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.

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 825,418 km²
Land: 825,418 km²

Land boundaries: total 3,824 km, Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 855 km, Zambia 233 km

Coastline: 1,572 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic 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, 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.)

Natural hazards: NA

Population: 1,595,567 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 3.45% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Namibian(s)

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

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

Population growth rate: 3.45% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 43.4 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 8.87 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: very limited natural water resources; desertification

Infant mortality rate: 61.8 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 61.65 years
Male: 58.97 years
Female: 64.4 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Windhoek

Administrative divisions: 13 districts; Erango, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Liambezi, Ohanguena, Okarango, Omaheke, Omusat, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa

Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

National holiday: Independence Day, 21 March (1990)

Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government:President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990; election last held 16 February 1990 (next to be held March 1995; results - Sam NUJOMA was elected president by the Constituent Assembly (now the National Assembly)

Legislative branch: National Defense Force (Army), Police
National Council: elections last held 30 November-3 December 1992 (next to be held by December 1998); seats - (26 total) SWAPO 19, DTA 6, UDF 1
National Assembly: elections last held on 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held by November 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA 21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Howard F. JETER
From the us chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
From the us telephone: [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680
From the us fax: (202) 986-0443
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 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

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 growth rate: 3.5% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $2,500 (1993 est.)

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

Industrial production 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: 30% (1992)

Budget: revenues:$941 million

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Exports: $1.289 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodities: diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins
Partners: Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Japan

Imports: $1.178 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment
Partners: South Africa, Germany, US, Switzerland

Debt external: about $220 million (1992 est.)

Exchange rates: South African rand (R) per US$1 - 3.4096 (January 1994), 3.2678 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7653 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 490,000 kW
Production: 1.29 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 850 kWh (1991)

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

Airports: 136
Usable: 109
With permanentsurface runways: 21
With runways over 3659 m: 1
With runways 2440-3659 m: 4
With runways 1220-2439 m: 64

Disputes international: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with South Africa over Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands has been resolved and these territories were transferred to Namibian sovereignty on 1 March 1994