Namibia - Wikipedia

Namibia - Wikipedia
Jump to content
Coordinates
22°S
17°E
 / 
22°S 17°E
 /
-22; 17
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Country in Southern Africa
For the newspaper, see
The Namibian
Republic of Namibia
Name in national languages
Afrikaans
Republiek van Namibië
German
Republik Namibia
Khoekhoegowab
Republiki Namibiab dib
Oshiwambo
Orepublika yaNamibia
Otjiherero
Orepublika yaNamibia
RuKwangali
Republika zaNamibia
Setswana
Rephaboliki ya Namibia
siLozi
Namibia ye Lukuluhile
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto:
"Unity, Liberty, Justice"
Anthem:
Namibia, Land of the Brave
Show globe
Show map of Africa
Capital
and largest city
Windhoek
22°34′S
17°5′E
 / 
22.567°S 17.083°E
 /
-22.567; 17.083
Official languages
Recognised national languages
Afrikaans
German
Khoekhoegowab
Oshiwambo
Otjiherero
RuKwangali
Setswana
siLozi
Recognised regional languages
ǃKung
Gciriku
Thimbukushu
Ethnic groups
(2023)
10
93.2%
Indigenous African
3.6%
Coloured
and
Basters
1.8%
White
1.4%
Asian
/ other
Religion
(2023)
11
87.9%
Christianity
43.7%
Lutheranism
22.8%
Catholicism
17.0%
Anglicanism
4.4% other
Christian
10.5% other
1.6%
no religion
Demonym
Namibian
Government
Unitary
semi-presidential republic
12
needs update
President
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Vice President
Lucia Witbooi
Prime Minister
Elijah Ngurare
Deputy Prime Minister
Vacant
Chief Justice
Peter Shivute
Legislature
Parliament
Upper house
National Council
Lower house
National Assembly
Independence from
South Africa
Constitution
9 February 1990
Independence
21 March 1990
Area
• Total
825,615 km
(318,772 sq mi) (
34th
• Water (%)
Negligible
Population
• 2025 census
3,022,401
13
10
136th
• Density
3.7/km
(9.6/sq mi)
GDP
PPP
2025 estimate
• Total
$37.73 billion
14
145th
• Per capita
$12,370
14
117th
GDP
(nominal)
2025 estimate
• Total
$14.21 billion
14
145th
• Per capita
$4,660
14
120th
Gini
(2015)
59.1
15
high inequality
HDI
(2023)
0.665
16
medium
136th
Currency
Namibian dollar
(NAD)
South African rand
(ZAR)
Time zone
UTC
+2
CAT
Date format
dd/mm/yyyy
Calling code
+264
ISO 3166 code
NA
Internet TLD
.na
Namibia
officially the
Republic of Namibia
, is a country in
Southern Africa
20
It borders the
Atlantic Ocean
to the west,
Angola
and
Zambia
to the north,
Botswana
to the east and
South Africa
to the south; in the northeast, approximating a
quadripoint
21
Zimbabwe
lies less than 200 metres (660 feet) away along the
Zambezi
river near
Kazungula
, Zambia. Namibia's capital and largest city is
Windhoek
Namibia is the driest country in
sub-Saharan Africa
22
and has been inhabited since prehistoric times by the
Khoi
San
Damara
and
Nama people
. Around the 14th century,
immigrating
Bantu peoples
arrived as part of the
Bantu expansion
. From 1600 the
Owambo
formed kingdoms, such as
Ondonga
and
Oukwanyama
23
In 1884, the
German Empire
established rule over most of the territory, forming a colony known as
German South West Africa
. Between 1904-08, German troops waged a punitive campaign against the
Herero
and
Nama
which escalated into the
first genocide
of the 20th century. German rule ended during the First World War with a 1915 defeat by
South African
forces. In 2021, German and Namibian diplomats created a "reconciliation agreement" acknowledging atrocities from the German colonial period.
24
In 1920 the
League of Nations
mandated
administration of the colony to South Africa. The
National Party
, elected to power in 1948 in South Africa, applied
apartheid
to what was then known as
South West Africa
. Uprisings and demands for political representation resulted in the
United Nations
assuming direct responsibility over the territory in 1966, but South Africa maintained
de facto
rule until 1973. That year the UN recognised the
South West Africa People's Organisation
SWAPO
, as the official representative of the Namibian people. Namibia gained independence from South Africa in March 1990, following the
South African Border War
. However,
Walvis Bay
and the
Penguin Islands
remained under South African control until 1994.
Namibia is a
parliamentary democracy
. Agriculture,
tourism
and the
mining industry
– including mining for diamonds,
uranium
gold
silver
and
base metals
– form the basis of its
economy
, the manufacturing sector is comparatively small. Despite significant
GDP
growth since its independence,
25
poverty
and
inequality
remain significant. 41% of the population is affected by
multidimensional poverty
26
and more than 400,000 people live in
informal housing
27
Income disparity
is one of the world's highest with a
Gini coefficient
of 59 in 2015.
28
With a population of 3.1 million people, Namibia is one of the
most sparsely populated
countries in the world. Since the end of the
Cold War
, it has attracted notable immigration from Germany, Angola, and Zimbabwe.
29
Namibia is a member state of the
United Nations,
the
Southern African Development Community
, the
African Union
and the
Commonwealth of Nations
History
edit
Main article:
History of Namibia
Etymology
edit
The name of the country is derived from the
Namib
desert, the oldest desert in the world.
30
The word
Namib
itself is of
Khoi
origin and means "vast place". The name was chosen by
Mburumba Kerina
, who originally proposed "Republic of Namib".
31
Before Namibia became independent in 1990, its territory was known first as
German South-West Africa
Deutsch-Südwestafrika
), and then as
South West Africa
, reflecting its colonial occupation by Germans and South Africans, respectively.
Pre-colonial period
edit
Citation from the book Namibia by Pascal Belda:
"The dry lands of Namibia have been inhabited since prehistoric times by the
San
Damara
, and
Nama
. For thousands of years, the
Khoisan
peoples of Southern Africa maintained a
nomadic
life, the
Khoikhoi
as pastoralists and the San people as
hunter-gatherers
. Around the 14th century, immigrating
Bantu people
began to arrive during the
Bantu expansion
from central Africa."
32
From the late 18th century onward,
Oorlam people
from Cape Colony crossed the
Orange River
and moved into the area that today is southern Namibia.
33
Their encounters with the nomadic Nama tribes were largely peaceful. They received the missionaries accompanying the Oorlam very well,
34
granting them the right to use waterholes and grazing against an annual payment.
35
On their way further north, however, the Oorlam encountered clans of the
OvaHerero
at Windhoek,
Gobabis
, and
Okahandja
, who resisted their encroachment. The Nama-Herero War broke out in 1880, with hostilities ebbing only after the
German Empire
deployed troops to the contested places and cemented the status quo among the Nama, Oorlam, and Herero.
36
In 1878, the
Cape of Good Hope
, then a British colony, annexed the port of Walvis Bay and the offshore
Penguin Islands
; these became an integral part of the new
Union of South Africa
at its creation in 1910.
The first Europeans to disembark and explore the region were the Portuguese navigators
Diogo Cão
in 1485
37
and
Bartolomeu Dias
in 1486, but the Portuguese did not try to claim the area. Like most of the interior of
Sub-Saharan Africa
, Namibia was not extensively explored by Europeans until the 19th century. At that time traders and settlers came principally from Germany and Sweden. In 1870,
Finnish
missionaries came to the northern part of Namibia to spread the
Lutheran religion
among the
Owambo
and
Kavango people
38
In the late 19th century,
Dorsland Trekkers
crossed the area on their way from the
Transvaal
to Angola. Some of them settled in Namibia instead of continuing their journey.
German rule
edit
See also:
German South West Africa
and
Herero and Nama genocide
Namibia became a German colony in 1884 under
Otto von Bismarck
to forestall perceived British encroachment and was known as
German South West Africa
Deutsch-Südwestafrika
).
39
The
Palgrave Commission
by the British governor in
Cape Town
determined that only the natural deep-water harbour of Walvis Bay was worth occupying and thus annexed it to the Cape province of British South Africa.
In 1897, a
rinderpest epidemic
caused massive cattle die-offs of an estimated 95% of cattle in southern and central Namibia. In response the German colonisers set up a veterinary
cordon
fence known as the
Red Line
40
In 1907 this fence then broadly defined the boundaries for the first Police Zone.
41
From 1904 to 1907, the
Herero
and the
Nama
took up arms
against ruthless German settlers. In a calculated punitive action by the German settlers,
government
officials ordered the extinction of the natives in the OvaHerero and Nama genocide. In what has been called the "first genocide of the 20th century",
42
the Germans systematically killed 10,000 Nama (half the population) and approximately 65,000 Herero (about 80% of the population).
43
44
Released from detention, the survivors faced a system of forced labor, deportation, and
apartheid
-like segregation that foreshadowed South Africa's 1948 policy. Most Africans were confined to so-called native territories, which under South African rule after 1949 were turned into "homelands" (
Bantustans
).
Some historians have speculated that the downfall of the Herero in Namibia was a model for the
Nazis
in
the Holocaust
45
The memory of what happened under German rule has contributed to shape the ethnic identity in independent Namibia and has kept its significance in today's relations with Germany.
46
The German minister for development aid apologised for the Namibian genocide in 2004. However, the German government distanced itself from this apology.
47
Only in 2021 did the
German government
acknowledge the genocide and agree to pay €1.1 billion over 30 years in community aid.
48
South African mandate
edit
See also:
South West Africa
During
World War I
, South African troops under General
Louis Botha
occupied the territory
and deposed the German colonial administration. The end of the war and the
Treaty of Versailles
resulted in South West Africa remaining a possession of South Africa, at first as a
League of Nations mandate
, until 1990.
49
The mandate system was formed as a compromise between those who advocated for an allied annexation of former German and Ottoman territories and a proposition put forward by those who wished to grant them to an international trusteeship until they could govern themselves.
49
It permitted the South African government to administer South West Africa until that territory's inhabitants were prepared for political self-determination.
50
South Africa interpreted the mandate as a veiled annexation and made no attempt to prepare South West Africa for future autonomy.
50
Hendrik Witbooi
(left) and
Samuel Maharero
(right) were prominent leaders against German colonial rule.
As a result of the
Conference on International Organization
in 1945, the
League of Nations
was formally superseded by the
United Nations
(UN) and former League mandates by a trusteeship system. Article 77 of the
United Nations Charter
stated that UN trusteeship "shall apply...to territories now held under mandate"; furthermore, it would "be a matter of subsequent agreement as to which territories in the foregoing territories will be brought under the trusteeship system and under what terms".
51
The UN requested all former League of Nations mandates be surrendered to its
Trusteeship Council
in anticipation of their independence.
51
South Africa declined to do so and instead requested permission from the UN to formally annex South West Africa, for which it received considerable criticism.
51
When the UN General Assembly rejected this proposal, South Africa dismissed its opinion and began solidifying control of the territory.
51
The UN General Assembly and Security Council responded by referring the issue to the
International Court of Justice
(ICJ), which held a number of discussions on the legality of South African rule between 1949 and 1966.
52
South Africa began imposing
apartheid
its
codified
system of racial segregation and discrimination, on South West Africa during the late 1940s.
