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Namibia Country Guide
Explore Namibia in Africa
The terrain features mostly high plateau with Namib Desert along coast and Kalahari Desert in east. The average density of population is approximately 2 per km². The notable climate conditions in Namibia can be described as desert with hot, dry and rainfall sparse and erratic. Potential natural disasters are prolonged periods of drought.
To reach someone in Namibia dial +264 prior to a number. There are 142,100 installed telephones. And there are 1,217,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".na". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Namibia
A wide red stripe edged by narrow white stripes divides the flag diagonally from lower hoist corner to upper fly corner; the upper hoist-side triangle is blue and charged with a yellow, 12-rayed sunburst; the lower fly-side triangle is green; red signifies the heroism of the people and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all; white stands for peace, unity, tranquility, and harmony; blue represents the Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain; the yellow sun denotes power and existence; green symbolizes vegetation and agricultural resources.
South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Angola Capital: Windhoek |
| Size | 825,418 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 318,695 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly more than half the size of Alaska |
| Population | 2,063,000 |
| Currency | Name Dollar, Currency Code:NAD |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .na |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +264 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 1,217,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 142,100 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 824,292 (sq km) | 34 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,182,852 | 142 |
| Population growth rate | 0.75 (%) | 138 |
| Birth rate | 20.72 (births/1,000 population) | 81 |
| Death rate | 13.33 (deaths/1,000 population) | 17 |
| Net migration rate | 0.10 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 72 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 200.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 55 |
| Infant mortality rate | 45.62 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 48 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 52.03 (years) | 215 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.33 (children born/woman) | 94 |
| Health expenditures | 6.80 (% of GDP) | 90 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 13.10 (%) | 7 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 180,000 | 30 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 6,700 | 32 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 9.50 (%) | 133 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 17.50 (%) | 42 |
| Education expenditures | 8.30 (% of GDP) | 10 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 58.90 (%) | 2 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 17,030,000,000 | 138 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.00 (%) | 76 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 7,900 | 134 |
| Labor force | 818,600 | 147 |
| Unemployment rate | 51.20 (%) | 194 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 59.70 | 6 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 21.40 (% of GDP) | 80 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 36.40 (% of GDP) | 58 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -4.90 (% of GDP) | 155 |
| Public debt | 28.20 (% of GDP) | 117 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.80 (%) | 155 |
| Central bank discount rate | 7.00 (%) | 40 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 8.73 (%) | 105 |
| Stock of narrow money | 3,898,000,000 | 110 |
| Stock of broad money | 7,433,000,000 | 115 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 6,431,000,000 | 112 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 1,176,000,000 | 107 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 6.50 (%) | 45 |
| Current account balance | 49,300,000 | 54 |
| Exports | 4,657,000,000 | 117 |
| Imports | 5,762,000,000 | 122 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 1,840,000,000 | 125 |
| Debt - external | 4,204,000,000 | 124 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 1,643,000,000 (kWh) | 139 |
| Electricity - consumption | 3,635,000,000 (kWh) | 127 |
| Electricity - exports | 91,000,000 (kWh) | 72 |
| Electricity - imports | 2,519,000,000 (kWh) | 50 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 508,000 (kW) | 137 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 33.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 177 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 66.70 (% of total installed capacity) | 24 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 22,990 (bbl/day) | 126 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 20,810 (bbl/day) | 105 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 36,810,000,000 (cu m) | 69 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 3,812,000 (Mt) | 132 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 140,000 | 138 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,240,000 | 136 |
| Internet hosts | 78,280 | 84 |
| Internet users | 127,500 | 151 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 112 | 51 |
| Railways | 2,626 (km) | 63 |
| Roadways | 64,189 (km) | 70 |
| Merchant marine | 1 | 151 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 3.70 (% of GDP) | 29 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Namib Sand Sea Namib Sand Sea is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog. Covering an area of over three million hectares and a buffer zone of 899,500 hectares, the site is composed of two dune systems, an ancient ... | 2013 |
| Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes has one of the largest concentrations of [...] petroglyphs, i.e. rock engravings in Africa. Most of these well-preserved engravings represent rhinoceros, . The site also includes six painteelephant, ostrich and giraffe, as ... | 2007 |