Republic of Namibia

President: Hifikepunye Pohamba (2005)

Prime Minister: Nahas Angula (2005)

Total area: 318,694 sq mi (825,418 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 2,044,147 (growth rate: 0.6%); birth rate: 24.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 48.1/1000; life expectancy: 43.4; density per sq mi: 6

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Windhoek, 221,000. Summer capital: Swakopmund, 26,200

Monetary unit: Namibian dollar

Languages: English 7% (official), Afrikaans is common language of most of the population and of about 60% of the white population, German 32%; indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama

Ethnicity/race: black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%. Note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups are Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%

Religions: Christian 80%–90% (Lutheran at least 50%), indigenous beliefs 10%–20%

Literacy rate: 84% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $16.58 billion; per capita $8,200. Real growth rate: 4.2%. Inflation: 2.7%. Unemployment: 35% (1998). Arable land: 1%. Agriculture: millet, sorghum, peanuts, grapes; livestock; fish. Labor force: 820,000; agriculture 47%, industry 20%, services 33% (1999 est.). Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamonds, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper). Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish; note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore. Exports: $2.04 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed fish, karakul skins. Imports: $2.35 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals. Major trading partners: South Africa, U.S. (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 110,200 (2000); mobile cellular: 82,000 (2000 est.). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001). Radios: 232,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters) (1997). Televisions: 60,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000). Internet users: 45,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 2,382 km (2002). Highways: total: 66,467 km; paved: 9,172 km; unpaved: 57,285 km (2000). Ports and harbors: Luderitz, Walvis Bay. Airports: 135 (2002).

International disputes: commission established with Botswana to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe boundaries converge; Angolan rebels and refugees still reside in Namibia.

 

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