53
Black South West Africans were subject to
pass laws
, curfews, and a host of residential regulations that restricted their movement.
53
Development was concentrated in the southern region of the territory adjacent to South Africa, known as the "
Police Zone
", where most of the major settlements and commercial economic activity were located.
54
Outside the Police Zone, indigenous peoples were restricted to theoretically self-governing
tribal homelands
54
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the accelerated
decolonisation of Africa
and mounting pressure on the remaining colonial powers to grant their colonies self-determination resulted in the formation of nascent nationalist parties in South West Africa.
55
Movements such as the
South West African National Union
(SWANU) and the
South West African People's Organisation
(SWAPO) advocated for the formal termination of South Africa's mandate and independence for the territory.
55
In 1966, following the ICJ's controversial ruling that it had no legal standing to consider the question of South African rule, SWAPO launched an armed insurgency that escalated into part of a wider regional conflict known as the
South African Border War
56
Foreign Observer identification badge issued during the 1989 Namibian election
In 1971 Namibian contract workers led a
general strike against the contract system
and in support of independence.
57
Some of the striking workers would later join SWAPO's
PLAN
58
as part of the South African Border War.
Independence
edit
As SWAPO's insurgency intensified, South Africa's case for annexation in the international community continued to decline.
59
The UN declared that South Africa had failed in its obligations to ensure the moral and material well-being of South West Africa's indigenous inhabitants, and had thus disavowed its own mandate.
60
On 12 June 1968, the
UN General Assembly
adopted a resolution proclaiming that, in accordance with the desires of its people, South West Africa be renamed
Namibia
60
United Nations Security Council Resolution 269
, adopted in August 1969, declared South Africa's continued occupation of Namibia illegal.
60
61
In recognition of this landmark decision, SWAPO's armed wing was renamed the
People's Liberation Army of Namibia
(PLAN).
62
Namibia became one of several flashpoints for
Cold War
proxy conflicts in southern Africa during the years of the PLAN insurgency.
63
The insurgents sought out weapons and sent recruits to the
Soviet Union
for military training.
64
As the PLAN war effort gained momentum, the Soviet Union and other states such as Cuba continued to increase their support, deploying advisers to train the insurgents directly as well as supplying more weapons and ammunition.
65
SWAPO's leadership, dependent on Soviet, Angolan, and Cuban military aid, positioned the movement firmly within the socialist bloc by 1975.
66
This practical alliance reinforced the external perception of SWAPO as a Soviet proxy, which dominated Cold War rhetoric in South Africa and the United States.
54
For its part, the Soviet Union supported SWAPO partly because it viewed South Africa as a regional Western ally.
67
South African troops patrol the border region for PLAN insurgents, 1980s.
Growing war weariness and the reduction of tensions between the superpowers compelled South Africa, Angola, and Cuba to accede to the
Tripartite Accord
, under pressure from both the Soviet Union and the United States.
68
South Africa accepted Namibian independence in exchange for Cuban military withdrawal from the region and an Angolan commitment to cease all aid to PLAN.
69
PLAN and South Africa adopted an informal ceasefire in August 1988, and a
United Nations Transition Assistance Group
(UNTAG) was formed to monitor the Namibian peace process and supervise the return of refugees.
70
The ceasefire ended after PLAN made a final incursion into the territory, possibly as a result of misunderstanding UNTAG's directives, in March 1989.
71
A new ceasefire was later imposed with the condition that the insurgents were to be confined to their external bases in Angola until they could be disarmed and demobilised by UNTAG.
70
72
By the end of the 11-month transition period, the last South African troops had been withdrawn from Namibia, all political prisoners granted amnesty, racially discriminatory legislation repealed, and 42,000 Namibian refugees returned to their homes.
66
Just over 97% of eligible voters participated in the country's first
parliamentary elections
held under a
universal franchise
73
The United Nations plan included oversight by
foreign election observers
in an effort to ensure a
free and fair election
. SWAPO won a plurality of seats in the
Constituent Assembly
with 57% of the popular vote.
73
This gave the party 41 seats, but not a two-thirds majority, which would have enabled it to draft the constitution on its own.
73
The
Namibian Constitution
was adopted in February 1990. It incorporated protection for human rights and compensation for state expropriations of private property and established an independent judiciary, legislature, and an executive presidency (the constituent assembly became the national assembly). The country officially became independent on 21 March 1990.
74
38
Sam Nujoma
was sworn in as the first
President of Namibia
at a ceremony attended by
Nelson Mandela
of South Africa (who had been released from prison the previous month) and representatives from 147 countries, including 20 heads of state.
75
In 1994, shortly before the first multiracial elections in South Africa, that country ceded Walvis Bay to Namibia.
76
After independence
edit
Since independence Namibia has completed the transition from white minority apartheid rule to parliamentary democracy.
Multiparty democracy
was introduced and has been maintained, with local, regional and
national elections
held regularly. Several registered political parties are active and represented in the National Assembly, although the
SWAPO
has won every election since independence.
77
The transition from the 15-year rule of President
Nujoma
to his successor
Hifikepunye Pohamba
in 2005 went smoothly.
78
Since independence, the Namibian government has promoted a policy of national reconciliation. It issued an amnesty for those who fought on either side during the liberation war. The civil war in Angola spilled over and adversely affected Namibians living in the north of the country. In 1998,
Namibia Defence Force
(NDF) troops were sent to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
as part of a
Southern African Development Community
(SADC) contingent. In 1999, the national government quashed a secessionist attempt in the northeastern
Caprivi Strip
78
The
Caprivi conflict
was initiated by the
Caprivi Liberation Army
(CLA), a
rebel
group led by
Mishake Muyongo
. It wanted the Caprivi Strip to secede and form its own society.
79
In 2007,
Twyfelfontein
was inscribed as a cultural
UNESCO World Heritage Site
, a prehistoric site with one of the largest concentrations of rock engravings on the African continent.
80
In December 2014, Prime Minister
Hage Geingob
, the candidate of ruling SWAPO, won the
presidential elections
, taking 87% of the vote. His predecessor, President
Hifikepunye Pohamba
, also of SWAPO, had served the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution.
81
In December 2019, President Hage Geingob was
re-elected
for a second term, taking 56.3% of the vote.
82
On 4 February 2024, President Hage Geingob died and he was immediately succeeded by vice-president
Nangolo Mbumba
as new President of Namibia who finished the late President's term as it came to an end in March 2025.
83
SWAPO's first female presidential candidate,
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
, was declared the winner of the
2024 elections
with 57% of the vote.
84
On 21 March 2025, she was sworn in as Namibia's new president.
85
Geography
edit
Main article:
Geography of Namibia
Sand dunes of the
Namib desert
Fish River Canyon
At 825,615 km
(318,772 sq mi),
86
Namibia is the world's 34th largest country (after
Venezuela
). It lies mostly between latitudes
17°
and
29°S
(a small area is north of 17°), and longitudes
11°
and
26°E
The Namibian landscape consists generally of five geographical areas, each with characteristic
abiotic conditions
and vegetation, with some variation within and overlap between them: the Central Plateau, the
Namib
Desert, the
Great Escarpment
, the
Bushveld
, and the
Kalahari Desert
Namibia is situated between the Namib and
Kalahari Deserts
. Namibia has the least rainfall of any country in sub-Saharan Africa.
87
The Namib is a broad expanse of hyper-arid gravel plains and dunes that stretches along Namibia's entire coastline. It varies between 100 and 200 km (60 and 120 mi) in width. Areas within the Namib include the Skeleton Coast and the
Kaokoveld
in the north and the extensive Namib Sand Sea along the central coast.
30
The Central Plateau runs from north to south, bordered by the
Skeleton Coast
(a coastal desert) to the northwest, the Namib Desert and its coastal plains to the southwest, the
Orange River
to the south, and the Kalahari Desert to the east. The Central Plateau is home to the highest point in Namibia at
Königstein
elevation 2,573 m (8,440 ft; 1.60 mi).
88
89
The Great Escarpment swiftly rises to over 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Average temperatures and temperature ranges increase further inland from the cold Atlantic waters, while the lingering coastal fogs slowly diminish. Although the area is rocky with poorly developed soils, it is significantly more productive than the Namib Desert. As summer winds are forced over the Escarpment, moisture is extracted as precipitation.
90
The Bushveld is found in north-eastern Namibia along the Angolan border and in the Caprivi Strip. The area receives a significantly greater amount of precipitation than the rest of the country, averaging around 400 mm (16 in) per year. The area is generally flat and the soils sandy, limiting their ability to retain water and support agriculture.
91
The Kalahari Desert, an arid region that extends into South Africa and Botswana, is one of Namibia's well-known geographical features. The Kalahari, while popularly known as a desert, has a variety of localised environments, including some verdant and technically non-desert areas. The
Succulent Karoo
is home to over 5,000 species of plants, nearly half of them
endemic
; approximately 10 percent of the world's
succulents
are found in the Karoo.
92
93
The reason behind this high productivity and endemism may be the relatively stable nature of precipitation.
94
Namibia's Coastal Desert is one of the oldest deserts in the world. Its sand dunes, created by the strong onshore winds, are the highest in the world.
95
Because of the location of the shoreline, at the point where the Atlantic's cold water reaches Africa's hot climate, often extremely dense fog forms along the coast.
96
Near the coast there are areas where the dune-hummocks are vegetated.
97
Namibia has rich coastal and marine resources that remain largely unexplored.
98
The
Caprivi Strip
extends east from the northeastern corner of the country.
Urban settlements
edit
Main article:
List of cities and towns in Namibia
Namibia has 13 cities, governed by municipalities and 26 towns, governed by town councils.
99
100
The capital Windhoek is by far the largest urban settlement in Namibia.
Largest cities or towns in Namibia
According to the 2023 Census
101
Rank
Name
Region
Pop.
Windhoek
Khomas
486,169
Rundu
Kavango East
118,625
Walvis Bay
Erongo
102,704
Swakopmund
Erongo
75,921
Oshakati
Oshana
58,696
Otjiwarongo
Otjozondjupa
49,022
Katima Mulilo
Zambezi
46,401
Okahandja
Otjozondjupa
45,159
Rehoboth
Hardap
40,788
10
Tsumeb
Oshikoto
34,960
Climate
edit
Köppen climate types
of Namibia
Namibia is primarily a large desert and a semi-desert plateau
Namibia extends from 17°S to 25°S latitude: climatically the range of the sub-Tropical High Pressure Belt. Its overall climate description is arid, descending from the Sub-Humid [mean rain above 500 mm (20 in)] through Semi-Arid [between 300 and 500 mm (12 and 20 in)] (embracing most of the waterless Kalahari) and Arid [from 150 to 300 mm (5.9 to 12 in)] (these three regions are inland from the western
escarpment
) to the Hyper-Arid coastal plain [less than 100 mm (3.9 in)]. Temperature maxima are limited by the overall elevation of the entire region: only in the far south,
Warmbad
for instance, are maxima above 40 °C (104 °F) recorded.
102
Typically the sub-Tropical High Pressure Belt, with frequent clear skies, provides more than 300 days of sunshine per year. It is situated at the southern edge of the tropics; the
Tropic of Capricorn
cuts the country about in half. The winter (June–August) is generally dry. Both rainy seasons occur in summer: the small rainy season between September and November, and the big one between February and April.
