Namibia

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

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

total:

0.29 cu km/yr (25%/5%/70%)

per capita:

146 cu m/yr (2002)

• limited natural freshwater resources;
• desertification;
• wildlife poaching;
• land degradation has led to few conservation areas

party to:

Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• 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

noun:

Namibian(s)

adjective:

Namibian

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.78 male(s)/female

total population:

1.02 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria

water contact disease:

schistosomiasis (2013)

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 (Sued-West Afrika), South-West Africa

name:

Windhoek

geographic coordinates:

22 34 S, 17 05 E

time difference:

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April

chief of state:

President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005); Prime Minister Hage GEINGOB (since 4 December 2012)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
• if no single candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round of voting, a run-off election is scheduled between the two candidates with the greatest vote count;
• election last held on 27-28 November 2009 (next to be held in 2014)

election results:

Hifikepunye POHAMBA reelected president; percent of vote - Hifikepunye POHAMBA 76.4%, Hidipo HAMUTENYA 11.0%, Katuutire KAURA 3.0%, Kuaima RIRUAKO 2.9%, Justus GAROEB 2.4%, Ignatius SHIXWAMENI 1.3%, Hendrick MUDGE 1.2%, other 1.8%

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 upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission;
• judges serve until age 65 but can be extended by the president until age 70

subordinate courts:

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

• All People's Party or APP [Ignatius SHIXWAMENI]
• Congress of Democrats or COD [Benjamin ULENGA]
• Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA]
• Monitor Action Group or MAG [Jurie VILJOEN]
• National Democratic Movement for Change or NamDMC
• National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Kuaima RIRUAKO]
• Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Hidipo HAMUTENYA]
• Republican Party or RP [Hendrick MUDGE]
• South West Africa National Union or SWANU [Usutuaije MAAMBERUA]
• South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Hifikepunye POHAMBA]
• United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Martin ANDJABA (since 3 September 2010)

chancery:

1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 986-0540

FAX:

[1] (202) 986-0443

chief of mission:

Ambassador Wanda L. NESBITT (since 20 July 2010)

embassy:

14 Lossen Street, Windhoek

mailing address:

Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek

telephone:

[264] (61) 295-8500

FAX:

[264] (61) 295-8603

• 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

• millet, sorghum, peanuts, grapes;
• livestock;
• fish

agriculture:

16.3%

industry:

22.4%

services:

61.3%

note: about half of Namibia's people are unemployed while about two-thirds live in rural areas; roughly two-thirds of rural dwellers rely on subsistence agriculture (2008 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.4%

highest 10%:

42% (2010)

general assessment:

good system; core fiber-optic network links most centers and connections are now digital

domestic:

multiple mobile-cellular providers with a combined subscribership of more than 100 telephones per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 264;
• fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries;
• connected to the South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cable through South Africa;
• satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2010)

• 1 private and 1 state-run TV station;
• satellite and cable TV service is available;
• state-run radio service broadcasts in multiple languages;
• about a dozen private radio stations;
• transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

total:

2,626 km

country comparison to the world: 63

narrow gauge:

2,626 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

total:

44,138 km

country comparison to the world: 82

paved:

6,387 km

unpaved:

37,751 km (2010)

total:

1

country comparison to the world: 152

by type:

cargo 1 (2010)

males age 16-49:

351,431

females age 16-49:

311,513 (2010 est.)

male:

26,413

female:

26,038 (2010 est.)

• concerns from international experts and local populations over the Okavango Delta ecology in Botswana and human displacement scuttled Namibian plans to construct a hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls along the Angola-Namibia border;
• the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River;
• Namibia has supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river

current situation:

• Namibia is predominantly a country of origin and destination for children and, to a lesser extent, women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
• victims lured by promises of legitimate jobs are forced to work in hazardous condition in urban centers and on commercial farms;
• traffickers exploit Namibian children, as well as children from Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, for forced labor in agriculture, cattle herding, domestic service, and criminal activities;
• children are also forced into prostitution, often catering to tourists from southern Africa and Europe;
• girls of the San tribe are particularly vulnerable

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List - Namibia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• in 2012, the government launched a National Plan of Action on Gender-Based Violence, which included addressing human trafficking but did not complete its draft comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation or obtain parliamentary passage of the Child Care and Protection Bill, which would criminalize child trafficking;
• a process has been developed for referring trafficking victims for assistance but a system for screening potential victims and providing official designation of trafficking victim status is lacking (2013)