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This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Namibia

Introduction

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. Independence came
in 1990.

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 water: 0 sq km land: 825,418 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: 200 NM territorial sea: 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, lead, tin, lithium,
cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish note:
suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 70 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: prolonged periods of drought

Environment - current issues: very 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, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: first country in the world to incorporate the
protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land
is