103
Humidity is low, and average rainfall varies from almost zero in the
Skeleton Coast
(a coastal desert) to more than 600 mm (24 in) in the Caprivi Strip. Rainfall is highly variable, and droughts are common.
104
In the summer of 2006–07 the rainfall was recorded far below the annual average.
105
In May 2019, Namibia declared a state of emergency in response to the drought,
106
and extended it by an additional 6 months in October 2019.
107
Weather and climate in the coastal area are dominated by the cold, north-flowing
Benguela Current
of the Atlantic Ocean, which accounts for very low
precipitation
(50 mm (2.0 in) per year or less), frequent dense fog, and overall lower temperatures than in the rest of the country.
104
In Winter, occasionally a condition known as
Bergwind
(German for "mountain wind") or
Oosweer
Afrikaans
for "east weather") occurs, a hot dry wind blowing from the inland to the coast. As the area behind the coast is a desert, these winds can develop into sand storms, leaving sand deposits in the Atlantic Ocean that are visible on satellite images.
108
The Central Plateau and Kalahari areas have wide
diurnal
temperature ranges of up to 30C (54F).
104
Efundja
, the annual seasonal flooding of the northern parts of the country, often causes not only damage to infrastructure but loss of life.
109
The rains that cause these floods originate in Angola, flow into Namibia's
Cuvelai-Etosha Basin
, and fill the
oshanas
Oshiwambo
: flood plains) there. The worst floods so far
[update]
occurred in March 2011 and displaced 21,000 people.
110
Water sources
edit
Main article:
Water supply and sanitation in Namibia
Namibia is the driest country in
sub-Saharan Africa
and depends largely on groundwater. With an average rainfall of about 350 mm (14 in) per annum, the highest rainfall occurs in the Caprivi Strip in the northeast (about 600 mm (24 in) per annum) and decreases in a westerly and southwesterly direction to as little as 50 mm (2.0 in) and less per annum at the coast. The only perennial rivers are found on the national borders with South Africa, Angola, Zambia, and the short border with Botswana in the Caprivi Strip. In the interior of the country, surface water is available only in the summer months when rivers are in flood after exceptional rainfalls. Otherwise, surface water is restricted to a few large storage dams retaining and damming up these seasonal floods and their run-off. Where people do not live near perennial rivers or make use of the storage dams, they are dependent on groundwater. Even isolated communities and those economic activities located far from good surface water sources, such as mining, agriculture, and tourism, can be supplied from groundwater over nearly 80% of the country.
111
More than 100,000
boreholes
have been drilled in Namibia over the past century. One third of these boreholes have been drilled dry.
112
An
aquifer
called Ohangwena II, on both sides of the Angola-Namibia border, was discovered in 2012. It has been estimated to be capable of supplying a population of 800,000 people in the North for 400 years, at the current (2018) rate of consumption.
113
Experts estimate that Namibia has 7,720 km
(1,850 cu mi) of underground water.
114
115
On 8 June 2023, Namibia became the first Southern African country and the eighth country in Africa to accede to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UN Water Convention).
116
Communal wildlife conservancies
edit
Main article:
Communal wildlife conservancies in Namibia
Quivertree
Forest,
Bushveld
Namibia is one of few countries in the world to specifically address
conservation
and protection of
natural resources
in its constitution.
117
Article 95 states, "The State shall actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people by adopting international policies aimed at the following: maintenance of
ecosystems
, essential ecological processes, and biological diversity of Namibia, and utilisation of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future."
117
In 1993, Namibia's newly formed government received funding from the
United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) through its Living in a Finite Environment (LIFE) Project.
118
The
Ministry of Environment and Tourism
, with financial support from organisations such as USAID,
Endangered Wildlife Trust
World Wide Fund for Nature
, and Canadian Ambassador's Fund, together form a Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) support structure. The project's main goal is to promote sustainable natural resource management by giving local communities rights to wildlife management and tourism.
119
Wildlife
edit
Main article:
Wildlife of Namibia
Namibia has various species of wildlife including the
wild dog
dik dik
and critically endangered
black rhino
. There are 200 terrestrial mammal species, 645 bird species and 115 fish species.
120
121
Government and politics
edit
Tintenpalast
, the centre of Namibia's government
Main articles:
Politics of Namibia
and
Elections in Namibia
Namibia is a unitary
semi-presidential
representative democratic
republic
12
The
President of Namibia
is elected to a five-year term and is both the
head of state
and the
head of government
122
All members of the government are individually and collectively responsible to the legislature.
123
124
The
Constitution of Namibia
outlines the following as the organs of the country's government:
125
Executive: executive power is exercised by the President and the
Government
Legislature: Namibia has a
bicameral
Parliament
with the
National Assembly
as
lower house
, and the
National Council
as the
upper house
126
Judiciary
: Namibia has a system of courts that interpret and apply the law in the name of the state.
While the constitution envisaged a
multi-party system
for Namibia's government, the
SWAPO
party has been
dominant
since independence in 1990.
127
According to 2023
V-Dem Democracy indices
Namibia is ranked 66th electoral democracy worldwide and 8th
electoral democracy in Africa
128
Foreign relations
edit
Main article:
Foreign relations of Namibia
Former President
Hage Geingob
(second row, first from the right) with other African leaders and Russian President
Vladimir Putin
at the
Russia–Africa Summit
in Sochi, 24 October 2019
Namibia has a largely independent
foreign policy
, with persisting affiliations with states that aided the independence struggle, including
Cuba
. With a small army and a fragile economy, the Namibian government's principal foreign policy concern is developing strengthened ties within the Southern African region. A member of the
Southern African Development Community
, Namibia is a vocal advocate for greater regional integration. It became the 160th member of the UN on 23 April 1990. On its independence it became the 50th member of the
Commonwealth of Nations
Military
edit
Main article:
Namibian Defence Force
The 2019 budget for the
Ministry of Defence
was N$5,885 million (a 1.2% decrease from the previous financial year).
129
With close to 6 billion Namibian dollars (US$411 million in 2021) the Ministry of Defence receives the fourth highest amount of money from government per ministry.
Namibia does not have any enemies in
the region
, though it has been involved in various disputes regarding borders and construction plans.
130
The Namibian constitution defines the role of the military as "
defending the territory and national interests.
" Namibia formed the
Namibian Defence Force
(NDF), comprising former enemies in a 23-year bush war: the
People's Liberation Army of Namibia
(PLAN) and
South West African
Territorial Force
SWATF
). The
British government
formulated the plan for integrating these forces and began training the NDF, which consists of a small headquarters and five battalions.
The
United Nations Transitional Assistance Group
(UNTAG)'s Kenyan infantry battalion remained in Namibia for three months after independence to help train the NDF and to stabilise the north. According to the Namibian Defence Ministry, enlistments of both men and women will number no more than 7,500.
The chief of the Namibian Defence Force is Air Vice Marshal
Martin Kambulu Pinehas
(with effect from 1 April 2020).
In 2017, Namibia signed the UN
treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
131
Administrative divisions
edit
Main article:
Administrative divisions of Namibia
Population density in Namibia by regions (census 2011)
Namibia is divided into 14 regions which are subdivided into 121 constituencies. The administrative division of Namibia is tabled by
Delimitation Commissions
and accepted or declined by the
National Assembly
. Since state foundation four Delimitation Commissions have delivered their work, the last one in 2013 under the chairmanship of Judge Alfred Siboleka.
132
The most urbanised and economically active regions are the Khomas and Erongo regions, with Khomas home to the capital, Windhoek, and Erongo home to Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.
The table below shows statistics from the 2023 Namibia Population and Housing Census:
Region
Population (2023)
People per km
Average household size
Khomas
494,605
13.4
3.3
Ohangwena
337,729
31.5
4.8
Omusati
316,671
11.9
4.2
Oshikoto
257,302
6.7
4.1
Erongo
240,206
3.8
3.1
Oshana
230,801
26.7
3.7
Otjozondjupa
220,811
2.1
3.6
Kavango East
218,421
9.1
5.3
Zambezi
142,373
9.7
3.7
Kavango West
123,266
5.0
5.5
Kunene
120,762
1.0
3.8
Hardap
106,680
1.0
3.6
ǁKaras
109,893
0.7
3.1
Omaheke
102,881
1.2
3.3
Regional councillors are directly elected through secret ballots (regional elections) by the inhabitants of their constituencies.
133
Local authorities in Namibia can be in the form of municipalities (either Part 1 or Part 2 municipalities), town councils or villages.
134
Human rights
edit
Main article:
Human rights in Namibia
Namibia is one of the most free and democratic countries in Africa,
135
with a government that maintains and protects human rights and freedoms. Namibia was ranked first on mainland Africa in the
Human Freedom Index
2025, bettered only by the three island nations of Cape Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
136
However, significant issues include government corruption, policy inertia and prison overcrowding. Also, refugees are not permitted free movement.
137
Homosexual acts were formerly illegal in Namibia,
138
although the respective law was not enforced.
139
Discrimination, as well as intolerance, against
LGBT people
is widespread, specifically in rural areas. Urban areas are generally neutral or supportive with a few LGBT-dedicated clubs and events.
140
Some Namibian government officials and high-profile figures, such as Namibia's
Ombudsman
John Walters and First Lady
Monica Geingos
, had called for
sodomy
and homosexuality to be decriminalised and are in favour of
LGBT rights
138
141
In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages legally made outside of Namibia must be recognized by the government.
142
In 2024 the Windhoek High Court ruled the ban on homosexual acts between men to be unconstitutional.
143
In November 2018, it was reported that 32% of women aged 15–49 experienced
violence
and
domestic abuse
from their spouses/partners and 29.5% of men believe that physical abuse towards their wife/partner is acceptable, although this is typically in rural areas.
144
The Namibian constitution guarantees the rights, freedoms and equal treatment of women in Namibia
145
and SWAPO, the ruling party in Namibia, has adopted a "zebra system", which ensures a fair balance of both genders in government and equal representation of women in the Namibian government.
146
137
Economy
edit
Main article:
Economy of Namibia
Namibia GDP per capita, 2000–2022
Downtown
Windhoek
The trans-African automobile route – the
Tripoli-Cape Town Highway
and the
Trans-Kalahari Corridor
pass through Namibia. Namibia's economy is tied closely to
South Africa
's due to their shared history.
147
148
In Q3 2023, the largest economic sectors were mining (18.0% of GDP), public administration (12.9%), manufacturing (10.1%), and education (9.2%).
149
Namibia has a highly developed banking and financial services sector with modern infrastructures, such as online banking and cellphone banking. The
Bank of Namibia
(BoN) is the central bank of Namibia responsible for performing all other functions ordinarily performed by a central bank. There are five BoN authorised commercial banks in Namibia: Bank Windhoek, First National Bank, Nedbank, Standard Bank and Small and Medium Enterprises Bank.
150
Namibia's economy is characterised by a divide between the formal and the informal economies, which is in part aggravated by the legacy of apartheid spatial planning.
151
The country's unemployment rate was 33.4% in 2018, with a labour force of 1,090,153.
