Namibia: Fact file

Updated March 2010

Name Republic of Namibia
Area 824 292 sq km
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 2.1 million, 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Natural pop growth 1.9, 2005-2010 (UNDP 2009)
Urbanisation 27.7%, 1990 (UNDP 2009)
Life expectancy Female 61.2 yrs, male 59.3 yrs; 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Infant mortality 35/1000, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2010a)
HIV/AIDS prevalence 15-49 yrs: 15.3%; 2007 est (WHO 2008)
Adult literacy rate Female 87.4%, male 88.6%; 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Military expenditure 2.6% of GDP; 2005 (UN Statistics Division 2010b)
Health expenditure 5.3% of GDP; 2006 (UN Statistics Division 2010c)
Legal system Roman-Dutch and customary law (Geraldo & Skeffers 2007)
Independence 21 March 1990 (South Africa)
GDP US$7.4 billion, 2007 est (IMF 2008)
GDP per capita US$2 800, 2007 (IMF 2009, 65)
GDP growth rate 2.9%, 2008 (IMF 2009, 62)
Main exports Fish, diamonds, beverages (Frame 2008, 841)
Currency 100 cents = 1 Namibian dollar
Unemployment 36.7%, 2006 (Mseyamwa 2006)
Inflation rate 7.1%, 2008 (IMF 2009, 66)
External debt ratio 4.5% of GDP, 2008 (IMF 2009, 84)
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 more than 90%, remainder mainly African Traditional (US Department of State 2009)

References

AVIGATION NETWORKS UNDATED "Airports in Namibia", [www] http://worldaerodata.com/countries/Namibia.php [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

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 18 Mar 2010).

IMF 2008 World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/index.aspx [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

IMF 2009 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, October, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2009/AFR/eng/sreo1009.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

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 18 Mar 2010).

SADC 2007 "Namibia" IN Country Profiles, 78-79, [www] http://www.sadcreview.com/pdfs07/namibia2007_08.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UNDP 2009 "Namibia HDI Rank - 128", IN Human Development Report 2009, [www] http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_NAM.html [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010a "Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births)" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=MExico&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3A77%3BcrID%3A484 [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010b "Military expenditure (% of GDP)" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3AMS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010c "Total expenditure on health as percentage of gross domestic product" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Gross+domestic+product&d=WHO&f=inID%3AHSR20 [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2009 "Namibia" IN International Religious Freedom Report 2009, [www] http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127247.htm [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

WHO 2008 "Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS Core data on epidemiology and response", [www] http://www.who.int/globalatlas/predefinedReports/EFS2008/full/EFS2008_NA.pdf [PDF document, opens in window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).