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 became 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. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S 17 00 E

Area
Rank: 34
Comparative: slightly more than half the size of Alaska

Coastline: 1572 km

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 silver lead tin lithium cadmium tungsten zinc salt hydropower fish

Irrigated land: 80 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 45.5 km³ (1991)

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: 2,165,828 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 143
Growth rate: 0.817% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 133
Below poverty line: 55.8%

Ethnic groups: black 87.5% white 6% mixed 6.5%

Languages: English (official) 7% Afrikaans (common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population) German 32% indigenous languages (includes Oshivambo Herero Nama) 1%

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

Population growth rate: 0.817% (2012 est.)
Rank: 133

Birth rate: 21.11 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 81

Death rate: 13.09 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 20

Net migration rate: 0.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 70

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 50

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 211

Total fertility rate: 2.41 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 91

Physicians density: 0.374 physicians/1000 population (2007)

Hospital bed density: 2.67 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 13.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 7
People living with hivaids: 180,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 30
Deaths: 6,700 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 32

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 17.5% (2007)
Rank: 43

Education expenditures: 6.4% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 23

Government type: republic

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: mixed legal system of uncodified civil law based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the National Council primarily an advisory body (26 seats; two members chosen from each regional council to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms an additonal six nonvoting members are appointed by the president)

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

Political parties and leaders: All People's Party or APP [Ignatius SHIXWAMENI]; Congress of Democrats or COD [Benjamin ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA]; Monitor Action Group or MAG [Jurie VILJOEN]; National Democratic Movement for Change or NamDMC; National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Kuaima RIRUAKO]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Hidipo HAMUTENYA]; Republican Party or RP [Hendrick MUDGE]; South West Africa National Union or SWANU [Usutuaije MAAMBERUA]; South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Hifikepunye POHAMBA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C CD FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NAM OPCW SACU SADC UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNISFA UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Flag description: a wide red stripe edged by narrow white stripes divides the flag diagonally from lower hoist corner to upper fly corner; the upper hoist-side triangle is blue and charged with a yellow 12-rayed sunburst; the lower fly-side triangle is green; red signifies the heroism of the people and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all; white stands for peace unity tranquility and harmony; blue represents the Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean the country's precious water resources and rain; the yellow sun denotes power and existence; green symbolizes vegetation and agricultural resources

Economy overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 8% of GDP but provides more than 50% of foreign exchange earnings. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the world's fourth-largest producer of uranium. It also produces large quantities of zinc and is a small producer of gold and other minerals. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the population. Namibia normally imports about 50% of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP relative to the region hides one of the world's most unequal income distributions as shown by Namibia's 70.7 GINI coefficient. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand. Until 2010 Namibia drew 40% of its budget revenues from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Increased payments from SACU put Namibia's budget into surplus in 2007 for the first time since independence. SACU allotments to Namibia increased in 2009 but dropped in 2010 and 2011 because of the global recession reducing Namibia's overall SACU income. Increased fish production and mining of zinc copper and uranium spurred growth in 2003-08 but growth in recent years was undercut by poor fish catches a dramatic decline in demand for diamonds higher costs of producing metals and the global recession. A rebound in diamond and uranium prices in 2010 and the reopening of copper mines in 2011 provided a significant boost to Namibia's mining sector. The Namibian economy expects to benefit from large investment projects in its mining sector. Expecting higher global uranium prices Namibia plans to double its uranium exports by 2015 as well as increase its diamond output.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 138

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 81

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 131

Agriculture products: millet sorghum peanuts grapes; livestock; fish

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 48

Labor force: 818,600 (2012 est.)
Rank: 147

Unemployment rate: 36.7% (2004 est.)
Rank: 194

Population below poverty line: 55.8%

Distribution of family income gini index: 70.7 (2003)
Rank: 1

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -4.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 152

Taxes and other revenues: 36.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 62

Public debt: 26.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 116

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 154

Central bank discount rate: 7% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 44

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 8.73% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 108

Stock of narrow money: $3.449 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 110

Stock of broad money: $8.021 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 116

Stock of domestic credit: $5.73 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 113

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 106

Current account balance: -$108.2 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 54

Exports: $4.393 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 119
Commodities: diamonds copper gold zinc lead uranium; cattle processed fish karakul skins

Imports: $5.345 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 122
Commodities: foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel machinery and equipment chemicals

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.758 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 124

Debt external: $3.944 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 126

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 1.295 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 144
Consumption: 3.268 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 130
Exports: 144 million kWh (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 70
Imports: 2.202 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 47
Installed generating capacity: 393,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 142
Generation sources fossil fuels: 36.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 175
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 202
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 63.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 27
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 203

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 204
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 204
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 140
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 203

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 208
Products consumption: 22,990 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 126
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 143
Products imports: 20,390 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 105

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 207
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 207
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 78
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 148
Proven reserves: 62.29 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 64

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.812 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 132

Telephones
Main lines in use: 140,000 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 138
Mobile cellular: 2.24 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 136

Broadcast media: 1 private and 1 state-run TV station; satellite and cable TV service is available; state-run radio service broadcasts in multiple languages; about a dozen private radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .na
Hosts: 78,280 (2012)
Hosts rank: 84
Users: 127,500 (2009)
Users rank: 151

Military expenditures: 3.7% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 30

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)

Airports: 112 (2012)
Rank: 51

Railways
Rank: 63

Roadways
Rank: 70

Merchant marine
Rank: 153

Ports and terminals: Luderitz Walvis Bay

Disputes international: concerns from international experts and local populations over the Okavango Delta ecology in Botswana and human displacement scuttled Namibian plans to construct a hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls along the Angola-Namibia border; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; Namibia has supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River thereby de facto recognizing a short but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river