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.

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 1,489 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

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

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

Land use: arable land: 1%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 64%; forest and woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Geography
Note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia

Population: 1,520,504 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Namibian(s; adjective--Namibian

Ethnic groups: black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%; about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe

Languages: English is official language; Afrikaans is common language of most of population and about 60% of white population, German 32%, English 7%; several indigenous languages

Religions: predominantly Christian

Birth rate: 45 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 10 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Environment
Current issues: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification

Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 58 years male, 63 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1991)

Literacy: 38% (male 45%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1960)

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Namibia

Government type: republic

Capital: Windhoek

Administrative divisions: the former administrative structure of 26 districts has been abolished and 14 temporary regions are still in the process of being determined; note--the 26 districts were Bethanien, Boesmanland, Caprivi Oos, Damaraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein, Hereroland Oos, Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland, Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz, Maltahohe, Mariental, Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek

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

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990)

Legislative branch: National Defense Force (Army), Police

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: C, ECA (associate), FAO, FLS, IAEA, IBRD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, WCL, WFTU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH; Chancery at 1413 K Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20,005 (mailing address is PO Box 34,738, Washington DC 20,043; telephone (202) 289-3,871; US--Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES; Embassy at Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St., Windhoek (mailing address is P. O. Box 9,890, Windhoek 9,000, Namibia; telephone [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680

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 which is contrasted by two narrow white edge borders Namibia NamibiaNamibia

Economy overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 30% 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, and it has substantial resources of coal. More than half the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood.

Agriculture products: 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, 1987 catch reaching only 520,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in food

Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc, diamond, uranium)

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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

Unemployment rate: over 30% (1990)

Budget: revenues $794.1 million; expenditures $999.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

Exports: $1,021 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: uranium, diamonds, zinc, copper, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins
Partners: Switzerland, South Africa, FRG, Japan

Imports: $894 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment
Partners: South Africa, FRG, US, Switzerland

Debt external: about $27 million at independence; under a 1971 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia may not be liable for debt incurred during its colonial period

Exchange rates: South African rand (R) per US$1--2.625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 486,000 kW capacity; 1,280 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $NA, 4.9% of GNP (1986)

Airports: 143 total, 123 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 67 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Disputes international: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa