Uis

Even at its peak, the town of Uis (formerly Uis Mine) was a mere extension of the mine that was its raison d'etre. Uis means 'spring of water' in the Damara language, but the small spring here was not enough to sustain the substantial mining operations that started in this area.

The landscape reveals interesting geology intruded by black-coloured streaks and blobs, which, to those in the know, indicates the presence of tin in the rocks. Tin mines started, and failed, and finally got going in a big way in the mid 1960s when the water problem was solved by a pipeline from the distant Omaruru River.

Much of the town's population left when the mine closed, and the little town that remains is fighting for survival, using tourism as a crucial source of income.

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