152
As of 2023, the country has a youth unemployment rate of 38.4%,
153
one of the highest in the world. However, Namibia has a high percentage of skilled labour relative to SADC countries and have relatively low unemployment rates for skilled workers. To fight high unemployment, particularly amongst the youth, the government approved the introduction of an Internship Tax Incentive Programme aimed at incentivising employers to enroll more interns by providing an additional corporate tax deduction. The total financial implication for the Government is estimated at N$126 million.
Poverty
and inequality remain significant in the country. 40.9% of the population is affected by
multidimensional poverty
while an additional 19.2 percent is classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.
26
Income disparity
in the country remains one of the world's highest with a
Gini coefficient
of 59.1 in 2015.
28
In 2004 a labour act was passed to protect people from job discrimination stemming from pregnancy and HIV/AIDS status. In early 2010 the Government
tender board
announced that "henceforth 100 per cent of all unskilled and semi-skilled labour must be sourced, without exception, from within Namibia".
154
In 2013, global business and financial news provider
Bloomberg
named Namibia the top emerging market economy in Africa and the 13th best in the world. Only four African countries made the Top 20 Emerging Markets list in the March 2013 issue of Bloomberg Markets magazine, and Namibia was rated ahead of
Morocco
(19th), South Africa (15th), and Zambia (14th). Worldwide, Namibia also fared better than Hungary, Brazil, and Mexico. Bloomberg Markets magazine ranked the top 20 based on more than a dozen criteria. The data came from Bloomberg's own financial-market statistics, IMF forecasts and the World Bank. The countries were also rated on areas of particular interest to foreign investors: the ease of doing business, the perceived level of corruption and economic freedom. To attract foreign investment, the government has made improvement in reducing red tape resulted from excessive government regulations, making Namibia one of the least bureaucratic places to do business in the region. Facilitation payments are occasionally demanded by customs due to cumbersome and costly customs procedures.
155
Namibia is also classified as an Upper Middle Income country by the
World Bank
, and ranks 87th out of 185 economies in terms of ease of doing business.
156
The
cost of living in Namibia
is slightly above average because most goods, including cereals, need to be imported. Its capital city, Windhoek, is the 150th most expensive place in the world for expatriates to live.
157
Taxation in Namibia
includes personal income tax, which is applicable to the total taxable income of an individual. All individuals are taxed at progressive marginal rates over a series of income brackets. Tax in Namibia is less than South African tax at monthly incomes greater than N$58,754, with the country's effective tax rates typically plateauing at a maximum of 30.8% while South Africa's plateaus at 37.4%.
158
This makes it favourable for wealthy South Africans to migrate to Namibia given their similar cost of living, cultures and socio-economic factors. In 2024, the government announced in its FY 2024/25 Budget Statement that personal income tax would be lowered, increasing the minimum taxable income from N$50,000 to N$100,000 and reducing taxable income in higher brackets as well.
159
The value-added tax (VAT) is applicable to most of the commodities and services, except for staple goods such as bread.
160
The
B2
between
Swakopmund
and
Walvis Bay
, Namibia
Despite the remote nature of much of the country, Namibia has seaports, airports, highways, well-maintained roads, infrastructure and
railways
(narrow-gauge). It is an important regional transportation hub for its seaports and trade with landlocked neighbouring countries. The Central Plateau already serves as a
transportation corridor
from the more densely populated north to South Africa, the source of four-fifths of Namibia's imports.
161
Agriculture
edit
Main article:
Agriculture in Namibia
Welcoming sign of the
Burgsdorf
farm in
Hardap
About half of the population depends on agriculture (largely
subsistence agriculture
) for its livelihood, but Namibia must still import some of its food. Although per capita GDP is five times the per capita GDP of Africa's poorest countries, the majority of Namibia's people live in rural areas and have a subsistence way of life. Namibia has one of the
highest rates of income inequality
in the world, due in part to the fact that there is an urban economy and a more rural cashless economy. The inequality figures thus take into account people who do not actually rely on the formal economy for their survival. Although arable land accounts for <1% of Namibia, (about .97%), nearly half of the population is employed in agriculture.
161
About 4,000 commercial farmers own almost half of Namibia's arable land.
162
The United Kingdom offered about $180,000 in 2004 to help finance Namibia's
land reform
process, as Namibia plans to start expropriating land from white farmers to resettle landless black Namibians.
163
Germany has offered €1.1bn in 2021 over 30 years in reparations for the genocides in the early 20th century but the money will go towards infrastructure, healthcare and training programmes not land reform.
164
An agreement has been reached on the
privatisation
of several more enterprises in coming years, with hopes that this will stimulate much needed foreign investment, but reinvestment of environmentally derived capital has hobbled Namibian per capita income.
165
One of the fastest growing areas of economic development in Namibia is the growth of
wildlife conservancies
Mining and electricity
edit
Main article:
Mining in Namibia
Providing 25% of Namibia's revenue, mining is the single most important contributor to the economy.
166
Namibia is the fourth largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa and was the world's fourth largest producer of
uranium
. There have been significant investment in
uranium mining
and Namibia planned to become the largest exporter of uranium by 2015.
167
However, as of 2019 Namibia continued to produce 750 tons of uranium annually making it a smaller than average exporter in the competitive world market.
168
Rich
alluvial
diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds.
169
While Namibia is known predominantly for its gem diamond and uranium deposits, a number of other minerals are extracted industrially such as
lead
tungsten
gold
tin
fluorspar
manganese
marble
copper
and
zinc
. Country's gold production in 2015 was 6 metric tons.
170
There are offshore gas deposits in the Atlantic Ocean that are planned to be extracted in the future.
171
According to "The Diamond Investigation", a book about the global diamond market, from 1978,
De Beers
, the largest diamond company, bought most of the Namibian diamonds, and would continue to do so, because "whatever government eventually comes to power they will need this revenue to survive".
172
Although much of the world's diamond supply comes from what have been called African
blood diamonds
, Namibia has managed to develop a diamond mining industry largely free of the kinds of conflict, extortion, and murder that have plagued many other African nations with diamond mines. This has been attributed to political dynamics, economic institutions, grievances, political geography, and the effects of neighbourhoods, and is the result of a joint agreement between the government and
De Beers
that has led to a taxable base, strengthening state institutions.
173
Estimates updated in 2022 suggest that two exploration wells in the offshore Orange Basin could hold 2 and 3 billion barrels of oil, respectively. The expected revenue could transform Namibia's domestic economy and facilitate sustainable development goals.
174
Domestic supply voltage is 220 V AC. Electricity is generated mainly by thermal and hydroelectric power plants. Non-conventional methods of electricity generation also play some role. Encouraged by the rich uranium deposits, in 2010 the Namibian government planned to erect its first nuclear power station by 2018. Uranium enrichment was also envisaged to take place locally.
175
Tourism
edit
Main article:
Tourism in Namibia
An example of Namibian wildlife, the
plains zebra
, is one focus of tourism.
Tourism is a major contributor (14.5%) to Namibia's GDP, creating tens of thousands of jobs (18.2% of all employment) directly or indirectly and servicing over a million tourists per year.
176
The country is a prime destination in Africa and is known for
ecotourism
, which features
Namibia's extensive wildlife
177
There are many lodges and reserves to accommodate ecotourists. Sport and
trophy hunting
is also a large and growing component of the Namibian economy, accounting for 14% of total tourism in the year 2000, or 19.6 million U.S. dollars, with Namibia boasting numerous species sought after by international sport hunters.
178
In addition, extreme sports such as
sandboarding
skydiving
and 4x4ing have become popular, and many cities have companies that provide tours.
citation needed
The most visited places include the capital city of
Windhoek
Caprivi Strip
Fish River Canyon
Sossusvlei
, the
Skeleton Coast
Park,
Sesriem
Etosha Pan
and the coastal towns of
Swakopmund
Walvis Bay
and
Lüderitz
179
Windhoek plays a very important role in Namibia's tourism due to its central location and close proximity to
Hosea Kutako International Airport
. According to The Namibia Tourism Exit Survey, which was produced by the
Millennium Challenge Corporation
for the Namibian Directorate of Tourism, 56% of all tourists visiting Namibia in 2012–13 visited Windhoek.
180
Many of Namibia's tourism related parastatals and governing bodies such as Namibia Wildlife Resorts and the
Namibia Tourism Board
as well as Namibia's tourism-related
trade associations
such as the
Hospitality Association of Namibia
are headquartered in Windhoek.
181
There are also a number of notable hotels in Windhoek, such as
Windhoek Country Club Resort
, and some international hotel chains, such as
Hilton Hotels and Resorts
Namibia's primary tourism related governing body, the
Namibia Tourism Board
(NTB), was established by an Act of Parliament: the
Namibia Tourism Board Act, 2000
(Act 21 of 2000). Its primary objectives are to regulate the tourism industry and to market Namibia as a tourist destination.
182
There are also a number of
trade associations
that represent the tourism sector in Namibia, such as the Federation of Namibia Tourism Associations (the umbrella body for all tourism associations in Namibia), the
Hospitality Association of Namibia
, the Association of Namibian Travel Agents, Car Rental Association of Namibia and the Tour and Safari Association of Namibia.
183
Water supply and sanitation
edit
Main article:
Water supply and sanitation in Namibia
The only bulk water supplier in Namibia is
NamWater
, which sells it to the respective municipalities which in turn deliver it through their reticulation networks.
184
In rural areas, the directorate of Rural Water Supply in the
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform
is in charge of drinking water supply.
184
The
UN
evaluated in 2011 that Namibia has improved its water access network significantly since independence in 1990. A large part of the population can not, however, make use of these resources due to the prohibitively high consumption cost and the long distance between residences and water points in rural areas.
184
As a result, many Namibians prefer the traditional wells over the available water points far away.
185
Compared to the efforts made to improve access to safe water, Namibia is lagging behind in the provision of adequate sanitation.
186
This includes 298 schools that have no toilet facilities.
187
Over 50% of child deaths are related to lack of water, sanitation, or hygiene; 23% are due to diarrhea alone. The UN has identified a "sanitation crisis" in the country.
185
Apart from residences for upper and middle class households, sanitation is insufficient in most residential areas. Private flush toilets are too expensive for virtually all residents in
townships
due to their water consumption and installation cost. As a result, access to
improved sanitation
has not increased much since independence: in Namibia's rural areas 13% of the population had more than basic sanitation, up from 8% in 1990. Many of Namibia's inhabitants have to resort to "flying toilets", plastic bags to defecate into, which after use are flung into the bush.
188
The use of open areas close to residential land for urination and defecation is very common
189
and has been identified as a major
health hazard
187
Demographics
edit
Main article:
Demographics of Namibia
Namibia has the second-
lowest population density
of any sovereign country, after
Mongolia
, as well as having the lowest population density of any sovereign country with a coastline.
190
In 2017 there were on average 3.08 people per km
191
The
total fertility rate
in 2015 was 3.47 children per woman according to the UN which is lower than the average TFR in sub-Saharan Africa of 4.7.
192
Namibia conducts a census every ten years. After independence the first Population and Housing Census was carried out in 1991; further rounds followed in 2001, 2011, and 2023 (delayed two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and financial constraints).
193
The data collection method is to count every person resident in Namibia on the census reference night, wherever they happen to be. This is called the
de facto
method.
194
For enumeration purposes the country is demarcated into 4,042
enumeration areas
. These areas do not overlap with constituency boundaries to get reliable data for election purposes as well.
195
The 2011 Population and Housing Census counted 2,113,077 inhabitants. Between 2001 and 2011 the annual population growth was 1.4%, down from 2.6% in the previous ten-year period.
196
In 2023, the
Namibia Statistics Agency
conducted another census, which counted 3,022,401 inhabitants.
197
Ethnic groups
edit
Nama
woman
Namibia has many ethnic groups.
10
The majority of the Namibian population is made of
Bantu
and
Khoisan
peoples. The Bantu groups include the
Owambo
Herero
Kavango
Lozi
Tswana
and
Himba
peoples. The Khoisan groups encompass the
Damara
Nama
, and
San
peoples. There is also a mixed ancestry population consisting of
Coloureds
(2.1%) and
Basters
(1.5%).
10
There is a substantial
Chinese minority in Namibia
; it stood at 40,000 in 2006.
198
Himba people
in northern Namibia
Whites
(being mainly of
Afrikaner
, German, British and
Portuguese
origin) make up 1.8% of the population. Although their proportion of the population decreased after
independence
due to emigration and lower birth rates, they still form the second-largest population of
European ancestry
, both in terms of percentage and actual numbers, in
Sub-Saharan Africa
(after South Africa).
10
The majority of
Namibian whites
and nearly all those who are of
mixed race
speak
Afrikaans
and share similar origins, culture, and religion as the white and coloured populations of South Africa. A large minority of whites (around 30,000) trace their family origins back to the
German
settlers who colonised Namibia prior to the South African invasion during the First World War, and they maintain German cultural and educational institutions. Nearly all Portuguese settlers came to the country from the former
Portuguese colony
of Angola.
199
The 1960 census reported 526,004 persons in what was then South West Africa, including 73,464 whites (14%).
200
Oshiwambo
women
Education
edit
Secondary school students
Main article:
Education in Namibia
See also:
List of schools in Namibia
Namibia has free education for both primary and secondary education levels. Grades 1–7 are primary level, grades 8–12 are secondary. In 1998, there were 400,325 Namibian students in primary school and 115,237 students in secondary schools. The pupil-teacher ratio in 1999 was estimated at 32:1, with about 8% of the GDP being spent on education. Curriculum development, educational research, and professional development of teachers is centrally organised by the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) in Okahandja.
201
Among sub-Saharan African countries, Namibia has one of the highest literacy rates.
202
According to
CIA World Factbook
, as of 2018 91.5% of the population age 15 and over can read and write.
202
Most schools in Namibia are state-run, but there are some private schools, which are also part of the country's education system. There are four teacher training universities, three colleges of agriculture, a police training college, and three universities:
University of Namibia
(UNAM),
International University of Management
(IUM) and
Namibia University of Science and Technology
(NUST). Namibia was ranked 91st in the
Global Innovation Index
in 2025.
203
204
Religion
edit
Main article:
Religion in Namibia
Lutheran church in
Swakopmund
The Christian community makes up 80%–90% of the population of Namibia, with at least 75% being
Protestant
, of which at least 50% are
Lutheran
. Lutherans are the largest religious group, a legacy of the German and
Finnish
missionary work during the country's colonial times.
38
10%–20% of the population hold
indigenous
beliefs.
205
Missionary activities during the second half of the 19th century resulted in many Namibians converting to Christianity. Today most Christians are
Lutheran
, but there also are
Roman Catholic
Methodist
Anglican
African Methodist Episcopal
, and
Dutch Reformed
Islam in Namibia
is subscribed to by about 9,000 people,
206
many of them Nama.
207
Namibia is home to a small
Jewish
community
of about 100 people.
208
Groups such as the
Latter-day Saints
and
Jehovah's Witnesses
are also present in the country.
Languages
edit
Main article:
Languages of Namibia
Home Languages in Namibia
Languages
percent
Oshiwambo Languages
49.7%
Khoekhoegowab
11.0%
Kavango Languages
10.4%
Afrikaans
9.4%
Herero Languages
9.2%
Lozi Languages
4.9%
2.3%
Other
1.0%
San Languages
0.7%
German
0.6%
Other African Languages
0.5%
Tswana
0.3%
Other European Languages
0.1%
The majority of Namibians can speak and understand English. Up to 1990, English,
German
, and
Afrikaans
were official languages. Long before Namibia's independence from South Africa, SWAPO was of the opinion that the country should become officially monolingual, choosing this approach in contrast to that of its neighbour South Africa (which granted
all 12 of its major languages
official status), which it saw as "a deliberate policy of ethnolinguistic fragmentation."
209
Consequently, SWAPO instituted English as Namibia's sole official language, though only 2.3% of the population speaks it as a home language, but understood by most generally. Its implementation is focused on the civil service, education and the broadcasting system, especially the state broadcaster NBC.
210
Some other languages have received semi-official recognition by being allowed as medium of instruction in primary schools. Private schools are expected to follow the same policy as state schools, and "English language" is a compulsory subject.
210
Some critics argue that, as in other postcolonial African societies, the push for monolingual instruction and policy has resulted in a high rate of school drop-outs and of individuals whose academic competence in any language is low.
211
According to the latest statistical data gathered in the most recent survey (2016), the linguistic landscape in the region has witnessed notable shifts since the 2011 census.
Oshiwambo
remains the predominant language, claiming the position of the most spoken language for a significant 49.7% of households, surpassing its previous standing.
KhoeKhoegowab
follows at 11.0%, while the
Kavango
Languages, with a share of 10.4%, have also experienced a noteworthy increase. Afrikaans, identified with a presence at 9.4%. The Herero Languages account for 9.2%, indicating a slight adjustment from the previous census.
Silozi
has seen a shift to 4.9%, and English, utilized primarily as a second language, stands at 2.3%. Other Languages collectively represent 1.0%, with San Languages at 0.7%, and German at 0.6%. The diversity of languages in the region is further demonstrated by the presence of Other African Languages at 0.5%,
Setswana
at 0.3%, and Other European Languages at 0.1%.
212
Note: (1) Herero languages include: Otjiherero, Otjimbanderu, Oruzemba, Otjizimba, Otjihakahona, Otjindongona and Otjitjavikwa
(2) Kavango languages include: Rukwangali, Rushambyu, Rugciriku, Thimbukushu, Rumanyo and Rukavango
Most of the white population speaks English, Afrikaans or German. As a home language, Afrikaans is spoken by 60% of the white community, German by 32%, English by 7% and Portuguese by 4–5%.
205
Geographical proximity to Portuguese-speaking Angola explains the relatively high number of
Portuguese speakers
; in 2011 these were estimated to number 100,000.
213
Health
edit
Main article:
Health in Namibia
See also:
HIV/AIDS in Namibia
Life expectancy
at birth is estimated to be 64 years in 2017 – among the lowest in the world.
214
Namibia launched a National Health Extension Programme in 2012
215
deployment 1,800 (2015) of a total ceiling of 4,800 health extension workers trained for six months in community health activities including first aid, health promotion for disease prevention, nutritional assessment and counseling, water sanitation and hygiene practices, HIV testing and community-based antiretroviral treatment.
216
Namibia faces a non-communicable disease burden. The Demographic and Health Survey (2013) summarises findings on elevated blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity:
Among eligible respondents age 35–64, 44% of women and 45% of men have elevated blood pressure or are currently taking medicine to lower their blood pressure.
49% of women and 61% of men are not aware that they have elevated blood pressure.
43% of women and 34% of men with hypertension are taking medication for their condition.
Only 29% of women and 20% of men with hypertension are taking medication and have their blood pressure under control.
6% of women and 7% of men are diabetic; that is, they have elevated fasting plasma glucose values or report that they are taking diabetes medication. An additional 7% of women and 6% of men are prediabetic.
67% of women and 74% of men with diabetes are taking medication to lower their blood glucose.
Women and men with a higher-than-normal body mass index (25.0 or higher) are more likely to have elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting blood glucose.
11
: 237
Estimated percentage of HIV among young adults (15–49) per country as of 2011
[update]
217
15–50
The
HIV epidemic
remains a public health issue in Namibia despite significant achievements made by the
Ministry of Health and Social Services
to expand HIV treatment services.
218
In 2001, there were an estimated 210,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, and the estimated death toll in 2003 was 16,000. According to the 2011
UNAIDS
Report, the epidemic in Namibia "appears to be leveling off."
219
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic has reduced the working-aged population, the number of orphans has increased. It falls to the government to provide education, food, shelter and clothing for these orphans.
220
A Demographic and Health Survey with an HIV biomarker was completed in 2013 and served as the fourth comprehensive, national-level population and health survey conducted in Namibia as part of the global Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme. The DHS observed important characteristics associated to the HIV epidemic:
11
: 169, 203, 218
Overall, 26 percent of men age 15–49 and 32 percent of those age 50–64 have been circumcised. HIV prevalence for men age 15–49 is lower among circumcised (8.0 percent) than among uncircumcised men (11.9 percent). The pattern of lower HIV prevalence among circumcised than uncircumcised men is observed across most background characteristics. For each age group, circumcised men have lower HIV prevalence than those who are not circumcised; the difference is especially pronounced for men age 35–39 and 45–49 (11.7 percentage points each). The difference in HIV prevalence between uncircumcised and circumcised men is larger among urban than rural men (5.2 percentage points versus 2.1 percentage points).
HIV prevalence among respondents age 15–49 is 16.9 percent for women and 10.9 percent for men. HIV prevalence rates among women and men age 50–64 are similar (16.7 percent and 16.0 percent, respectively).
HIV prevalence peaks in the 35–39 age group for both women and men (30.9 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively). It is lowest among respondents age 15–24 (2.5–6.4 percent for women and 2.0–3.4 percent for men).
Among respondents age 15–49, HIV prevalence is highest for women and men in Zambezi (30.9 percent and 15.9 percent, respectively) and lowest for women in Omaheke (6.9 percent) and men in Ohangwena (6.6 percent).
In 76.4 percent of the 1,007 cohabiting couples who were tested for HIV in the 2013 NDHS, both partners were HIV negative; in 10.1 percent of the couples, both partners were HIV positive; and 13.5 percent of the couples were discordant (that is, one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not).
In 2015, the Ministry of Health and Social Services and UNAIDS produced a progress report in which UNAIDS projected HIV prevalence among 15-to-49-year-olds at 13.3% [12.2–14.5%] and an estimated 210,000 [200,000–230,000] living with HIV.
221
222
The
malaria
problem seems to be compounded by the AIDS epidemic. Research has shown that in Namibia the risk of contracting malaria is 14.5% greater if a person is also infected with HIV. The risk of death from malaria is also raised by approximately 50% with a concurrent HIV infection.
223
The country had only 598 physicians in 2002.
224
Culture
edit
Namibian culture is similar to South African culture due to their tied history and family nationalities. Few Namibians express interest in permanently settling in other countries; they prefer the safety of their homeland, have a strong national identity, and enjoy a well-supplied retail sector.
225
Namibians are typically very social and are consistently among the highest alcohol consumption rates per capita, and ranked first in Africa for beer consumption per capita.
