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Location
Situated in Southern Africa, Namibia is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, Angola, and Zambia in the north, Botswana on the east and South Africa in the south.
Area
824,268 km²
Cities
Capital: Windhoek
Other major towns: Keetmanshoop, Oranjemund, Lόderitz, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Otjiwarongo, Tsumeb, Mariental, Ondangwa, Oshakati, Gobabis, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, and Grootfontein.
Terrain
Semiarid mountains and high plateau, coastal Namib Desert, Kalahari Desert in the east.
Climate
Desert, semi-desert, hot and dry with sparse and erratic rainfall.
Elevation Extremes
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0m.
Highest point: Kφnigstein 2,606m.
Natural Resources
Diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish.
Note: Suspected deposits of oil, coal and iron ore.
Natural Hazards
Prolonged periods of drought and sporadic floods
Population
1,8 million (according 2002 Population Census)
Ethnic Groups
13 ethnic cultures.
Black: 87.5%
Approximately 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe, 9% to the Kavango tribe, 7% to the Herero tribe and 7% to the Damara tribe. Other ethnic groups are: Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%.
White: 6%
Languages
16 languages and dialects.
English is the official language of Namibia (7%). Afrikaans, derived from Dutch , is the common language of most of the population and spoken by approximately 60% of the white population, as also German (32%) and English (8%). Various indigenous languages (Oshivambo, Otjiherero, Khoegowab, Silozi, Setswana) are also spoken.
Flora
14 vegetation zones.
120 species of trees.
200 endemic plant species.
100 species of lichen.
Living fossil plant: Welwitschia Mirabilis.
Fauna
Big Game: Elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, antelope.
20 species of antelope
240 species of mammals (14 endemic)
250 species of reptiles.
50 species of frogs.
± 630 species of birds.
Endemic birds: Herero chat, Rockrunner, Damara tern, African fish eagle, Monteiro's hornbill.
Note
Nature reserves constitute 15% of the surface area (105,559km²)
Namibia is the first country in the world to incorporate the protection of its environment into its Constitution. Approximately 15% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip.
Currency
The Namibian Dollar (NAD), linked to the South African Rand (ZAR)
Roads
Total: 64,880km
Tarred: 5,450km
Gravel Roads: 59,430km
Ports and Harbours
Lόderitz and Walvis Bay
Airports and Airstrips
Total: 137 (2001)
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