Namaqualand, region in western South Africa, part of Northern Cape province. Namaqualand, sometimes called Little Namaqualand, is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Western Cape province, and on the north by the Orange River, which forms the border with Namibia. The region covers an area of 47,962 sq km (18,518 sq mi).

Namaqualand contains three distinct terrains: a sandy coastal plain along the Atlantic, a central mountainous area with peaks up to 1700 m (5,600 ft), and a high plateau in the east. It is an arid region, with 50 to 300 mm (2 to 12 in) of annual precipitation. Average temperatures along the coast remain in the 12° to 18° C (54° to 64° F) range throughout the year, while inland locations have warmer summers and more variable weather. The cold Benguela Current, an ocean current that sweeps northward along the southwestern coast of Africa, is responsible for the low precipitation, frequent fog, and lower temperatures along the coast. Because of low precipitation and soil infertility, Namaqualand has sparse, stunted semidesert and desert vegetation. Nevertheless, the region is known for the profusion of wildflowers that bloom briefly after the spring rains.

Namaqualand has a population of 67,000 (1995) and an average density of only about 1 person per sq km (about 4 per sq mi). Three-quarters of the occupants live in rural areas and the rest in five small towns—Springbok, Port Nolloth, Steinkopf, Garies, and Kamieskroon. Approximately 75 percent of the population is of mixed racial descent. About 18 percent are whites, and the remaining 7 percent are blacks. The name Namaqualand refers to the Nama-speaking people (the Khoikhoi) who were once predominant in the region. The Khoikhoi and the San, another indigenous people, are no longer identifiable as distinct groups in Namaqualand. With European settlement in the 19th century, some of the Khoikhoi and San migrated north across the Orange River to inhabit an area that came to be known as Great Namaland, while others died from diseases brought by Europeans. The San were often hunted down by settlers and killed, but many Khoikhoi became gradually assimilated into the white culture and intermarried with whites. Afrikaans is now the primary language of the region, although English, Nama, and Xhosa are also used.

The economy of Namaqualand is based primarily on mining. The native population mined and traded copper before the first whites arrived. Modern exploitation of the richest copper deposits, at Okiep, began in the early 1860s; today Okiep remains South Africa's second largest source of copper. Rich alluvial diamond deposits were found in 1926 on the coast near Alexander Bay. About one-fifth of South Africa's diamond production comes from a major mine near Port Nolloth and from smaller onshore and offshore workings along the coast. Several other minerals are mined, including feldspar, beryllium, sillimanite, lead, and zinc. Earnings from work in the mines are crucial for the survival of many poor rural families. The majority of the population is engaged in agriculture, both small-scale subsistence farming and large-scale sheep ranching. A large commercial fishery is based at Port Nolloth. The main road from Cape Town to Namibia passes through the heart of Namaqualand, serving the local economy and affording access for tourists, who come to see the wildflowers and to visit Richtersveld National Park, located along the Orange River. Namaqualand also has disposal sites for imported toxic and nuclear waste, causing concern among residents.