226
Herero Women
Afrikaner
children in Namibia
Sport
edit
Main articles:
Sport in Namibia
and
Rugby union in Namibia
The most popular sport in Namibia is
association football
. The
Namibia national football team
qualified for the
1998
2008
2019
, and
2023
editions of the
Africa Cup of Nations
, but has yet to qualify for the
World Cup
. Some notable players include
Derby County
right-back
Ryan Nyambe
Mamelodi Sundowns
forward
Peter Shalulile
, and retired footballer
Collin Benjamin
The most successful national team is the
Namibian rugby team
, having competed in the last seven World Cups. Namibia were participants in the
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
, and most recent
2023
Rugby World Cup
Jacques Burger
is an internationally successful Namibian rugby player.
Cricket in Namibia
is also popular, with
the national side
having qualified for
2003 Cricket World Cup
2021 ICC T20 World Cup
and
2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
227
In December 2017, Namibia Cricket reached the final of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Provincial One Day Challenge for the first time.
228
In February 2018, Namibia hosted the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 with Namibia, Kenya, UAE, Nepal, Canada and Oman to compete for the final two ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier positions in Zimbabwe. Namibia also qualified the qualifiers of ICC T20 World Cup 2021 and entered the super 12 club.
228
Other Namibians have achieved notable success in individual sports.
Frankie Fredericks
, sprinter in the 100 and 200 m
track and field
events, has won four Olympic silver medals (1992, 1996) and has medals from several
World Athletics Championships
229
Golfer
Trevor Dodds
won the
Greater Greensboro Open
in 1998, one of 15 tournaments in his career. He achieved a career-high world ranking of 78th in 1998.
230
Professional cyclist and Namibian Road Race champion
Dan Craven
represented Namibia at the
2016 Summer Olympics
in both the road race and individual time trial.
231
Boxer
Julius Indongo
was a unified WBA, IBF, and IBO world champion in the
Light welterweight
division.
Media
edit
See also:
Media of Namibia
Compared to neighbouring countries, Namibia has a large degree of media freedom. Over the past years, the country usually ranked in the upper quarter of the
Press Freedom Index
of
Reporters without Borders
, reaching position 21 in 2010, being on par with Canada and the best-positioned African country.
232
The African Media Barometer shows similarly positive results. However, as in other countries, there is still mentionable influence of representatives of state and economy on media in Namibia.
233
In 2009, Namibia dropped to position 36 on the Press Freedom Index.
234
In 2013, it was 19th,
235
22nd in 2014
236
and 23rd in 2019,
237
meaning that it is currently the highest ranked African country in terms of press freedom.
Although Namibia's population is fairly small, the country has a diverse choice of media; two TV stations, 19 radio stations (without counting community stations), 5 daily newspapers, several weeklies and special publications compete for the attention of the audience. Additionally, a mentionable amount of foreign media, especially South African, is available. Online media are mostly based on print publication content. Namibia has a state-owned press agency, called
NAMPA
233
Overall
c.
300 journalists work in the country.
238
The first newspaper in Namibia was the German-language
Windhoeker Anzeiger
, founded 1898. During German rule, the newspapers mainly reflected the living reality and the view of the white German-speaking minority. The black majority was ignored or depicted as a threat. During South African rule, the white bias continued, with mentionable influence of the Pretoria government on the South West African media system. Independent newspapers were seen as a menace to the existing order, and critical journalists were often threatened.
233
239
240
Current daily newspapers are the private publications
The Namibian
(English and other languages),
Die Republikein
(Afrikaans),
Allgemeine Zeitung
(German) and
Namibian Sun
(English) as well as the state-owned
New Era
(predominantly English). Except for the largest newspaper,
The Namibian
, which is owned by a trust, the other mentioned private newspapers are part of Democratic Media Holdings.
233
Other mentionable newspapers are the tabloid
Informanté
owned by TrustCo, the weekly
Windhoek Observer
, the weekly
Namibia Economist
, as well as the regional
Namib Times
. Current affairs magazines include
Insight Namibia
Vision2030 Focus magazine
citation needed
and
Prime FOCUS
. The
Sister Namibia
magazine stands out as the longest running NGO magazine in Namibia, while
Namibia Sport
is the only national sport magazine. Furthermore, the print market is complemented with party publications, student newspapers and PR publications.
233
Radio was introduced in 1969, TV in 1981. The broadcasting sector today is dominated by the state-run
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
(NBC). The
public broadcaster
offers a TV station as well as a "National Radio" in English and nine language services in locally spoken languages. The nine private radio stations in the country are mainly English-language channels, except for Radio Omulunga (Oshiwambo) and Kosmos 94.1 (Afrikaans).
Privately held
One Africa TV
has competed with NBC since the 2000s.
233
241
Media and journalists in Namibia are represented by the Namibian chapter of the
Media Institute of Southern Africa
and the Editors' Forum of Namibia. An independent media ombudsman was appointed in 2009 to prevent a state-controlled media council.
233
Art
edit
The
National Art Gallery of Namibia
houses a permanent exhibition of Namibian, African and European Art and shows temporary exhibitions of local artists. In 2022 Namibia took part in the
Venice Biennale
for the first time. It competed in the
59th Edition
with the exhibition "A Bridge to the Desert" featuring the "
Lone Stone Men
" project by the anonymous
RENN
242
See also
edit
Africa portal
Outline of Namibia
Notes
edit
Includes all Native African ethnic groups
Only people between 15 and 49 years of age were surveyed.
18
19
nə-
MIH
-bee-ə
References
edit
"Communal Land Reform Act, Afrikaans"
(PDF)
. Government of Namibia. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 25 February 2016
. Retrieved
18 February
2016
"Communal Land Reform Act, German"
(PDF)
Government of Namibia
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 9 October 2019
. Retrieved
18 February
2016
"Communal Land Reform Act, Khoekhoegowab"
(PDF)
. Government of Namibia. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 25 February 2016
. Retrieved
18 February
2016
"Communal Land Reform Act, Oshiwambo"
(PDF)
. Government of Namibia. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 1 March 2016
. Retrieved
18 February
2016
"Communal Land Reform Act, Otjiherero"
(PDF)
. Government of Namibia
. Retrieved
18 February
2016
permanent dead link
"Communal Land Reform Act, Rukwangali"
(PDF)
. Government of Namibia. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 25 February 2016
. Retrieved
18 February
2016
"Communal Land Reform Act, Setswana"
(PDF)
. Government of Namibia. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 25 February 2016
. Retrieved
18 February
2016
"Communal Land Reform Act, Lozi"
(PDF)
. Government of Namibia. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 25 February 2016
. Retrieved
18 February
2016
"Namibia - The World Factbook"
www.cia.gov
. Archived from
the original
on 10 January 2021
. Retrieved
4 August
2025
"Namibia 2023 Population and Housing Census Main Report"
(PDF)
. Namibia Statistics Agency. pp.
90–
91. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 10 November 2024
. Retrieved
30 October
2024
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain
"Namibia Demographic and Health Survey 2013"
(PDF)
Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services
and ICF International. September 2014. pp.
29–
30.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 18 June 2019
. Retrieved
5 July
2021
Shugart, Matthew Søberg (December 2005).
"Semi-Presidential Systems: Dual Executive And Mixed Authority Patterns"
(PDF)
French Politics
(3):
323–
351.
doi
10.1057/palgrave.fp.8200087
S2CID
73642272
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 31 August 2019
. Retrieved
4 September
2016
Of the contemporary cases, only four provide the assembly majority an unrestricted right to vote no confidence, and of these, only two allow the president unrestricted authority to appoint the prime minister. These two, Mozambique and Namibia, as well as the Weimar Republic, thus resemble most closely the structure of authority depicted in the right panel of Figure 3, whereby the dual accountability of the cabinet to both the president and the assembly is maximized. (...) Namibia allows the president to dissolve
[the assembly]
at any time but places a novel negative incentive on his exercise of the right: He must stand for a new election at the same time as the new assembly elections.
"Namibia Population (2025)"
Worldometer
"World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025"
"GINI index (World Bank estimate)"
. World Bank.
Archived
from the original on 28 March 2019
. Retrieved
20 January
2019
"Human Development Report 2025"
(PDF)
United Nations Development Programme
. 6 May 2025.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 6 May 2025
. Retrieved
6 May
2025
"List of left- & right-driving countries"
WorldStandards
Wells, John C. (2008),
Longman Pronunciation Dictionary
(3rd ed.), Longman,
ISBN
978-1-4058-8118-0
Roach, Peter (2011),
Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary
(18th ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
ISBN
978-0-521-15253-2
"Namibia"
sahistory.org.za
. 4 March 2025.
"Namibias Geography"
info-namibia.com
. 4 March 2025.
Peter Shadbolt (24 October 2012).
"Namibia country profile: moving on from a difficult past"
. CNN.
Archived
from the original on 20 February 2020
. Retrieved
3 June
2018
Williams, Frieda-Nela (1991).
Precolonial Communities of Southwestern Africa: A history of Owambo Kingdoms 1600-1920
(PDF)
. National Archives of Namibia.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 7 March 2024
. Retrieved
7 March
2024
Rogers, Thomas (9 March 2023).
"The Long Shadow of German Colonialism"
The New York Review of Books
. Vol. 70, no. 4.
ISSN
0028-7504
. Retrieved
20 January
2025
"World Bank Open Data"
World Bank Open Data
Archived
from the original on 3 April 2024
. Retrieved
3 April
2024
"Multidimensional Poverty Index 2023"
(PDF)
. United Nations Development Programme Human Development Reports. 2023.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 13 March 2024
. Retrieved
3 April
2024
"Namibia's ghetto life: Half million live in shacks countrywide – The Namibian"
The Namibian
. 12 March 2021. Archived from
the original
on 12 March 2021
. Retrieved
3 April
2024
"World Bank Open Data"
World Bank Open Data
Archived
from the original on 3 April 2024
. Retrieved
3 April
2024
"Migration to Namibia 1990-2017"
Worldmapper
. Retrieved
20 January
2025
Spriggs, A. (2001)
"Africa: Namibia"
Terrestrial Ecoregions
. World Wildlife Fund.
"The Man Who Named Namibia- Mburumba Kerina"
The Namibian
Archived
from the original on 15 June 2021
. Retrieved
15 June
2021
Belda, Pascal (May 2007).
Namibia
. MTH Multimedia S.L.
ISBN
978-84-935202-1-2
Archived
from the original on 18 May 2024
. Retrieved
19 October
2020
Dierks, Klaus
"Biographies of Namibian Personalities, A"
. Archived from
the original
on 15 October 2008
. Retrieved
24 June
2010
Dierks, Klaus
"Warmbad becomes two hundred years"
Klausdierks.com
. Archived from
the original
on 21 August 2019
. Retrieved
22 June
2010
Vedder 1997
, p. 177.
Vedder 1997
, p. 659.
Observador.
"Padrão português com 500 anos foi roubado da Namíbia no século XIX. Vai ser devolvido"
Observador
(in European Portuguese).
Archived
from the original on 6 December 2020
. Retrieved
7 December
2020
"Namibia 30 vuotta – Suomalaisilla oli merkittävä rooli Namibian itsenäistymisessä"
(in Finnish).
Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission
. 20 March 2020.
Archived
from the original on 24 March 2023
. Retrieved
11 February
2023
"German South West Africa"
Encyclopædia Britannica
Archived
from the original on 11 April 2008
. Retrieved
15 April
2008
Lechler, Marie; McNamee, Lachlan (December 2018).
