Local name Namibia
Timezone GMT +2 Area 824 292 km²/318 261 sq mi population total (2002e) 1 837 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1990 Capital Windhoek Languages English (official), Afrikaans, German, local languages Ethnic groups African (chiefly Ovambo) (85%), White (7%), mixed (8%) Religions Christian (Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Dutch Reformed, and Anglican) (90%), traditional animist beliefs (10%) Physical features Located in SW Africa; Namib Desert runs parallel along the Atlantic Ocean coast; inland plateau, mean elevation 1500 m/5000 ft; highest point, Brandberg, 2606 m/8550 ft; Kalahari Desert to the E and S; Orange R forms S frontier with South Africa. Climate Arid, continental tropical climate; average maximum daily temperature, 2030°C; 49°C (NovApr) in coastal desert (Namib); average annual rainfall 360 mm/14 in at Windhoek. Currency 1 Namibian Dollar (NAD) = 100 cents; 1 South African Rand (ZAR) = 100 cents Economy Agriculture (employs c.60% of population); indigenous subsistence farming in N; major world producer of diamonds and uranium; fishing; brewing; textiles; plastics. GNP (2002e) $13·15 bn, per capita $6900 Human Development Index (2002) 0·610 History Visited by British and Dutch missionaries from late 18th-c; German protectorate, 1884; mandated to South Africa by the League of Nations, 1920; UN assumed direct responsibility in 1966, changing name to Namibia, 1968, and recognizing the Southwest Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) as representative of the Namibian people, 1973; South Africa continued to administer the area as Southwest Africa; SWAPO commenced guerrilla activities, 1966; bases established in S Angola, involving Cuban troops in 1970s; interim administration installed by South Africa, 1985; full independence, 1990; governed by a President, Prime Minister and Cabinet, and an elected National Assembly.| Republic of Namibia | |||||
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| Motto: "Unity, Liberty, Justice" | |||||
| Anthem: Namibia, Land of the Brave | |||||
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Capital (largest city) |
Windhoek 22°33′S 17°15′E |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official language | English1 | ||||
| Government | Republic | ||||
| - President | Hifikepunye Pohamba | ||||
| - Prime minister | Nahas Angula | ||||
| Independence | from South Africa | ||||
| - Date | March 21, 1990 | ||||
| Area | |||||
| - Total |
824,292 km² (34th) 318,259 sq mi |
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| - Water (%) | negligible | ||||
| Population | |||||
| - July 2005 estimate | 2,031,0002 (144th) | ||||
| - 2002 census | 1,820,916 | ||||
| - Density |
2.5/km² (224th) 6.5/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate | ||||
| - Total | $15.14 billion (123rd) | ||||
| - Per capita | $7,101 (88th) | ||||
| HDI (2003) | 0.627 (medium) (125th) | ||||
| Currency | Namibian dollar (NAD) | ||||
| Time zone | WAT (UTC+1) | ||||
| - Summer (DST) | WAST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .na | ||||
| Calling code | +264 | ||||
| 1 German and Afrikaans were official languages until independence in 1990. | |||||
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa on the Atlantic coast.
History
The dry lands of Namibia were inhabited since early times by Bushmen, Damara, Namaqua, and since about the fourteenth century AD, by immigrating Bantu who came with the Bantu expansion.
In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration of Namibia, in accordance with a United Nations peace plan for the entire region.
Administrative divisions
Namibia is divided into thirteen regions and subdivided into 102 constituencies.
Geography
At 318,674 mi² (825,418 km²), Namibia is the world's thirty-fourth largest country (after Venezuela). 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.
Child labour occurs in Namibia, and the country is in the process of formulating an Action Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, which is expected to be adopted in the period 2006-2007.
It has been estimated that the total economic value (in real dollars) put into MMOGs is equivalent to Namibia's GDP .
Tourism
Namibia generally attracts eco-tourists with the majority visiting to experience the different climates and natural geographical landscapes such as the great eastern desert and plains.
Politics
The politics of Namibia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Namibia is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system.
Demographics
Namibia is among the three sovereign countries with the lowest population density. While the official language is English, most of the white population speaks either Afrikaans or German, both official languages until 1990 when Namibia became independent.
Foreign relations
Namibia follows a largely independent foreign policy, with lingering affiliations with states that aided the independence struggle, including Libya and Cuba.
Namibia became the 160th member of the United Nations on April 23, 1990.
International disputes
Namibia is involved in several minor international disputes, including:
Small residual disputes with Botswana along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands~Kasikili Island as known in the Namibian side along the Linyanti River, for which a commission to seek a resolution has been established;Military
The constitution of Namibia defined the role of the military as "defending the territory and national interests." Namibia formed the National Defence Force (NDF), comprising former enemies in a 23-year bush war: the Peoples Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and South West African Territorial Force (SWATF).
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