Namibia ( German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa) is a country in Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa. Namibia geographic coordinates 22 00 S, 17 00 E; area 825,418 sq km; area comparative slightly more than half the size of Alaska; land boundaries Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km; coastline 1,572 km; maritime claims 24 n; climate desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic; terrain mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east; elevation extremes Konigstein 2,606 m; natural resources diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore; land use 99.01% (2001); irrigated land 70 sq km (1998 est.); natural hazards prolonged periods of drought; environment current issues very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas; environment international agreements none of the selected agreements; geography note first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip;

introduction

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 was soon named 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 won its independence in 1990 and has been governed by SWAPO since. 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. government type republic; 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); national holiday Independence Day, 21 March (1990); constitution ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990; legal system based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution; suffrage 18 years of age; universal;

people

Namibia population 2,030,692 estimates for this country explicit; age structure 3.6% (male 33,524/female 39,699) (2005 est.); median age 19.94 years (2005 est.); population growth rate 0.73% (2005 est.); birth rate 25.16 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 18.36 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate 0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 53 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 43.13 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 3.18 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate 21.3% (2003 est.); hiv people with aids 210,000 (2001 est.); hiv deaths 16,000 (2003 est.); major infectious diseases malaria; nationality Namibian; ethnic groups black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5% 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), indigenous beliefs 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 83.7% (2003 est.);

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