Namibia

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

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

• diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish;
• note - suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

• 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;
• Namibia is the 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;
• Namib-Naukluft National Park (49,768 sq km), is the largest game park in Africa and one of the largest in the world

noun:

Namibian(s)

adjective:

Namibian

total:

22.5 years (2023 est.)

male:

21.8 years

female:

23.2 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:

0.73 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

total:

28.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male:

31.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

25.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

63.7 years (2023 est.)

male:

62.1 years

female:

65.4 years

degree of risk:

high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

malaria

water contact diseases:

schistosomiasis

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:

15.1% (2020 est.)

male:

24.2% (2020 est.)

female:

6% (2020 est.)

total:

40.4% (2021 est.)

male:

39.4%

female:

41.7%

• depletion and degradation of water and aquatic resources;
• desertification;
• land degradation;
• loss of biodiversity and biotic resources;
• 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.)

severe localized food insecurity:

• due to localized shortfalls in cereal production and rising food prices - an estimated 390,000 people faced acute food insecurity in the January to March 2023 period, lower than the figure in the corresponding period of 2022;
• high food prices and localized weather induced shortfalls in cereal production in 2022 were the key drivers (2023)

particulate matter emissions:

11.81 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

4.23 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

10.4 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

256,729 tons (1993 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

11,553 tons (2005 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

4.5% (2005 est.)

• 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)

municipal:

70 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

201 million cubic meters (2020 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 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

etymology:

may derive from the Afrikaans word "wind-hoek" meaning "windy corner"

• 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

history:

adopted 9 February 1990, entered into force 21 March 1990

amendments:

• initiated by the Cabinet;
• passage requires two-thirds 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;
• amended 1998, 2010, 2014

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);
• Vice President Nangola MBUMBA (since 8 February 2018);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Hage GEINGOB (since 21 March 2015);
• Vice President Nangola MBUMBA (since 8 February 2018);
• 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 directly 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 2019 (next to be held in 2024)

election results:

• 2019: Hage GEINGOB reelected president in the first round;
• percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 56.3%, Panduleni ITULA (independent) 29.4%, McHenry VENAANI (PDM) 5.3%, other 8.9% 2014: Hage GEINGOB elected president in the first round;
• percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 86.7%, McHenry VENAANI (DTA) 5%, Hidipo HAMUTENYA (RDP) 3.4%, Asser MBAI (NUDO)1.9%, Henk MUDGE (RP) 1%, other 2%

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 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 (vacant)
• Christian Democratic Voice or CDV [Gothard KANDUME]
• Landless People's Movement or LPM [Bernadus SWARTBOOI]
• National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Estes MUINJANGUE]
• Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters or NEFF [Epafras MUKWIILONGO]
• Popular Democratic Movement or PDM [McHenry VENAANI] (formerly Democratic Turnhalle Alliance or DTA)
• Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Mike KAVEKOTORA]
• Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE]
• South West Africa National Union or SWANU [Charles KATJIVIRUE]
• South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Hage GEINGOB]
• United Democratic Front or UDF [Apius AUCHAB]
• United People's Movement or UPM [Jan J. VAN WYK]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Margaret Natalie MENSAH-WILLIAMS (since 18 January 2021)

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 Randy William BERRY (since 9 February 2023)

embassy:

14 Lossen Street, Windhoek

mailing address:

2540 Windhoek Place, Washington DC 20521-2540

telephone:

[264] (061) 295-8500

FAX:

[264] (061) 295-8603

email address and website:

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

• 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 golden-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 golden-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

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

Fitch rating:

BB (2019)

Moody's rating:

Ba3 (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

31%

industry:

14%

services:

54% (2013 est.)

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

total:

40.4% (2021 est.)

male:

39.4%

female:

41.7%

lowest 10%:

2.4%

highest 10%:

42% (2010)

production:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption:

38,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports:

59,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves:

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

total petroleum production:

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

26,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

0 barrels (2021 est.)

production:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves:

62.297 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

general assessment:

• the government’s Broadband Policy aims to provide 95% population coverage by 2024;
• mobile network coverage has increased sharply in recent years;
• by 2021, 3G infrastructure provided 89% population coverage while LTE infrastructure provided 79% coverage (compared to only 40% a year earlier);
• despite the relatively advanced nature of the market, progress towards 5G has been slow, partly due to unsubstantiated public concerns over health implications of the technology which caused the government to order an environmental assessment of 5G in mid-2020;
• the government has requested the regulator to speed up its 5G development strategy;
• Namibia’s internet and broadband sector is reasonably competitive, its development was for many years held back by high prices for international bandwidth caused by the lack of a direct connection to international submarine cables;
• this market situation improved after operators invested in diversifying terrestrial access routes to adjacent countries;
• by the end of 2022 Namibia is expected to be connected by a 1,050km branch line of cable running between Portugal and South Africa (2022)

domestic:

fixed-line subscribership is 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular roughly 115 per 100 persons (2021)

international:

• country code - 264;
• landing points for the ACE and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable linking southern and western African countries to Europe;
• satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2019)

• 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

number of registered air carriers:

2 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

602,893 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

26.29 million (2018) mt-km

total:

2,628 km (2014)

narrow gauge:

2,628 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

total:

48,875 km (2018)

paved:

7,893 km (2018)

unpaved:

40,982 km (2018)