| Also on Encarta |
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| Basic Facts |
| Official name |
Republic of Namibia |
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| Capital |
Windhoek |
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| Area |
824,269 sq km |
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318,252 sq mi |
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| Largest cities (population) |
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| Windhoek |
202,000 (1999 estimate) |
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| Namibian Flag and Anthem |
 Expand |
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| People |
| Population |
2,055,080 (2007 estimate) |
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| Population growth rate |
0.48 per cent (2007 estimate) |
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| Population density |
2.5 persons per sq km (2007 estimate) |
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6.5 persons per sq mi (2007 estimate) |
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| Urbanization |
| Per cent urban |
32 per cent (2003 estimate) |
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| Per cent rural |
68 per cent (2003 estimate) |
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| Life expectancy |
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| Total |
43.1 years (2007 estimate) |
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| Female |
41.8 years (2007 estimate) |
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| Male |
44.4 years (2007 estimate) |
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| Infant mortality rate |
| 47 deaths per 1,000 live births (2007 estimate) |
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| Literacy rate |
| Total |
85.4 per cent (2005 estimate) |
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| Female |
85.3 per cent (2005 estimate) |
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| Male |
85.5 per cent (2005 estimate) |
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| Ethnic divisions |
| Black |
86.0 per cent |
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| White |
6.6 per cent |
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| Mixed |
7.4 per cent |
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| NOTE: About 50 per cent of the population belong to the Ovambo group and 9 per cent to the Kavango group; other ethnic groups include (with approximate share of total population): Herero 7 per cent, Damara 7 per cent, Nama 5 per cent, Caprivian 4 per cent, Bushmen 3 per cent, Baster 2 per cent, Tswana 0.5 per cent |
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| Languages |
| English (official). Official regional languages: Diriku, Herero, Kwangali, Kwanyama, Lozi, Mbukushu, Nama, Ndonga, Tswana. Also: Afrikaans, Ju|'hoan, Subiya, Zemba, and other indigenous languages. |
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| Religions |
| Christian, other |
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| Government |
| Type of government |
Republic |
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| Independence |
March 21, 1990 (from South African mandate) |
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| Constitution |
Ratified February 9, 1990; effective March 12, 1990; amended November 1998 |
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| Voting rights |
Universal at age 18 |
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| Economy |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$) |
| 6,126 million (2005) |
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| GDP per capita (US$) |
3,016 (2005) |
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| GDP by economic sector |
| GDP, agriculture |
9.9 per cent (2005) |
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| GDP, industry |
31.7 per cent (2005) |
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| GDP, services |
58.4 per cent (2005) |
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| National budget (US$) |
| Total revenue |
1,256 million (2003) |
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| Total expenditure |
1,391 million (2003) |
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| Monetary unit |
| 1 Namibian dollar (N$), consisting of 100 cents |
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| Exports |
| Diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium, cattle, processed fish, sheepskins |
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| Imports |
| Foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals |
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| Major trading partners for exports |
| Switzerland, South Africa, Spain, Japan |
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| Major trading partners for imports |
| South Africa, Germany, United States, Japan |
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| Industries |
| Meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining |
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| Agriculture |
| Mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising is a major source of cash income: cattle, sheep, goats, meat, milk, wool; crops: millet, roots and tubers, fruits |
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| Natural resources |
| Diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore |
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| Sources: |
Basic Facts and People sections
Area data are from the individual country statistical bureaus. Population, population growth rate, infant mortality, and life expectancy data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center; International database, 2001; (www.census.gov). Population density data are from the individual country statistical bureaus, and the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center; International database, 2001; (www.census.gov). Largest cities population data and administrative divisions data are from the individual country statistical bureaus. Literacy rate data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database, 2001; (www.unesco.org). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database, 2001; (www.fao.org). Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook, as well as various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, SIL International; (www.sil.org).
Government section
Government, independence, constitution, and voting rights data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook.
Economy section
Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sector, and national budget data are from the World Bank database, 2001; (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, exports and imports, natural resources, agriculture, and industries information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook, and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.
Note: Due to rounding, totals may not add up to 100 per cent. |
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