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
MAP
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
conventional short form: Namibia
National 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)
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
Land boundaries:
total: 3,824 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 855
km, Zambia 233
km
Coastline: 1,572 km
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
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m
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 pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 22%
other: 31% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 60 sq km
Population: 1,622,328
Population growth rate: 1.6%
Birth rate: 35.84 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 19.82 deaths/1,000 population
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: 66.76 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 41.48 years
male: 41.73 years
female: 41.24 years
Total fertility rate: 4.99 children born/woman
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; 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, other
Christian denominations
30%), native religions 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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38%
male: 45%
female: 31%
Economy: 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. 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 three to six times
the per capita GDP
of Africa's poorest countries, the majority of Namibia's people live in
pronounced poverty
because of the great inequality of income distribution. The Namibian economy
has close
links to South Africa.
Ports and harbors: Luderitz, Walvis Bay
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