| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
conventional short form: Namibia
former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa |
| Capital: |
Windhoek |
| Location: |
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
22 00 S, 17 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 825,418 sq km
land: 825,418 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly more than half the size of Alaska |
| Land
Boundaries: |
total: 3,936 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km |
| Coastline: |
1,572 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic |
| Terrain: |
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
republic |
| Administratives
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 Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 15 November 2004)
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 15 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)
election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of vote - NA% |
| Legislative
Branch: |
bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; two members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to determine members of the National Council, held 15-16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009); National Assembly - last held 15-16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, UDF 3, MAG 1, other 4
note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body |
| 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] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
2,030,692
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 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 38.7% (male 396,247/female 389,543)
15-64 years: 57.7% (male 586,900/female 584,779)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 33,524/female 39,699) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 19.79 years
male: 19.63 years
female: 19.94 years (2005 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Namibian(s)
adjective: Namibian |
| Ethnic groups: |
black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
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% |
| Religions: |
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20% |
| 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 |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
127,400 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
223,700 (2003) |
| 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: country code - 264; 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) |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
| Internet country
code: |
.na |
| Internet hosts: |
3,164 (2003) |
| Internet users: |
65,000 (2003) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
total: 2,382 km
narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: |
total: 42,237 km
paved: 5,406 km
unpaved: 36,831 km (2002) |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
Luderitz, Walvis Bay |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 2,265 GRT/3,605 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2005) |
| Airports: |
136 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 21
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 115
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 71
under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
|
