Namibia




                                 Geography


Location:
     Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Angola and
     South Africa
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     825,418 sq km
land area:
     825,418 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Land boundaries:
     total 3,824 km, Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 855
     km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline:
     1,572 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
     24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint
     with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with
     South Africa over Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands has been resolved
     and these territories were transferred to Namibian sovereignty on 1
     March 1994
Climate:
     desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain:
     mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Natural resources:
     diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc,
     salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of oil, natural
     gas, coal, iron ore
Land use:
arable land:
     1%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     64%
forest and woodland:
     22%
other:
     13%
Irrigated land:
     40 sq km (1989 est.)




Environment:
current issues:
     very limited natural water resources; desertification
natural hazards:
     NA
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection;
     signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change


                                  People


Population:
     1,595,567 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     3.45% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     43.4 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     8.87 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     61.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     61.65 years
male:
     58.97 years
female:
     64.4 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     6.4 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Namibian(s)
adjective:
     Namibian
Ethnic divisions:
     black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%
note:
     about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the
     Kavangos tribe
Religions:
     Christian
Languages:
     English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the
     population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%,
     indigenous languages
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1960)
total population:
     38%
male:
     45%




female:
     31%
Labor force:
     500,000
by occupation:
     agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 19%, services 8%, government
     7%, mining 6% (1981 est.)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Namibia
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     WA
Type:
     republic
Capital:
     Windhoek
Administrative divisions:
     13 districts; Erango, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Liambezi,
     Ohanguena, Okarango, Omaheke, Omusat, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa
Independence:
     21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 21 March (1990)
Constitution:
     ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990
Legal system:
     based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
     President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990); election last held 16
     February 1990 (next to be held March 1995); results - Sam NUJOMA was
     elected president by the Constituent Assembly (now the National
     Assembly)
cabinet:
     Cabinet; appointed by the president from the National Assembly
Legislative branch:
     bicameral legislature
National Council:
     elections last held 30 November-3 December 1992 (next to be held by
     December 1998); seats - (26 total) SWAPO 19, DTA 6, UDF 1
National Assembly:
     elections last held on 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held by November
     1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (72 total) SWAPO
     41, DTA 21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court




Political parties and leaders:
     South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Sam NUJOMA; DTA of
     Namibia (formerly Democratic Turnhalle Alliance) (DTA), Mishake
     MUYONGO; United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus GAROEB; Action
     Christian National (ACN), Kosie PRETORIUS; National Patriotic Front
     (NPF), Moses KATJIUONGUA; Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN), Hans
     DIERGAARDT; Namibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii RUKORO
Other political or pressure groups:
     NA
Member of:
     ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD,
     IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM
     (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
     UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH
chancery:
     1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
     (202) 986-0540
FAX:
     (202) 986-0443
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Howard F. JETER
embassy:
     Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St., Windhoek
mailing address:
     P. O. Box 9890, Windhoek 9000
telephone:
     [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680
FAX:
     [264] (61) 229-792
Flag:
     a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left
     section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right
     section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is
     contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders


                                  Economy


Overview:
     The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and
     process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 25% of GDP.
     Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa
     and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond
     deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary
     source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large
     quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. More than half
     the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence
     agriculture) for its livelihood.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $3.85 billion (1993 est.)




National product real growth rate:
     3.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
     $2,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     17.9% (1992) in urban area
Unemployment rate:
     30% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
     $941 million
expenditures:
     $1.05 billion, including capital expenditures of $157 million
     (FY93/94)
Exports:
     $1.289 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
     diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium, cattle, processed fish,
     karakul skins
partners:
     Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Japan
Imports:
     $1.178 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment
partners:
     South Africa, Germany, US, Switzerland
External debt:
     about $220 million (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 4.9% (1991); accounts for 35% of GDP, including mining
Electricity:
capacity:
     490,000 kW
production:
     1.29 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     850 kWh (1991)
Industries:
     meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead,
     zinc, diamond, uranium)
Agriculture:
     accounts for 15% of GDP; mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising
     major source of cash income; crops - millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish
     catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled,
     1988 catch reaching only 384,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in
     food
Economic aid:
recipient:
     Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
     (1970-87), $47.2 million
Currency:
     1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents




Exchange rates:
     South African rand (R) per US$1 - 3.4096 (January 1994), 3.2678
     (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7653 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     1 April - 31 March


                              Communications


Railroads:
     2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Highways:
total:
     54,500 km
paved:
     4,080 km
unpaved:
     gravel 2,540 km; earth 47,880 km (roads and tracks)
Ports:
     Luderitz; Walvis Bay
Airports:
total:
     136
usable:
     109
with permanent-surface runways:
     21
with runways over 3,659 m:
     1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     64
Telecommunications:
     good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns,
     wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; broadcast
     stations - 4 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     National Defense Force (Army), Police
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 336,145; fit for military service 199,337
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $66 million, 3.4% of GDP (FY92)