South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966, the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990, though the party has dropped much of its Marxist ideology. Prime Minister Hage GEINGOB was elected president in November 2014 in a landslide victory, replacing Hifikepunye POHAMBA who stepped down after serving two terms. SWAPO retained its parliamentary super majority in the November 2014 elections and established a system of gender parity in parliamentary positions.

Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa

22 00 S, 17 00 E

Africa

slightly more than half the size of Alaska

1,572 km

desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

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

highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m

diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish

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

80 sq km (2012)

prolonged periods of drought

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

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

2,436,469

black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%

Oshiwambo languages 48.9%, Nama/Damara 11.3%, Afrikaans 10.4% (common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population), Otjiherero languages 8.6%, Kavango languages 8.5%, Caprivi languages 4.8%, English (official) 3.4%, other African languages 2.3%, other 1.7%

Christian 80% to 90% (at least 50% Lutheran), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%

Planning officials view Namibia’s reduced population growth rate as sustainable based on the country’s economic growth over the past decade. Prior to independence in 1990, Namibia’s relatively small population grew at about 3% annually, but declining fertility and the impact of HIV/AIDS slowed this growth to 1.4% by 2011, rebounding to close to 2% by 2016. Namibia’s fertility rate has fallen over the last two decades – from about 4.5 children per woman in 1996 to 3.4 in 2016 – due to increased contraceptive use, higher educational attainment among women, and greater female participation in the labor force. The average age at first birth has stayed fairly constant, but the age at first marriage continues to increase, indicating a rising incidence of premarital childbearing.

The majority of Namibians are rural dwellers (about 55%) and live in the better-watered north and northeast parts of the country. Migration, historically male-dominated, generally flows from northern communal areas – non-agricultural lands where blacks were sequestered under the apartheid system – to agricultural, mining, and manufacturing centers in the center and south. After independence from South Africa, restrictions on internal movement eased, and rural-urban migration increased, bolstering urban growth.

Some Namibians – usually persons who are better-educated, more affluent, and from urban areas – continue to legally migrate to South Africa temporarily to visit family and friends and, much less frequently, to pursue tertiary education or better economic opportunities. Namibians concentrated along the country’s other borders make unauthorized visits to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, or Botswana, to visit family and to trade agricultural goods. Few Namibians express interest in permanently settling in other countries; they prefer the safety of their homeland, have a strong national identity, and enjoy a well-supplied retail sector. Although Namibia is receptive to foreign investment and cross-border trade, intolerance toward non-citizens is widespread.

1.98% (2016 est.)

27.9 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

WINDHOEK (capital) 368,000 (2015)

21.5

265 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

3.36 children born/woman (2016 est.)

55.1% (2006/07)

8.9% of GDP (2014)

0.37 physicians/1,000 population (2007)

2.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)

urban: 98.2% of population

rural: 84.6% of population

total: 91% of population

urban: 1.8% of population

rural: 15.4% of population

total: 9% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 54.5% of population

rural: 16.8% of population

total: 34.4% of population

urban: 45.5% of population

rural: 83.2% of population

total: 65.6% of population (2015 est.)

13.34% (2015 est.)

210,800 (2015 est.)

3,100 (2015 est.)

16.8% (2014)

13.2% (2013)

8.3% of GDP (2010)

presidential republic

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

21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

Independence Day, 21 March (1990)

drafted 9 February 1990, signed 16 March 1990, entered into force 21 March 1990; amended 1998, 2010, 2014 (2016)

mixed legal system of uncodified civil law based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

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]

National Society for Human Rights or NAMRIGHTS

The Affirmative Repositioning Movement or AR [Job AMUPANDA, Dimbulukweni NAUYOMA, George KAMBALA]

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, CPLP (associate observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

oryx (antelope); national colors: blue, red, green, white, yellow

The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 11.5% of GDP, but provides more than 50% of foreign exchange earnings. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Marine diamond mining is increasingly important as the terrestrial diamond supply has dwindled. The rising cost of mining diamonds, increasingly from the sea, combined with increased diamond production in Russia and China, has reduced profit margins. Namibian authorities have emphasized the need to add value to raw materials, do more in-country manufacturing, and exploit the services market, especially in the logistics and transportation sectors.

Namibia is the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. The Chinese owned Husab uranium mine in expected to start producing uranium ore in 2017. Once the Husab mine reaches full production, Namibia is expected to become the world’s second-largest producer of uranium. Namibia also produces large quantities of zinc and is a smaller producer of gold and copper. The mining and quarrying sectors employ 2% of the population. Namibia's economy remains vulnerable to world commodity price fluctuations, and drought.

Namibia normally imports about 50% of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages can be a problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the region, hides one of the world's most unequal income distributions. A priority of the current government is poverty eradication.

A five-year, Millennium Challenge Corporation compact ended in September 2014. As an upper middle income country, Namibia is ineligible for a second compact. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand. Namibia receives 30%-40% of its revenues from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Volatility in the size of Namibia's annual SACU allotment complicates budget planning.

$25.34 billion (2015 est.)

$24.25 billion (2014 est.)

$22.8 billion (2013 est.)

$12.83 billion (2015 est.)

4.5% (2015 est.)

6.4% (2014 est.)

5.7% (2013 est.)

$11,400 (2015 est.)

$11,000 (2014 est.)

$10,500 (2013 est.)

19.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

24.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

20% of GDP (2013 est.)

millet, sorghum, peanuts, grapes; livestock; fish

meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, pasta, beverages; mining (diamonds, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)

5.1% (2015 est.)

1.188 million (2015 est.)

28.1% (2014 est.)

29.6% (2013 est.)

28.7% (2010 est.)

59.7 (2010)

70.7 (2003)

35.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

-5.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

34.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

24% of GDP (2014 est.)

1 April - 31 March

3.4% (2015 est.)

5.3% (2014 est.)

6.75% (17 February 2016)

6.5% (31 December 2015)

7.41% (17 February 2016 est.)

8.7% (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.583 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$3.17 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.496 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.574 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$4.904 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$6.655 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.305 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.152 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.176 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

-$1.253 billion (2015 est.)

-$1.12 billion (2014 est.)

$4.015 billion (2015 est.)

$4.612 billion (2014 est.)

diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, white fish and mollusks

$6.914 billion (2015 est.)

$7.191 billion (2014 est.)

foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals

$1.69 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.177 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.124 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.829 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$NA

$NA

Namibian dollars (NAD) per US dollar -

12.7589 (2015 est.)

10.8526 (2014 est.)

10.8526 (2013 est.)

8.2 (2012 est.)

7.2597 (2011 est.)

1.5 billion kWh (2014 est.)

3.7 billion kWh (2014 est.)

84 million kWh (2014 est.)

2.9 billion kWh (2014 est.)

500,000 kW (2014 est.)

31.8% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

68.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

24,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

79.56 bbl/day (2013 est.)

23,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

62.29 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

4 million Mt (2013 est.)

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)

.na

V5 (2016)

112 (2013)

Namibian Defense Force (NDF): Army, Navy, Air Force (2013)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

4.2% of GDP (2015)

3.11% of GDP (2012)

3.38% of GDP (2011)

3.11% of GDP (2010)

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