Background: South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa 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.

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S 17 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 825,418 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 825,418 km²
Comparative: slightly more than half the size of Alaska

Land boundaries
Total: 3,936 km
Border countries: (4) Angola 1,376 km; , Botswana 1,360 km; , South Africa 967 km; , Zambia 233 km

Coastline: 1572 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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m

Natural resources
Note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Land use
Arable land: 0.99%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 99.01% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 70 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: prolonged periods of drought

Geography
Note: first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

Population
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 1.19% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Namibian
Adjective: Namibian

Ethnic groups
Note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%

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

Religions: Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least) indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.6% (male 392,706; female 382,690)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 490,151; female 488,052)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 29,345; female 37,972) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.19% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 34.17 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 22.28 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Environment
Current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 72.43 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 38.97 years
Female: 37.07 years (2002 est.)
Male: 40.81 years

Total fertility rate: 4.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 19.54% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 160,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 18,000 (1999 est.)

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

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
Conventional short form: Namibia
Former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa

Government type: republic

Capital: Windhoek

Administrative divisions: 13 regions; Caprivi Erongo Hardap Karas Khomas Kunene Ohangwena Okavango Omaheke Omusati 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: President Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990)
Head of government: Prime Minister Theo-Ben GURIRAB (since 28 August 2002)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 30 November-1 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
Election results: Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA elected president; percent of vote - Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA 77%

Legislative branch
Elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to determine members of the National Council, held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held by December 2004); National Assembly - last held 30 November-1 December 1999 (next to be held by December 2004)
Note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body
Election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SWAPO 21, DTA 4, UDF 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 76%, COD 10%, DTA 9%, UDF 3%, MAG 1%, other 1%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 7, DTA 7, UDF 2, MAG 1,

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)

Political parties and leaders: Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA president]; Monitor Action Group or MAG [Kosie PRETORIUS]; South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB C CCC ECA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO (correspondent) ITU NAM OAU OPCW SACU SADC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMEE UPU WCL WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Leonard Nangolo IIPUMBU
In the us chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us fax: [1] (202) 986-0443
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin J. McGUIRE
From the us embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek
From the us mailing address: Private Bag 12,029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek
From the us telephone: [264] (61) 221,601
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 extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead zinc tin silver and tungsten. About half of the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood. Namibia must import some of its food. Although per capita GDP is five times the per capita GDP of Africa's poorest countries the majority of Namibia's people live in pronounced poverty because of large-scale unemployment the great inequality of income distribution and the large amount of wealth going to foreigners. The Namibian economy has close links to South Africa. Agreement has been reached on the privatization of several more enterprises in coming years which should stimulate long-run foreign investment.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11%
Industry: 28%
Services: 61% (2000 est.)

Agriculture products: millet sorghum peanuts; livestock; fish

Industries: meatpacking fish processing dairy products; mining (diamond lead zinc tin silver tungsten uranium copper)

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 500,000
By occupation agriculture: 47%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 33% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 30% to 40% including underemployment (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $883 million
Expenditures: $950 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998) (1998)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.8% (2001)

Exports: $1.58 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: diamonds copper gold zinc lead uranium; cattle processed fish karakul skins
Partners: UK 43% South Africa 26% Spain 14% France 8% Japan (1998 est.)

Imports: $1.71 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel machinery and equipment chemicals
Partners: South Africa 81% US 4% Germany 2% (1997 est.)

Debt external: $217 million (2000 est.)

Exchange rates: Namibian dollars per US dollar - 11.58786 (January 2002) 8.60918 (2001) 6.93983 (2000) 6.10948 (1999) 5.52828 (1998) 4.60796 (1997)

Electricity
Production: 30 million kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 2%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source hydro: 98%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 890.9 million kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports note: supplied by South Africa (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 110,200 (2000)
Mobile cellular: 82,000 (2000 est)

Telephone system
General assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each 100 persons
Domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are by open wire; 100% digital
International: fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002)

Internet
Country code: .na
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 45,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $104.4 million (2001)
Percent of gdp: 2.6% (FY97/98)

Airports: 137 (2001)
With paved runways total: 21
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 13
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 114
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 22
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 71
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 19 (2002)

Railways
Total: 2,382 km
Narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2001)

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Disputes international: none