Namibia: Fact file
Updated November 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 | 2.212 million, 2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009a) |
| Natural pop growth | 1.93%, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009b) |
| Urbanisation | 36.2%, 2007 est (UN Statistics Division undated) |
| Life expectancy | Female 62.3 yrs, male 60.3 yrs; 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009c, 2009d) |
| Infant mortality | 35/1000, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009e) |
| HIV/AIDS prevalence | 15.3%, 15-49 yr 2007 est (UN Statistics Division 2009f) |
| Adult literacy rate | 88%; 2003-2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010a) |
| Military expenditure | 2.5% of GDP; 2008 (UN Statistics Division 2010b) |
| Health expenditure | 8.7% of GDP; 2006 (UN Statistics Division 2008) |
| Legal system | Roman-Dutch and customary law (Geraldo & Skeffers 2007) |
| Independence | 21 March 1990 from South Africa |
| GDP | US$8.563 billion, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010c) |
| GDP per capita | US$4,143, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2009g) |
| GDP growth rate | 2.7%, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010d) |
| Main exports | Fish, diamonds, beverages (Frame 2008, 841) |
| Currency | 100 cents = 1 Namibian dollar |
| Unemployment | 51%, 2009 (AFDB/OECD 2010) |
| Inflation rate | 12%, 2008 (UN Statistics Division 2010e) |
| External debt ratio | 5.0% of GDP, 2009 (IMF 2010, 95) |
| Roads | Total 45 094 km (32% poor), paved 6 031 km (7% poor), unpaved 39 062 km (35% poor); 2008 (World Bank 2009) |
| 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%, also African Traditional (US Department of State 2010) |
References
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FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.
IMF 2010 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, October, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2010/AFR/eng/pdf/sreo1010.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
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