Namibia

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Namibia

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republic of Namibia Area 824,300 sq km/318,262 sq mi Capital Windhoek Language English (official), Afrikaans, German, Ovambo (51%), Nama (12%), Kavango (10%), other indigenous languages Religion about 90% Christian (Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Dutch Reformed Church, Anglican) Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1 January, 21 March, 1, 4, 16, 25 May, 26 August, 10, 25–26 December; variable: Good Friday, Easter Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Swakopmund, Rehoboth, Rundu Major ports Walvis Bay Physical features mainly desert (Namib and Kalahari); Orange River; Caprivi Strip links Namibia to Zambezi River; includes the enclave of Walvis Bay (area 1,120 sq km/432 sq mi) Airports two international airports; all major towns have domestic airports or landing strips; total passengers carried: 266,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: 2,382 km/1,480 mi; total passenger journeys: 149,000 (1999–2000) Roads total road network: 42,237 km/26,245 mi, of which 12.8% paved (2002 est); passenger cars: 82.4 per 1,000 people (2002 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Hifkepunye Pohamba from 2005 Head of government Nahas Angula from 2005 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 13 regions Political parties South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), socialist Ovambo-oriented; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), moderate, multiracial coalition; United Democratic Front (UDF), disaffected ex-SWAPO members; National Christian Action (ACN), white conservative Death penalty abolished in 1990 Armed forces 9,200; plus paramilitary forces of 6,000 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 3.1 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 7.2 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 4.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Namibian dollar GDP (US$) 6.6 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 4.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 6.1 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 7,910 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 5.1% (2006 est) Unemployment 38% (2004 est) Labour force 47% agriculture, 20% industry, 53% services (2003 est) Foreign debt (US$) 875 million (2005 est) Major trading partners South Africa, UK, Germany, Angola, China, USA Resources uranium, copper, lead, zinc, silver, tin, gold, salt, semi-precious stones, diamonds (one of the world's leading producers of gem diamonds), hydrocarbons, lithium, manganese, tungsten, cadmium, vanadium Industries food processing (fish), mining and quarrying, metal and wooden products, brewing, meat processing, chemicals, textiles, cement, leather shoes Exports diamonds, fish and fish products, live animals and meat, uranium, copper, karakul pelts. Principal market: South Africa 27.8% (2004) Imports transport equipment, food and live animals, beverages, tobacco, mineral fuels, chemicals, rubber and plastic products, textiles, clothing, leather products and footwear. Principal source: South Africa 85.4% (2004) Arable land 1% (2006 est) Agricultural products wheat, maize, sunflower seed, sorghum, vegetables (crop farming is greatly limited by scarcity of water and poor rainfall); fishing; principal agricultural activity is livestock rearing (cattle, sheep, and goats); beef and karakul sheepskin are also produced


POPULATION

Population 2,052,300 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 2 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 34 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 42%, 15–59 53%, 60+ 5% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 85% black African, of which 51% belong to the Ovambo tribe; the remainder includes the pastoral Nama and hunter-gatherer groups. There is a 6% white minority Life expectancy 47 (men); 45 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 63 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 84% (men); 83% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 3 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.9 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 19.6 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 17,000 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 98 (urban); 72 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 6.4 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 24.4 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 144 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 81 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 10.9 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 3.7 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1480s Coast visited by European explorers. 16th century Bantu-speaking Herero migrated into northwest and Ovambo settled in northernmost areas. 1840s Rhenish Missionary Society began to spread German influence; Jonkar Afrikaner conquest state dominant in southern Namibia. 1884 Germany annexed most of the area, calling it South West Africa, with Britain incorporating a small enclave around Walvis Bay in the Cape Colony of South Africa. 1892 German farmers arrived to settle in the region. 1903–04 Uprisings by the long-settled Nama (Khoikhoi) and Herero peoples brutally repressed by Germans, with over half the local communities slaughtered. 1908 Discovery of diamonds led to a larger influx of Europeans. 1915 German colony invaded and seized by South Africa during World War I and the Ovambo, in the north, were conquered. 1920 Administered by South Africa, under League of Nations mandate. 1946 Full incorporation in South Africa refused by United Nations (UN). 1949 White voters in South West Africa given representation in South African parliament. 1958 South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) formed to campaign for racial equality and full independence. 1960 Radical wing of SWAPO, led by Sam Nujoma, forced into exile. 1964 UN voted to end South Africa's mandate, but South Africa refused to relinquish control or soften policies towards economically disenfranchised black majority. 1966 South Africa's apartheid laws extended to the country; 60% of land allocated to whites, who formed 10% of population. 1968 South West Africa redesignated Namibia by UN; SWAPO, drawing strong support from Ovambo people of the north, began armed guerrilla struggle against South African rule, establishing People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). 1971 Prolonged general strike by black Namibian contract workers. 1973 UN recognized SWAPO as ‘authentic representative of Namibian people’. 1975–76 Establishment of new Marxist regime in independent Angola strengthened position of SWAPO guerrilla movement, but also led to increased military involvement of South Africa. 1978 UN Security Council Resolution on granting of full independence accepted by South Africa, and then rescinded. 1983 Direct rule reimposed by Pretoria after resignation of Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), a conservative administration dominated by whites. 1985 South Africa installed new puppet administration, the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNU), which tried to reform apartheid system, but was not recognized by UN. 1988 Peace talks between South Africa, Angola, and Cuba led to agreement on troop withdrawals and full independence for Namibia. 1989 UN peacekeeping force stationed to oversee free elections to assembly to draft new constitution; SWAPO won elections. 1990 Liberal multiparty constitution adopted and independence achieved; Sam Nujoma, SWAPO's former guerrilla leader, elected president. Joined Commonwealth. 1993 South Africa relinquished claim to Walvis Bay sovereignty. Namibia dollar launched with South African rand parity. 1994 SWAPO won assembly elections; Nujoma re-elected president. 1999 International Court of Justice ruled in Botswana's favour in sovereignty dispute with Namibia over river island territory. 2004 Nujoma's nominee, Hifikepunye Pohamba, won presidential elections. 2005 Government began expropriation of white- farms as part of land reform programme. 2007 Leaders of secessionist rebellion in Caprivi region in 1990s given long prison terms.


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