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Household Economies
Diversity and vigour are the
main features of the region's economy, now to be seen in the many and
increasing numbers of businesses, entrepreneurs and trading activities.
Perceptions of a single subsistence economy are thus wrong. The vibrant
economy evolved during a long history of changing environmental
conditions that provided both economic opportunities and constraints.
These, in turn, prompted the development of kingdoms, trade over long
distances, and migrant labour. Most households now engage in a variety
of economic activities, with incomes from subsistence, employment and
diverse business activities contributing to most homes.
There are large disparities
in wealth between households: big households with many family members
are much wealthier than small ones. Large, wealthy households have a
greater diversity of incomes, more labour, more livestock, bigger fields
and more access to cash than poor homes. They are thus exposed to less
risk in the event of mishap or disaster, but they also consume far more
natural resources than anyone else.
Illustrations:
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Major trade routes and
centres of migrant labour
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Households and cash
incomes
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Households and annual
consumption
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Annual consumption by
gender of head of household
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Cereal and meat
production v. consumption
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Homes with numbers of
dependents per producer
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Variation in the number
of people per household
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Average number of goats
& cattle & areas of cultivated land
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Map showing positions of
individual homes, near Engela
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The number of vehicles
traveling along the Okahao - Tsandi and the Oshakati - Uutapi roads
during the 1990s
To
view the illustration in more detail, click on the thumbnail.
 Major
trade routes and centres of migrant labour (205 KB)
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 Percentage
of households having various cash incomes (64 KB)
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 Proportion
of households having different annual consumption 1994 (85 KB)
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 Proportion
of households having different annual consumption by gender of head of
household 1994 (114 KB)
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 Percentage
of households that produce different proportions of the cereal and meat
they consume (79 KB)
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 Proportion
of households having different annual consumption by gender of head of
household 1994 (52 KB)
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 Variation
in the number of people per household (66 KB)
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 Average
number of goats and cattle and areas of cultivated land per person in
the four wealth groups (73 KB)
download
jpg image
 Map
of an area near Engela, showing the positions of individual homes (465
KB)
download jpg image
 The
number of vehicles traveling along the Okahao - Tsandi and the Oshakati
- Uutapi roads during the 1990s (61 KB)
download jpg image
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