Namibia

• desert;
• hot, dry;
• rainfall sparse and erratic

• mostly high plateau;
• Namib Desert along coast;
• Kalahari Desert in east

• Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km;
• Orange river mouth (shared with Lesotho [s], and South Africa) - 2,092 km;
• Okavango (shared with Angola [s], and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage:

Orange (941,351 sq km)

Indian Ocean drainage:

Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage:

Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

• the Namib Desert, after which the country is named, is considered to be the oldest desert in the world;
• some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

noun:

Namibian(s)

adjective:

Namibian

total:

23.1 years (2025 est.)

male:

22.1 years

female:

23.5 years

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.76 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

27.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

31 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

24.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

65.9 years (2024 est.)

male:

64.2 years

female:

67.6 years

total:

2.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

11.8% (2025 est.)

male:

20.5% (2025 est.)

female:

3.9% (2025 est.)

• depletion and degradation of water and aquatic resources;
• desertification;
• land degradation;
• loss of biodiversity;
• wildlife poaching

party to:

Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• desert;
• hot, dry;
• rainfall sparse and erratic

urban population:

54.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

2.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

193.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

13.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

0.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

256,700 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

19.6% (2022 est.)

municipal:

61.568 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

18.61 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

201 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Namibia

conventional short form:

Namibia

local long form:

Republic of Namibia

local short form:

Namibia

former:

German South-West Africa (Deutsch-Suedwestafrika), South-West Africa

etymology:

named for the coastal Namib Desert; the word namib comes from the local Nama language and means "an area where there is nothing"

name:

Windhoek

geographic coordinates:

22 34 S, 17 05 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the name is an Afrikaans word meaning "windy corner;" a local Khoikhoin chief first used the name in the 19th century and may have derived it from the name of his childhood South African village of Winterhoek

history:

adopted 9 February 1990, entered into force 21 March 1990

amendment process:

• passage requires majority vote of the National Assembly membership and of the National Council of Parliament and assent of the president of the republic;
• if the National Council fails to pass an amendment, the president can call for a referendum;
• passage by referendum requires two-thirds majority of votes cast;
• amendments that detract from or repeal constitutional articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended, and the requisite majorities needed by Parliament to amend the constitution cannot be changed

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Namibia

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

legislature name:

Parliament

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

National Assembly

number of seats:

104 (96 directly elected; 8 appointed)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

11/27/2024 to 11/30/2024

parties elected and seats per party:

• SWAPO Party (51);
• Independent Patriots of Change (IPC) (20);
• Affirmative Repositioning (AR) (6);
• Landless People's Movement (LPM) (5);
• Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) (5);
• Other (9)

percentage of women in chamber:

42.3%

expected date of next election:

November 2029

chamber name:

National Council

number of seats:

42 (all indirectly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

12/15/2020

percentage of women in chamber:

14.3%

expected date of next election:

December 2025

note: the Council primarily reviews legislation passed and referred by the National Assembly

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges in quorum sessions)

judge selection and term of office:

• judges appointed by the president of Namibia on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission;
• judges serve until age 65, but terms can be extended by the president until age 70

subordinate courts:

• High Court;
• Electoral Court, Labor Court;
• regional and district magistrates' courts;
• community courts

• All People's Party or APP
• Christian Democratic Voice or CDV
• Landless People's Movement or LPM
• National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO
• Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters or NEFF
• Popular Democratic Movement or PDM (formerly Democratic Turnhalle Alliance or DTA)
• Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP
• Republican Party or RP
• South West Africa National Union or SWANU
• South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO
• United Democratic Front or UDF
• United People's Movement or UPM

chief of mission:

Ambassador Wilbard HELLAO (since 16 December 2025)

chancery:

1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 986-0540

FAX:

[1] (202) 986-0443

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://namibiaembassyusa.org/

chief of mission:

Ambassador John GIORDANO (since 29 October 2025)

embassy:

38 Metje Street, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek

mailing address:

2540 Windhoek Place, Washington DC 20521-2540

telephone:

[264] (61) 202-5000

FAX:

[264] (61) 202-5219

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://na.usembassy.gov/

description:

• a wide red stripe edged with narrow white stripes divides the flag diagonally from lower-left corner to upper-right corner;
• the upper triangle is blue and has a golden-yellow, 12-ray sunburst, and the lower triangle is green

meaning:

• red stands for the heroism of the people and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity;
• white stands for peace, unity, tranquility, and harmony;
• blue stands for the sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the sun for power and existence, and green for vegetation and agricultural resources

title:

"Namibia, Land of the Brave"

lyrics/music:

Axali DOESEB

history:

adopted 1991

total World Heritage Sites:

2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes (c); Namib Sand Sea (n)

• upper middle-income, export-driven Sub-Saharan economy;
• natural resource rich;
• Walvis Bay port expansion for trade;
• high potential for renewable power generation and energy independence;
• major nature-based tourist locale;
• natural resource rich;
• shortage of skilled labor

agriculture:

7.3% (2024 est.)

industry:

28.9% (2024 est.)

services:

54.5% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

37.3% (2024 est.)

male:

36.7% (2024 est.)

female:

38% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

1% (2015 est.)

highest 10%:

47.2% (2015 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

24,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

900 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

26,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

350 million metric tons (2023 est.)

• 1 private and 1 state-run TV station;
• satellite and cable TV service available;
• state-run radio broadcasts in multiple languages;
• about a dozen private radio stations;
• transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available

total:

2,628 km (2014)

narrow gauge:

2,628 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

total ports:

2 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

2

very small:

0

ports with oil terminals:

2

key ports:

Luderitz Bay, Walvis Bay

Namibian Defense Force (NDF):

Namibian Army, Namibian Navy, Namibian Air Force (2025)

note: the Namibian Police Force is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security; it has a paramilitary Special Field Force responsible for protecting borders and government installations

• the NDF's inventory consists mostly of Soviet-era weapons and equipment;
• over the past decade, it has received a limited number of newer weapons systems from China and South Africa;
• Namibia has a small defense industry that produces items such as armored personnel carriers (2025)

refugees:

6,575 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

1,399 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

14,796 (2024 est.)