"Indirect Colonial Rule Undermines Support for Democracy: Evidence From a Natural Experiment in Namibia"
Comparative Political Studies
51
(14): 1864–1871 (p. 7–14).
doi
10.1177/0010414018758760
ISSN
0010-4140
S2CID
158335936
. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023
. Retrieved
2 June
2023
{{
cite journal
}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
link
Lechler, Marie; McNamee, Lachlan (December 2018).
"Indirect Colonial Rule Undermines Support for Democracy: Evidence From a Natural Experiment in Namibia"
Comparative Political Studies
51
(14): 1865 (p. 8).
doi
10.1177/0010414018758760
ISSN
0010-4140
S2CID
158335936
. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023
. Retrieved
2 June
2023
{{
cite journal
}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
link
David Olusoga
(18 April 2015).
"Dear Pope Francis, Namibia was the 20th century's first genocide"
The Guardian
Archived
from the original on 3 June 2016
. Retrieved
26 November
2015
Drechsler, Horst (1980). The actual number of deaths in the limited number of battles with the German Schutztruppe (expeditionary force) were limited; most of the casualties occurred after the fighting had ended. The German military governor
Lothar von Trotha
issued a punitive order. Many Herero died of disease and abuse in detention camps after being expelled. A substantial minority of Herero crossed the Kalahari desert into the British colony of Bechuanaland (modern-day Botswana), where a small community continues to live in western Botswana near to the border with Namibia.
Let us die fighting
, originally published (1966) under the title
Südwestafrika unter deutscher Kolonialherrschaft
. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag.
Adhikari, Mohamed (2008). "
'Streams of Blood And Streams of Money': New Perspectives on the Annihilation of the Herero and Nama Peoples of Namibia, 1904–1908".
Kronos
34
(34):
303–
320.
JSTOR
41056613
Madley, Benjamin (2005). "From Africa to Auschwitz: How German South West Africa Incubated Ideas and Methods Adopted and Developed by the Nazis in Eastern Europe".
European History Quarterly
35
(3):
429–
464.
doi
10.1177/0265691405054218
S2CID
144290873
says it influenced Nazis.
Kößler, Reinhart; Melber, Henning (2004).
"Völkermord und Gedenken: Der Genozid an den Herero und Nama in Deutsch-Südwestafrika 1904–1908"
Jahrbuch zur Geschichte und Wirkung des Holocaust
Genocide and memory: the genocide of the Herero and Nama in German South-West Africa, 1904–08
] (in German). Campus Verlag. pp.
37–
75.
ISBN
978-3-593-37282-2
Archived
from the original on 23 July 2023
. Retrieved
7 June
2023
Andrew Meldrum (15 August 2004).
"German minister says sorry for genocide in Namibia"
The Guardian
Archived
from the original on 4 May 2020
. Retrieved
12 December
2016
Philip Oltermann (28 May 2021).
"Germany agrees to pay Namibia €1.1bn over historical Herero-Nama genocide"
The Guardian
Archived
from the original on 18 May 2024
. Retrieved
27 August
2023
Rajagopal, Balakrishnan (2003).
International Law from Below: Development, Social Movements and Third World Resistance
. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp.
50
–68.
ISBN
978-0-521-01671-1
Louis, William Roger (2006).
Ends of British Imperialism: The Scramble for Empire, Suez, and Decolonization
. London: I.B. Tauris & Company, Ltd. pp.
251–
261.
ISBN
978-1-84511-347-6
Vandenbosch, Amry (1970).
South Africa and the World: The Foreign Policy of Apartheid
. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. pp.
207–224
ISBN
978-0-8131-6494-6
First, Ruth (1963). Segal, Ronald (ed.).
South West Africa
. Baltimore: Penguin Books, Incorporated. pp.
169–
193.
ISBN
978-0-8446-2061-9
{{
cite book
}}
ISBN / Date incompatibility (
help
Crawford, Neta (2002).
Argument and Change in World Politics: Ethics, Decolonization, and Humanitarian Intervention
. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp.
333
–336.
ISBN
978-0-521-00279-0
Herbstein, Denis; Evenson, John (1989).
The Devils Are Among Us: The War for Namibia
. London: Zed Books Ltd. pp.
14
–23.
ISBN
978-0-86232-896-2
Müller, Johann Alexander (2012).
The Inevitable Pipeline into Exile. Botswana's Role in the Namibian Liberation Struggle
. Basel, Switzerland: Basler Afrika Bibliographien Namibia Resource Center and Southern Africa Library. pp.
36–
41.
ISBN
978-3-905758-29-0
Kangumu, Bennett (2011).
Contesting Caprivi: A History of Colonial Isolation and Regional Nationalism in Namibia
. Basel: Basler Afrika Bibliographien Namibia Resource Center and Southern Africa Library. pp.
143–
153.
ISBN
978-3-905758-22-1
Moorsom, Richard (April 1979). "Labour Consciousness and the 1971–72 Contract Workers Strike in Namibia".
Development and Change
10
(2):
205–
231.
doi
10.1111/j.1467-7660.1979.tb00041.x
Herbstein, Denis; Evenson, John (1989).
The Devils Are Among Us: The War for Namibia
. London: Zed Books Ltd. pp.
14
–23.
ISBN
978-0-86232-896-2
Dobell, Lauren (1998).
Swapo's Struggle for Namibia, 1960–1991: War by Other Means
. Basel: P. Schlettwein Publishing Switzerland. pp.
27–
39.
ISBN
978-3-908193-02-9
Yusuf, Abdulqawi (1994).
African Yearbook of International Law, Volume I
. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp.
16–
34.
ISBN
978-0-7923-2718-9
Peter, Abbott; Helmoed-Romer Heitman; Paul Hannon (1991).
Modern African Wars (3): South-West Africa
. Osprey Publishing. pp.
5–
13.
ISBN
978-1-85532-122-9
permanent dead link
Williams, Christian (October 2015).
National Liberation in Postcolonial Southern Africa: A Historical Ethnography of SWAPO's Exile Camps
. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp.
73–
89.
ISBN
978-1-107-09934-0
Hughes, Geraint (2014).
My Enemy's Enemy: Proxy Warfare in International Politics
. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press. pp.
73–
86.
ISBN
978-1-84519-627-1
Bertram, Christoph (1980).
Prospects of Soviet Power in the 1980s
. Basingstoke: Palgrave Books. pp.
51–
54.
ISBN
978-1-349-05259-2
Vanneman, Peter (1990).
Soviet Strategy in Southern Africa: Gorbachev's Pragmatic Approach
. Stanford: Hoover Institution Press. pp.
41–57
ISBN
978-0-8179-8902-6
Dreyer, Ronald (1994).
Namibia and Southern Africa: Regional Dynamics of Decolonization, 1945–90
. London: Kegan Paul International. pp.
73–
87,
100–
116, 192.
ISBN
978-0-7103-0471-1
Shultz, Richard (1988).
Soviet Union and Revolutionary Warfare: Principles, Practices, and Regional Comparisons
. Stanford, California: Hoover Institution Press. pp.
121–123, 140–145
ISBN
978-0-8179-8711-4
Sechaba, Tsepo; Ellis, Stephen (1992).
Comrades Against Apartheid: The ANC & the South African Communist Party in Exile
. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp.
184–
187.
ISBN
978-0-253-21062-3
James III, W. Martin (2011) [1992].
A Political History of the Civil War in Angola: 1974–1990
. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers. pp.
207–
214,
239–
245.
ISBN
978-1-4128-1506-2
Sitkowski, Andrzej (2006).
UN peacekeeping: myth and reality
. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp.
80–
86.
ISBN
978-0-275-99214-9
Clairborne, John (7 April 1989).
"SWAPO Incursion into Namibia Seen as Major Blunder by Nujoma"
The Washington Post
. Washington DC.
Archived
from the original on 29 April 2018
. Retrieved
18 February
2018
Colletta, Nat; Kostner, Markus; Wiederhofer, Indo (1996).
Case Studies of War-To-Peace Transition: The Demobilization and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants in Ethiopia, Namibia, and Uganda
. Washington DC:
World Bank
. pp.
127–
142.
ISBN
978-0-8213-3674-8
"Namibia Rebel Group Wins Vote, But It Falls Short of Full Control"
The New York Times
. 15 November 1989.
Archived
from the original on 27 October 2014
. Retrieved
20 June
2014
Namibia gains Independence
Archived
11 February 2023 at the
Wayback Machine
– South African History Online
Dierks, Klaus
"7. The Period after Namibian Independence"
. Klausdierks.com.
Archived
from the original on 23 May 2020
. Retrieved
21 August
2020
"Treaty between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Republic of Namibia with respect to Walvis Bay and the off-shore Islands, 28 February 1994"
(PDF)
. United Nations.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 19 May 2020
. Retrieved
29 June
2017
"Country report: Spotlight on Namibia"
Commonwealth
Secretariat. 25 May 2010. Archived from
the original
on 5 July 2010.
"IRIN country profile Namibia"
IRIN
. March 2007. Archived from
the original
on 17 February 2010
. Retrieved
12 July
2010
"UNHCR Web Archive"
webarchive.archive.unhcr.org
"Twyfelfontein (Namibia) | African World Heritage Sites"
www.africanworldheritagesites.org
"Namibian presidential election won by Swapo's Hage Geingob"
. BBC News. December 2014.
Archived
from the original on 21 April 2021
. Retrieved
21 April
2021
"Namibia's President Hage Geingob wins re-election"
. BBC News. December 2019.
Archived
from the original on 26 February 2021
. Retrieved
21 April
2021
"Hage Geingob death: Namibia's new President Mbumba sworn-in hours after predecessor dies"
. 4 February 2024.
Archived
from the original on 4 February 2024
. Retrieved
20 February
2024
"Namibia election: Swapo's Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah elected first female president"
www.bbc.com
. 4 December 2024.
"Namibia swears in first female president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah"
www.bbc.com
. 21 March 2025.
"Rank Order – Area"
cia.gov
. US: CIA World Fact Book. Archived from
the original
on 9 February 2014
. Retrieved
12 April
2008
Brandt, Edgar (21 September 2012).
"Land degradation causes poverty"
New Era
Archived
from the original on 20 October 2014
. Retrieved
30 September
2013
"Brandberg Massif, Namibia"
landsat.usgs.gov
. US Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. Archived from
the original
on 28 October 2005
. Retrieved
9 April
2025
...Brandberg Massif in Northen [
sic
] Namibia...dome-shaped granite intrusion covers an area of 650 square kilmeters (250 square miles) and rises 2,573 meters (1.6 miles) above the surrounding desert.
"Brandberg"
mcnam.org
. Namibia Mountain Club, Mountain Club of South Africa
. Retrieved
9 April
2025
...the Brandberg is one of the most eye-catching circular features visible on Earth. The isolated massif of granite, with approximate dimensions of 26 by 21 km, rises more than 2000 m above the surrounding peneplain of the Namib Desert. The summit, named Königstein, at 2573 m above sea level is the highest elevation in Namibia.
Spriggs, A. (2001)
"Africa: Namibia"
Terrestrial Ecoregions
. World Wildlife Fund.
Cowling, S. 2001.
"Succulent Karoo"
Terrestrial Ecoregions
. World Wildlife Fund.
