duction
Namibia

Background:

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 was soon named 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.
Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a
landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during
its first 14 years of self rule.

Geography
Namibia

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

22 00 S, 17 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 825,418 sq km
land: 825,418 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than half the size of Alaska

Land boundaries:

total: 3,936 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa
967 km, Zambia 233 km

Coastline:

1,572 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Terrain:

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

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

arable land: 0.99%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99% (2005)

Irrigated land:

80 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

45.5 cu km (1991)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.3 cu km/yr (24%/5%/71%)
per capita: 148 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

prolonged periods of drought

Environment - current issues:

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

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Deserti