 |year_end = 1990 |life_span = 1915–1990 |event_end = Independence |date_end = 21 March |event1 = [[Treaty of Versailles]] |date_event1 = 1919 |p1 = German South West Africa |flag_p1 = Reichskolonialflagge.svg |s1 = Namibia |flag_s1 = Flag of Namibia.svg |image_flag = Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg |flag_type = Flag (1928-1990) |image_map = LocationNamibia.svg |image_map_caption = Location of South West Africa |capital = [[Windhoek]] |currency = [[South West African pound]] (1920–61) <br> [[South African rand]] (1961–93) |common_languages = [[English language|English]], [[Afrikaans]], [[Khoekhoe language|Khoekhoe]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]] (1915-1983) and [[German language|German]] (1884-1990) |url=http://www.az.com.na/fileadmin/pdf/2007/deutsch_in_namibia_2007_07_18.pdf }} '''South West Africa''' ({{lang-af|Süidwes-Afrika}}; {{lang-nl|Zuidwest-Afrika}}; {{lang-de|Südwestafrika}}) was the name used for [[Namibia]] when it was ruled by the [[German Empire]] and later [[Union of South Africa]] and [[South Africa|Republic of South Africa]]. == German colony == {{Main|German South West Africa}} From 1884 to 1915, South West Africa was a German colony under the name of [[German South West Africa]] ({{lang-de|Deutsch-Südwestafrika}}, DSWA). Germany had a difficult time ruling the territory, and it experienced many insurgencies. The main port city, [[Walvis Bay]], and the [[Penguin Islands]] were annexed by [[United Kingdom| Great Britain]] in 1878 as a part of the [[British Cape Colony|Cape Colony]], which became a part of the [[Union of South Africa]] on 31 May 1910. == South African rule == In 1915, South