fuel minerals in
Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Rich
alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for
gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead,
zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. Half of the population depends on
agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood.
Namibia must import some of its food.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $6.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,700 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 20%
services: 65% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 8% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 500,000
by occupation: agriculture 49%, industry and commerce 25%, services
5%, government 18%, mining 3% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21.8% (1993)

Budget:
revenues : $1.1 billion
expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $193
million (FY96/97 est.)

Industries: meat packing, fish processing, dairy products; mining
(diamond, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)

Industrial production growth rate: 10% (1994)

Electricity - capacity: 406,000 kW (1993)

Electricity - production: 994 million kWh (1993)
note: imports electricity from South Africa

Electricity - consumption per capita: 925 kWh (1993)

Agriculture - products: millet, sorghum, peanuts; livestock; fish
catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled

Exports:
total value: $1.45 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium, cattle,
processed fish, karakul skins
partners : UK, South Africa, Spain, Japan (1994)

Imports:
total value: $1.55 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and
equipment, chemicals
partners: South Africa 85%, Germany, US, Japan (1994 est.)

Debt - external: about $315 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 Namibian dollar (N$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Nambian dollars (N$) per US$1 - 4.64152 (January
1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995), 3.55080 (1994), 3.26774 (1993),
2.85201 (1992)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@Namibia:Communications

Telephones: 89,722 (1992 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio
relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are by
open