NAMIBIA GEOGRAPHY Total area: 824,290 km2; land area: 823,290 km2 Comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Alaska Land boundaries: 3,935 km total; Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 966 km, Zambia 233 km Coastline: 1,489 km Maritime claims: Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and iron ore Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 64%; forest and woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification Note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia PEOPLE Population: 1,520,504 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991) Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 58 years male, 63 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Namibian(s); adjective--Namibian Ethnic divisions: black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%; about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe Religion: predominantly Christian Language: English is official language; Afrikaans is common language of most of population and about 60% of white population, German 32%, English 7%; several indigenous languages Literacy: 38% (male 45%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1960) Labor force: 500,000; agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 19%, services 8%, government 7%, mining 6% (1981 est.) Organized labor: 20 trade unions representing about 90,000 workers GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Namibia Type: republic Capital: Windhoek Administrative divisions: the former administrative structure of 26 districts has been abolished and 14 temporary regions are still in the process of being determined; note--the 26 districts were Bethanien, Boesmanland, Caprivi Oos, Damaraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein, Hereroland Oos, Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland, Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz, Maltahohe, Mariental, Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate) Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990 Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution National holiday: Independence Day, 21 March 1990 Executive branch: president, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral; House of Review (upper house, to be established with elections in 1992 by planned new regional authorities); National Assembly (lower house elected by universal suffrage) Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990) Political parties and leaders: South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Sam NUJOMA; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk MUDGE; United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus GAROEB; Action Christian National (ACN), Kosie PRETORIUS; National Patriotic Front (NPF), Moses KATJIUONGUA; Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN), Hans DIERGAARDT; Namibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii RUKORO Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: President--last held 16 February 1990 (next to be held March 1995); Sam NUJOMA was elected president by the Constituent Assembly (now the National Assembly); National Assembly--last held on 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held by November 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA 21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1 Communists: no Communist party Other political or pressure groups: NA Member of: C, ECA (associate), FAO, FLS, IAEA, IBRD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, WCL, WFTU, WHO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH; Chancery at 1413 K Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20005 (mailing address is PO Box 34738, Washington DC 20043); telephone (202) 289-3871; US--Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES; Embassy at Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St., Windhoek (mailing address is P. O. Box 9890, Windhoek 9000, Namibia); telephone 264 (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680 Flag: a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe which is contrasted by two narrow white edge borders ECONOMY Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 30% of GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten, and it has substantial resources of coal. More than half the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood. GNP: $1.8 billion, per capita $1,240; real growth rate - 2.0% (1990 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.1% (1989) Unemployment rate: over 30% (1990) Budget: revenues $794.1 million; expenditures $999.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.) Exports: $1,021 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--uranium, diamonds, zinc, copper, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins; partners--Switzerland, South Africa, FRG, Japan Imports: $894 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment; partners--South Africa, FRG, US, Switzerland External debt: about $27 million at independence; under a 1971 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia may not be liable for debt incurred during its colonial period Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 486,000 kW capacity; 1,280 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc, diamond, uranium) Agriculture: mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising major source of cash income; crops--millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled, 1987 catch reaching only 520,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in food Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $47.2 million Currency: South African rand (plural--rand); 1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents Exchange rates: South African rand (R) per US$1--2.625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track Highways: 54,500 km; 4,079 km paved, 2,540 km gravel, 47,881 km earth roads and tracks Ports: Luderitz; primary maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa) Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft Airports: 143 total, 123 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 67 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; stations--2 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV DEFENSE FORCES Branches: National Defense Force (Army), Police Manpower availability: males 15-49, 309,978; 183,730 fit for military service Defense expenditures: $NA, 4.9% of GNP (1986)