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

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 17 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 825,418 sq km
land area: 825,418 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 3,824 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa
855 km, Zambia 233 km

Coastline: 1,572 km

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

International disputes: short section of boundary with Botswana is
indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in
disagreement; dispute with Botswana over uninhabited Kasikili
(Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River remained unresolved in
December 1995, and the parties agreed to refer the matter to the ICJ

Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari
Desert in east
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m

Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin,
lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected
deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 64%
forest and woodland: 22%
other: 13%

Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources;
desertification
natural hazards: prolonged periods of drought
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not
ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes

People
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Population: 1,677,243 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 370,090; female 362,185)
15-64 years: 52% (male 428,488; female 449,726)
65 years and over: 4% (male 28,599; female 38,155) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.93% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 37.29 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 7.98 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant m