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Namibia
AFRICA
FACTFILE
OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Namibia
DATE OF FORMATION: 1990
CAPITAL: Windhoek
POPULATION: 2.17 million
TOTAL AREA: 318,694 sq. miles
(825,418 sq. km)
DENSITY: 7 people per sq. mile
LANGUAGES: Ovambo, Kavango, English*,
Bergdama, German, Afrikaans
RELIGIONS: Christian 90%, traditional
beliefs 10%
ETHNIC MIX: Ovambo 50%, other 25%,
Kavango 9%, Damara 8%, Herero 8%
GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
CURRENCY: Namibian dollar = 100 cents
Located in southwestern Africa, Namibia gained
independence from South Africa in 1990, after 24 years of
armed struggle. It regained the territory of Walvis Bay in 1994.
GEOGRAPHY
The Namib Desert stretches along
the coastal strip. Inland, a ridge of
mountains rises to 8000 ft (2500 m).
The Kalahari Desert lies in the east.
CLIMATE
Almost rainless. The coast is usually
shrouded in thick fog, unless the hot, dry
berg wind is blowing.
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
The Ovambo, the main ethnic
group, live mainly in the more populous
north. Some 100,000 whites, many of
German descent, are centered around
Windhoek and still control the economy.
The minority San and Khoi bushmen are
among the oldest human communities
in the world. The ban on homosexuality
is contentious.
THE ECONOMY
Varied mineral resources, notably
uranium and diamonds. Rich offshore
fishing grounds. High unemployment.
HIV/AIDS epidemic. One of Africa’s most
skewed distributions of wealth.
INSIGHT: The Namib is the Earth’s
oldest, and one of its driest, deserts
2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
Sea Level200 km200 miles00A N G O L ASOUTH
AFRICAB O T S W A N AZ A M B I AN
a
m
i
b D e s e r tKalahari
DesertO
ra
nge RiverZambeziA T L A N T I C
O C E A NLüderitz KeetmanshoopWalvis BaySwakopmundRehobothOtjiwarongoGrootfonteinTsumebRundu