TOTAL AREA: 824,290 sq km (317,874 sq mi); LAND AREA: 823,290 sq km (317,489 sq mi)
COMPARATIVE AREA: slightly more than half the size of Alaska
LAND BOUNDARIES: 3,935 km (2,445 mi) total; Angola 1,376 km (855 mi), Botswana 1,360 km (845 mi), South Africa 966 km (600 mi), Zambia 233 km (145 mi)
COASTLINE: 1,489 km (925 mi)
MARITIME CLAIMS:
EXCLUSIVE FISHING ZONE: 12 nm
TERRITORIAL SEA: 6 nm
DISPUTES: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; South Africa will continue to administer Namibia until UN resolution 435 is implemented on 1 April 1989 and UN-sponsored independence elections are held 1 November 1989
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, lead, tin, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of coal and iron ore
LAND USE: 1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 64% meadows and pastures; 22% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
ENVIRONMENT: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification
TEMPERATURE: in degrees Celsius (Fahrenheit)
Mar Jun Sep Dec
Windhoek 21 (69) 13 (55) 20 (67) 23 (74)
PRECIPITATION: in centimeters (inches)
Mar Jun Sep Dec
Windhoek 8 (3.2) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 5 (1.9)
NOTE: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia
ETHNIC DIVISIONS: 86% black, 6.5% white, 7.5% mixed; about half the blacks belong to Ovambo tribe
RELIGION: whites predominantly Christian, nonwhites either Christian or indigenous beliefs
LANGUAGE: Afrikaans principal language of about 60% of white population, German of 33%, and English of 7% (all official); several indigenous languages
LITERACY: 100% whites, 16% nonwhites
LABOR FORCE: 500,000; 60% agriculture, 19% industry and commerce, 8% services, 7% government, 6% mining (1981 est.)
ORGANIZED LABOR: 15 trade unions--largest is the mineworkers union which has a sizable black membership
.GOVERNMENT OF NAMIBIA
LONG-FORM NAME: none
TYPE: former German colony of South-West Africa mandated to South Africa by League of Nations in 1920; UN formally ended South Africa's mandate on 27 October 1966, but South Africa has retained administrative control
INDEPENDENCE: none (under South African administrative control)
CONSTITUTION: July 1987 (draft)
LEGAL SYSTEM: based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law
NATIONAL HOLIDAY: Settlers' Day, 10 December
BRANCHES: since September 1977 administrator general, appointed by South African Government, has exercised coordinative functions over zone of white settlement and tribal homelands, where traditional chiefs and representative bodies exercise limited autonomy; veto power over legislation proposed by National Assembly; interim government established June 1985 with eight-member Cabinet, 16-member Constitutional Council, and 62-member National Assembly
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: South African Administrator General Louis A. PIENAAR (since 30 May 1985)
NOTE: South Africa's mandate to administer South West Africa (name changed to Namibia in June 1968), was ended by the UN General Assembly in October 1966; however South Africa is still in occupation of the territory
SUFFRAGE: universal white adult suffrage at territorial level; lower level elections open to blacks
ELECTIONS: last election of Namibian National Assembly, December 1978
POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS: six parties belong to multiracial South African-appointed Transitional Government of National Unity Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk Mudge; South-West African National Union (SWANU), Moses Katjiuongua; South-West African People's Organization Democrats (SWAPO-D), Andreas Shipanga; South-West African National Party (SWANP), Kosie Pretorius; Colored Labor Party (LP), David Bezuidenhout; Rehoboth Free Democratic Party (RFDP), Hans Diergaardt; other parties--United Democratic Party, formed in September 1985 after merger of two Caprivi parties, Mishake Muyongo; Federal Party, largely white, English speaking, liberal; Christian Democratic Action Party, a primarily Ovambo party formed in early 1982 as a result of a split in the DTA, Peter Kalangula
VOTING STRENGTH: (1978 election) Namibian National Assembly--DTA 22 seats; SWANP 8 seats; SWANU 8 seats; SWAPO-D 8 seats; LP 8 seats; RFDP 8 seats; Assembly appointed in June 1985
DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION: none
FLAG: the flag of South Africa is used
.ECONOMY OF NAMIBIA
OVERVIEW: The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 40% of GDP, agriculture and fisheries 10-15%, and manufacturing about 5%. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten, and it has substantial resources of coal.
GNP: $1.25 billion, per capita $1,060; real growth rate 3.5% (1986)
INFLATION RATE (CONSUMER PRICES): 13.4% (1986)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 21% (1984)
BUDGET: revenues $781 million; expenditures $932 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)
EXPORTS: $889 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities-- diamonds, uranium, zinc, copper, meat, processed fish, karakul skins; partners-- South Africa
IMPORTS: $842 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities-- foodstuffs, manufactured consumer goods, machinery and equipment; partners-- South Africa, FRG, UK, US
EXTERNAL DEBT: $NA
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION: growth rate NA%
ELECTRICITY: 432,000 kW capacity; 856 million kWh produced, 660 kWh per capita (1988)
AGRICULTURE: livestock raising (cattle and sheep) predominates; subsistence crops (millet, sorghum, corn, and some wheat) are grown, but most food must be imported
AID: NA
CURRENCY: South African rand (plural--rand); 1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents
EXCHANGE RATES: South African rand (R) per US$1--2.5316 (February 1990), 2.3866 (1989), 2.2609 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2686 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)
FISCAL YEAR: 1 April-31 March
.COMMUNICATIONS IN NAMIBIA
RAILROADS: 2,341 km (1,453 mi) 1.067-meter gauge, single track
HIGHWAYS: 54,500 km; (33,844 mi) 4,079 km paved, 2,540 gravel, remainder earth roads and tracks
PORTS: Luderitz; primary maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa)
CIVIL AIR: 4 major transport aircraft
AIRPORTS: 150 total, 135 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 67 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; stations--2 AM, 13 FM, 3 TV
.DEFENSE FORCES OF NAMIBIA
BRANCHES: NA
MILITARY MANPOWER: males 15-49, 295,038; 174,471 fit for military service
MILITARY BUDGET: $64 million, 7% of central government budget (FY86)
NOTE: defense is responsibility of South Africa; however, a South-West Africa Territorial Force (with an air element) was established 1 August 1980
.TRAVEL IN NAMIBIA
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Contact U.S. Department of State for latest requirements.
HEALTH: Health requirements change; check latest information.
WEATHER AND CLOTHING: Seasons are opposite those of the U.S. Summers (Nov-Feb) are hot; winters are mild.
TELEPHONE: When direct dialing to Namibia from the U.S., dial 011 (international access code) + 264 [country code] + (city code) + local number.
TIME: 7 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time, and 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
ELECTRIC CURRENT: 240V
IMPORTANT!! All requirements/recommendations are subject to change. Be sure to check latest information.
