Oompa-Loompas are known for their short stature, green hair, orange skin and white pants with protruding knees. In early editions of the novel, Oompa-Loompas are shown as African pygmies. Following growing controversy and criticism, in later editions of the book, Oompa-Loompas are white skinned and golden haired. In some of Roald Dahl's earlier versions of the book, Oompa-Loompas were originally called "Whipple-Scrumpets". This was changed just before the publication of the book.
Oompa-Loompas come from Loompaland, which is a region of Loompa, a small isolated area in West Africa. The Oompa-Loompas would end up being preyed upon or attacked by Whangdoodles, Hornswogglers and Snozzwangers, which also lived there. Wonka ended up inviting them to work at his factory and get away from their natural predators. In the book, Oompa-Loompas are the only people Willy Wonka will allow to work in his factory, because of the risk of industrial espionage committed by his candy-making rivals. Oompa-Loompas are only knee-high, with astonishing haircuts, and are paid in their favourite food, cacao beans, which were extremely rare in their island. Oompa-Loompas insist on maintaining their native clothing: men wear skins, women wear leaves, and children wear nothing (in the 1971 film, the Oompa Loompas wore Germanic clothing with striped shirts and baggy lederhosen-like pants, in the 2005 film, the Oompa Loompas wore tribal clothing in their native Loompaland and typical factory worker uniforms in the factory).
In the 2005 film, a female Oompa-Loompa secretary Mr. Wonka addresses as Doris (when the Great Glass Elevator passes through the Administration Offices) is seen with the other Oompa-Loompas that work there. Though in Quentin Blake's illustrations both male and female Oompa-Loompas are shown rolling away Violet Beauregarde after her transformation into a blueberry. Presumably the females remain in the village seen briefly from the Great Glass Elevator.
Oompa-Loompas are also mischievous, love practical jokes, singing and are very good at improvising according to Wonka. As each bad child makes his/her exit, Oompa-Loompas sing moralising songs accompanied by a drum beat, and tend to speak in rhyme.
In the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Oompa-Loompas are portrayed as orange-skinned. The Vermicious Knids were the enemies of the Oompa-Loompas alongside the Whangdoodles, Hornswogglers, and Snozzwangers.
Read more about this topic: Snozzwanger