Map of Namibia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: South Africa occupied the German colony of Sud-West Afrika during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Independence came in 1990.


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Location:

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 824,290 km²
Land: 823,290 km²

Land boundaries:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Coastline

Maritime claims

Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east

Elevation

Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 64%
Forest and woodland: 22%
Other: 13%

Irrigated land: 40 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 1,541,321 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Namibian(s)
Adjective: Namibian

Ethnic groups: black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%

Languages: English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages

Religions: Christian

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 43.77 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 9.13 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification
Current issues note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 63.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Male: 58.57 years
Female: 63.91 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.46 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1960)
Total population: 38%
Male: 45%
Female: 31%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
Conventional short form: Namibia

Government type: republic

Capital: Windhoek

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

National holiday: Independence Day, 21 March (1990)

Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of an upper house or National Council and a lower house or National Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH
In the us chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20,009 (mailing address is PO Box 34,738, Washington, DC 20,043)
In the us telephone: (202) 986-0540
From the us embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St., Windhoek
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 9,890, Windhoek 9,000
From the us telephone: 264 (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680
From the us fax: 264 (61) 229-792

Flag description: a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 25% of GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. More than half the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,300 (1992 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 15% of GDP; mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising major source of cash income; crops - millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled, 1988 catch reaching only 384,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in food

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 4.9% (1991; accounts for 35% of GDP, including mining

Labor force: 500,000
By occupation agriculture: 60%
By occupation industry and commerce: 19%
By occupation services: 8%
By occupation government: 7%
By occupation mining: 6% (1981est.)

Unemployment rate: 25-35% (1992)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $864 million; expenditures $1,112 million, including capital expenditures of $144 million (FY 92)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.184 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins
Partners: Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Japan

Imports: $1.238 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment
Partners: South Africa, Germany, US, Switzerland

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: South African rand (R) per US$1 - 3.1576 (May 1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7653 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988)


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Electricity
Production: 490,000 kW capacity; 1,290 million kWh produced, 850 kWh per capita (1991) lead, zinc, diamond, uranium)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $66 million, 3.4% of GDP (FY92)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 137
Usable: 112
With permanentsurface runways: 21
With runways over 3659 m: 1
With runways 2440-3659 m: 4
With runways 1220-2439 m: 62

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international:

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs