Namibia

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

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

agricultural land:

47.2%;

• arable land 1%;
• permanent crops 0%;
• permanent pasture 46.2%

forest:

8.8%

other:

44% (2011 est.)

• 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:

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.91 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.82 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.75 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria

water contact disease:

schistosomiasis (2016)

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 Suedwest Afrika), South-West Africa

etymology:

named for the coastal Namib Desert; the name "namib" means "vast place" in the Nama/Damara language

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

• 14 regions;
• Erongo, Hardap, //Karas, Kavango East, Kavango West, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Zambezi;
• note - the Karas Region was renamed //Karas in September 2013 to include the alveolar lateral click of the Khoekhoegowab language

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

chief of state:

President Hage GEINGOB (since 21 March 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Hage GEINGOB (since 21 March 2015); Prime Minister Saara KUUGONGELWA-AMADHILA (since 21 March 2015)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly

elections/appointments:

• president elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 28 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2019)

election results:

Hage GEINGOB elected president; percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 86.7%, McHenry VENAANI (DTA) 5.0%, Hidipo HAMUTENYA (RDP) 3.4%, Asser MBAI (NUDO)1.9%, Henk MUDGE (RP) 1.0%, other 2.0%

description:

bicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly (104 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 8 nonvoting members appointed by the president) and the National Council, which primarily reviews legislation passed and referred by the National Assembly (26 seats (to be expanded to 42 in 2016); members indirectly elected 2 each by the 13 regional councils to serve 5-year terms)

elections:

• National Council - elections for regional councils to determine members of the National Council held on 27 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020);
• National Assembly - last held on 28 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2019)

election results:

• National Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - SWAPO 40, NUDO 1, DTA 1;
• National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 80.0%, DTA 4.8%, RDP 3.5%, APP 2.3%, UDF 2.1%, NUDO 2.0%, CPN 1.5%, other 3.8%;
• seats by party - SWAPO 77, DTA 5, RDP 3, APP 2, UDF 2, NUDO 2, CPN 2, SWANU 1, UPM 1, RP 1

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]
• Communist Party of Namibia or CPN (formerly known as Workers' Revolutionary Party or WRP) [Attie BEUKES and Harry BOESAK]
• Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [McHenry VENAANI]
• National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Asser MBAI]
• Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Jeremiah NAMBINGA]
• Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE]
• South West Africa National Union or SWANU [Usutuaije MAAMBERUA]
• South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Hage GEINGOB, acting president]
• United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus ||GAROEB]
• United People's Movement or UPM [Jan J. VAN WYK]

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 Thomas Frederick DAUGHTON (since 6 October 2014)

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

name:

"Namibia, Land of the Brave"

lyrics/music:

Axali DOESEB

note: adopted 1991

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

agriculture:

31%

industry:

14%

services:

54%

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 (2013 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.4%

highest 10%:

42% (2010)

general assessment:

good system; core fiber-optic network links most centers with digital connections

domestic:

multiple mobile-cellular providers with a combined subscribership of about 110 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 submarine cable through South Africa;
• connected to the West Africa Cable System, an ultra-high capacity fiber-optic submarine cable linking southern and western African countries to Europe;
• satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2015)

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

number of registered air carriers:

2; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

553,322

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

30,302,405 mt-km (2015)

total:

2,628 km

narrow gauge:

2,628 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 62

total:

44,138 km

paved:

6,387 km

unpaved:

37,751 km (2010)

country comparison to the world: 81

total:

1

by type:

cargo 1 (2010)

country comparison to the world: 153

• 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 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 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, fishing, and street vending;
• children are also forced into prostitution, often catering to tourists from southern Africa and Europe;
• San and Zemba children are particularly vulnerable;
• foreign adults and Namibian adults and children are reportedly subjected to forced labor in Chinese-owned retail, construction, and fishing operations

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;
• Namibia was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• in 2015, the Child Care and Protection Bill passed, criminalizing child trafficking;
• the government’s first sex trafficking prosecution remained pending;
• no new prosecutions were initiated and no trafficking offenders have ever been convicted;
• accusations of forced labor at Chinese construction and mining companies continue to go uninvestigated;
• authorities failed to fully implement victim identification and referral processes, which led to the deportation of possible victims (2015)