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Country Profile

Physical Geography

1. Republic of Namibia
   
2. Climate: arid and semi-arid to subtropical, desert
   
3. Map
   
   1. 22 00 S, 17 00 E
      
   2. In South Africa. West: Atlantic Ocean, North: Angola, Zambia. East: Botswana, Zimbabwe. South& East: South Africa. (World's 34^th largest country, after Venezuela)
      

Political Geography

1. Type of government: Republic
   
2. Major political parties: Congress of Democrats or COD; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA; Monitor Action Group or MAG; South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO; United Democratic Front or UDF
   
3. Capital: Windhoek
   
4. International Organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
   

Cultural Geography

1. Official language: English (but only used by about 7% of the population). Other languages spoken: German, Afrikaans, Oshiwambo.
   
2. - Population: 1,954,033
   

   - Population growth rate:
   1.25%
   

3. Major(large) cities: Swakopmund, Walvisbay, Luderitz, Mariental, Keetmanshoop, Otjiwarongo
   
4. Infant mortality rate: 69.58 deaths/1,000 live births, Average life expectancy: 40.53 years
   
5. Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%
   

Economic Geography

1. GDP: $13.72 billion
   
2. Percent of arable land used for agriculture:
   
3. Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
   
4. Currency: Namibian dollar (NAD); South African rand (ZAR) <Namibian dollars per US dollar - 7.56>
   
5. Balance of trade (include amounts in TWD currency of total exports and imports)
   
6. Historical events:
   

1988 - South Africa agrees to Namibian independence in exchange for removal of Cuban troops from Angola.

1989 - UN-supervised elections for a Namibian Constituent Assembly. Swapo wins.

Independence!!!

1990 March - Namibia becomes independent, with Sam Nujoma as first president.

1994 - South African exclave of Walvis Bay turned over to Namibia.

1994 - Nujoma and Swapo re-elected.

1998 - Hundreds of residents of the Caprivi Strip flee to Botswana, alleging persecution by the Namibian goverment.

1998 August - Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe send troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo to support President Laurent Kabila against rebels.

1999 August - Emergency declared in Caprivi Strip following series of attacks by separatists.

1999 December - Nujoma wins third presidential term.

2004 May - Road bridge across Zambezi river between Namibia, Zambia opens amid hopes for boost to regional trade.

2004 November - Hifikepunye Pohamba, President Nujoma's nominee, wins presidential elections. He is inaugurated in March 2005.

2006 June - National anti-polio vaccination campaign is launched following the death of at least 12 people from the disease.

2007 February - Chinese President Hu Jintao visits, signs aid and economic co-operation agreements.

(from TIME LINE: NAMIBIA http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1469048.stm)

 

INFORMATION FROM:

CIA world factbook http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact2004/geos/wa.html

Encyclopedia of the Nations

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Namibia.html

BBC news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1469048.stm

Republic of Namibia

http://209.88.21.55/opencms/opencms/grnnet/AboutNamibia/

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia#Culture