Namibia: Fact file
Updated April 2008
| Name | Republic of Namibia |
| Area | 824 292 sq km (Frame 2008, 837) |
| Capital | Windhoek |
| Major towns | Rundu, Walvis Bay, Oshakati, Katima Mulilo, Rehoboth, Otjiwarongo, Keetmanshoop, Gobabis, Tsumeb (Frame 2008, 837) |
| Boundaries | South Atlantic, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa |
| Population | 2 million, 2005 (UNDP 2007/8) |
| Pop growth rate | 1.2%, 2005-2015 (UNDP 2007/8) |
| Urbanisation | 35.1%, 2005 (UNDP 2007/8) |
| Life expectancy | Female 52.2 yrs, male 50.9 yrs; 2005 (UNDP 2007/8) |
| Infant mortality | 46/1000, 2005 (UNDP 2007/8) |
| HIV/AIDS prevalence | 19.6%, adults 15-49, 2007 est (UNAIDS 2007) |
| Adult literacy rate | Female 83.5%, male 86.8%; 2005 (UNDP 2007/8) |
| Military expenditure | 3.2% of GDP; 2005 (UNDP 2007/8) |
| Health expenditure | 4.7% of GDP; 2004 (UNDP 2007/8) |
| Legal system | Roman-Dutch and customary law (Geraldo & Skeffers 2007) |
| Independence | 21 March 1990 |
| GDP | US$7.4 billion, 2007 est (IMF 2008a) |
| GDP per capita | US$3 584, 2007 est (IMF 2008a) |
| GDP growth rate | 4.4%, 2007 est (IMF 2008a) |
| Main exports | Fish, diamonds, beverages (Frame 2008, 841) |
| Currency | 100 cents = 1 Namibian dollar |
| Unemployment | 36.7%, 2006 (Mseyamwa 2006) |
| Inflation rate | 6.7%, 2007 est (IMF 2008a) |
| External debt ratio | 5.9% of GDP, 2007 (IMF 2008b) |
| Roads | 42 000 km, 5 477 km tarred (SADC 2007, 194) |
| Rail | 2 382 km narrow gauge (SADC 2007, 194) |
| Airports | 16 tarred; 1 international (Windhoek) (Avigation Networks Undated) |
| Ethnic groups | Ovambo, Kavango, Damara, Herero, White, Nama, Coloured, Caprivian, Bushmen, Baster (Frame 2008, 826) |
| Languages | Official English; others Oshiwambo, Herero, Nama/Damara, Lozi, Kwangali,Tswana, Afrikaans and German (SADC 2007, 184) |
| Religion | Christian 92.3%,(Protestant 47.5%) African Traditional 6.0% (Religious Freedom Undated) |
References
AVIGATION NETWORKS UNDATED "Airports in Namibia", [www] http://worldaerodata.com/countries/Namibia.php [opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2007).
FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.
GERALDO, GM & SKEFFERS, I 2007 "Researching Namibian Law and the Namibian Legal System", IN Globalex, [www] http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Namibia.htm [opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2008).
IMF 2008a World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/index.aspx [opens new window] (accessed 21 Apr 2008).
IMF 2008b Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2007/AFR/ENG/sreo0407.pdf, 118 [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 22 Apr 2008).
MSEYAMWA, N 2006 "A Range of Woes Underpins Unemployment", IPS, 26 October, [www] http://ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=35256 [opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2008).
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 2001 "Nation profile: Namibia", [www] http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Namibia/rbodies.html [opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2008).
SADC 2007 "Namibia" IN Country Profiles, 78-79, [www] http://www.sadcreview.com/pdfs07/namibia2007_08.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2008).
UNAIDS 2007 "Namibia", [www] http://www.unaids.org/en/CountryResponses/Countries/namibia.asp [opens in window] (accessed 24 Apr 2008).
UNDP 2007/8 "Namibia", IN Human Development Report 2007/8, [www] http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_NAM.html [opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2008).