Van Jaarsveld, E. J. (1987). "The succulent riches of South Africa and Namibia".
Aloc
(24):
45–
92.
Smith et al 1993
Spriggs, A. (2001)
"Southern Africa: including parts of Botswana, northeastern Namibia, Zimbabwe, and northern South Africa"
Terrestrial Ecoregions
. World Wildlife Fund.
"NASA – Namibia's Coastal Desert"
nasa.gov
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Archived
from the original on 21 June 2023
. Retrieved
9 October
2009
"An Introduction to Namibia"
geographia.com
Archived
from the original on 4 June 2001
. Retrieved
9 October
2009
"Coastline"
nacoma.org.na
. Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project. Archived from
the original
on 21 July 2009
. Retrieved
9 October
2009
Sparks, Donald L. (1984). "Namibia's Coastal and Marine Development Potential".
African Affairs
83
(333): 477.
doi
10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a097645
"Know Your Local Authority".
Election Watch
. No. 3. Institute for Public Policy Research. 2015. p. 4.
Hartman, Adam (27 August 2010).
"Town regrading a 'sad move'
The Namibian
. p. 1.
Archived
from the original on 17 March 2012.
"Namibia"
citypopulation.de
Archived
from the original on 19 June 2019
. Retrieved
16 February
2022
Paper and digital Climate Section (Report). Namibia Meteorological Services.
"The Rainy Season"
RealNamibia.com
. Archived from
the original
on 6 September 2010
. Retrieved
28 July
2010
"Namibia"
Encyclopædia Britannica
Archived
from the original on 18 May 2024
. Retrieved
28 July
2010
Olszewski, John (13 May 2009).
"Climate change forces us to recognise new normals"
Namibia Economist
. Archived from
the original
on 13 May 2011.
AfricaNews (6 May 2019).
"Namibia declares national state of emergency over drought"
Africanews
Archived
from the original on 6 April 2023
. Retrieved
20 May
2019
"State of drought emergency extended"
The Namibian
. Archived from
the original
on 10 March 2021
. Retrieved
24 November
2020
Olszewski, John (25 June 2010).
"Understanding Weather – not predicting it"
Namibia Economist
. Archived from
the original
on 7 December 2010.
Adams, Gerry (15 April 2011).
"Debilitating floods hit northern and central Namibia"
United Nations Radio
. Archived from
the original
on 20 December 2016
. Retrieved
19 February
2012
van den Bosch, Servaas (29 March 2011).
"Heaviest floods ever in Namibia"
The Namibian
Archived
from the original on 22 August 2018
. Retrieved
23 February
2012
"Groundwater in Namibia"
Integrated Water Resource Management
. Archived from
the original
on 29 July 2016
. Retrieved
2 October
2014
Christelis, Greg; Struckmeier, Wilhelm, eds. (2001).
Groundwater in Namibia
. Census Office, National Planning Commission.
ISBN
978-0-86976-571-5
. Archived from
the original
on 4 April 2015
. Retrieved
10 July
2018
– via Namibian Hydrogeological Association.
McGrath, Matt (20 July 2012).
"Vast aquifer found in Namibia could last for centuries"
bbc.co.uk
BBC World Service
Archived
from the original on 2 April 2019
. Retrieved
10 September
2013
McGrath, Matt (20 April 2012).
'Huge' water resource exists under Africa"
bbc.co.uk
. BBC World Service.
Archived
from the original on 2 April 2019
. Retrieved
10 September
2013
MacDonald AM, Bonsor HC, Dochartaigh BÉ, Taylor RG (2012). "Quantitative maps of groundwater resources in Africa".
Environ. Res. Lett
(2) 024009.
Bibcode
2012ERL.....7b4009M
CiteSeerX
10.1.1.693.4081
doi
10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/024009
S2CID
154336728
"Namibia becomes first Southern African country to join UN Water Convention"
UNECE.org
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Archived
from the original on 10 October 2023
. Retrieved
6 October
2023
Stefanova, Kristina (August 2005).
Protecting Namibia's Natural Resources
. usinfo.state.gov
Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Programme Details (n.d.).
Nature in Local Hands: The Case for Namibia's Conservancies
Archived
13 November 2012 at the
Wayback Machine
. UNEP, UNDP, WRI, and World Bank. 2005.
Simmons, R. E.; Griffin, M.; Griffin, R. E.; et al. (1 April 1998). "Endemism in Namibia: patterns, processes and predictions".
Biodiversity & Conservation
(4):
513–
530.
Bibcode
1998BiCon...7..513S
doi
10.1023/A:1008879712736
ISSN
1572-9710
S2CID
22160591
Curtis, Barbara; Roberts, Kevin S.; Griffin, Michael; et al. (1 April 1998).
"Species richness and conservationof Namibian freshwater macro-invertebrates, fish and amphibians"
Biodiversity & Conservation
(4):
447–
466.
Bibcode
1998BiCon...7..447C
doi
10.1023/A:1008871410919
ISSN
1572-9710
"Constitution of the Republic of Namibia"
(PDF)
. 1992. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 19 January 2010
. Retrieved
10 July
2018
"Namibia: Constitution"
EISA
. Archived from
the original
on 4 June 2012.
Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia.
122
"How to Register as a Voter"
. Electoral Commission of Namibia. Archived from
the original
on 21 July 2018
. Retrieved
22 March
2019
Shivute, Peter
(2008).
"Foreword"
(PDF)
. In Bösl, Anton; Horn, Nico (eds.).
The Independence of the Judiciary in Namibia
. Publications sponsored by
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Macmillan Education Namibia
. p. 10.
ISBN
978-99916-0-807-5
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 23 October 2013
. Retrieved
13 July
2010
"National Council"
Parliament.gov.na
Archived
from the original on 24 February 2021
. Retrieved
21 August
2020
"SWAPO:Dominant party?"
. Swapoparty.org. Archived from
the original
on 3 March 2016
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
V-Dem Institute (2023).
"The V-Dem Dataset"
Archived
from the original on 8 December 2022
. Retrieved
14 October
2023
"Namibia Budget on a Plate"
(PDF)
PWC Namibia
. 6 May 2020.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 27 May 2023
. Retrieved
6 May
2020
Moser, Jana.
"Border Contracts – Border Conflicts: Examples from Northern Namibia"
(PDF)
Symposium on "Shifting Boundaries": Cartography of the 19th and 20th Centuries. ICA Commission on the History of Cartography
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 2 March 2023
. Retrieved
6 August
2019
"Chapter XXVI: Disarmament – No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons"
. United Nations Treaty Collection. 7 July 2017.
Archived
from the original on 6 August 2019
. Retrieved
16 August
2019
Nakale, Albertina Haindongo (9 August 2013).
"President divides Kavango into two"
New Era
. via allafrica.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014
. Retrieved
14 January
2016
Alt URL
Archived
27 October 2014 at the
Wayback Machine
"Namibia National Council"
Inter-Parliamentary Union
Archived
from the original on 10 May 2011
. Retrieved
14 July
2010
"Local Authorities"
. Association of Local Authorities in Namibia. Archived from
the original
on 10 June 2013
. Retrieved
10 September
2013
"Namibia | Freedom House"
. Archived from
the original
on 3 January 2020
. Retrieved
3 January
2020
"The Human Freedom Index 2025 | Fraser Institute"
www.fraserinstitute.org
. 16 December 2025
. Retrieved
14 January
2026
Human Rights in Namibia (November 2021).
2021 Country Report on Human Rights: Namibia
Archived
15 October 2022 at the
Wayback Machine
. state.gov
"2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Namibia"
United States Department of State
. 30 March 2021.
Archived
from the original on 24 May 2021
. Retrieved
24 May
2021
Avery, Daniel (4 April 2019).
"71 Countries Where Homosexuality is Illegal"
Newsweek
Archived
from the original on 11 December 2019
. Retrieved
16 August
2019
"Namibia's gay paraders call for legal protection"
News24
. 30 July 2017. Archived from
the original
on 19 July 2019
. Retrieved
16 August
2019
Beukes, Jemima (14 June 2019).
"Sodomy law's days numbered – Geingos"
Namibian Sun
Archived
from the original on 9 January 2020
. Retrieved
3 January
2020
Werner Menges (16 May 2023).
"Supreme Court gives legal status to same-sex marriages"
The Namibian
. Retrieved
17 August
2024
Booty, Natasha (21 June 2024).
"Gay sex ban in Namibia ruled unconstitutional"
. BBC
. Retrieved
21 June
2024
Alweendo N, Andreas R, Rafla D (November 2018).
"Landscaping Gender Based Violence in Namibia"
(PDF)
Democracy Report
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 5 June 2019
. Retrieved
6 June
2019
"Namibia – Gender Indicator – Gender equality objetive [
sic
] outputs"
UNESCO
. 9 December 2015.
Archived
from the original on 3 January 2020
. Retrieved
21 August
2020
O'Riordan, Alexander (8 July 2014).
"Namibia's 'zebra' politics could make it stand out from the global herd"
The Guardian
Archived
from the original on 14 August 2021
. Retrieved
3 January
2020
Namibia
Archived
10 January 2021 at the
Wayback Machine
The World Factbook
Central Intelligence Agency
"Namibia"
. UCB Libraries GovPubs. Archived from
the original
on 3 March 2016
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Cirrus Data"
cirrus.com.na
Archived
from the original on 9 November 2023
. Retrieved
14 November
2023
"Bank of Namibia (BoN)"
Archived
from the original on 10 March 2011
. Retrieved
3 April
2011
Laufs, Johannes (2011).
"Document: Bridging the Economic Divide in Urban Areas of Namibia: Townships within the Local Economic Development Framework"
ResearchGate
doi
10.13140/RG.2.1.1825.5600
Archived
from the original on 18 May 2024
. Retrieved
15 August
2022
"Unemployment and labour force"
Cirrus Data
. Namibia Statistics Agency. 9 April 2013.
Archived
from the original on 9 November 2023
. Retrieved
9 November
2023
"World Bank Open Data"
World Bank Open Data
Archived
from the original on 26 May 2023
. Retrieved
3 April
2024
Mongudhi, Tileni (3 February 2010 )
"Tender Board tightens rules to protect jobs"
Archived
2 October 2013 at the
Wayback Machine
The Namibian
"Snapshot of Namibia Country Profile"
. Business Anti-Corruption Portal. Archived from
the original
on 20 February 2014
. Retrieved
6 February
2014
"Namibia"
. Doingbusiness.org. 10 January 2013. Archived from
the original
on 26 September 2013
. Retrieved
10 September
2013
"Namibia, Windhoek Cost of Living"
Apatulator.com
. Archived from
the original
on 18 October 2013
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Tannan Groenewald on LinkedIn: #namibia #southafrica #taxrates #economicanalysis #research #graph… | 13 comments"
Archived
from the original on 9 November 2023
. Retrieved
9 November
2023
– via LinkedIn.
Shiimi, Ipumbu.
"Budget Statement for the 2024/25 Financial Year"
(PDF)
. Parliament of Namibia.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 25 May 2024
. Retrieved
5 June
2024
PAYE12 Volume 18 published by
Ministry of Finance
World Almanac. 2004.
LaFraniere, Sharon (25 December 2004)
Tensions Simmer as Namibia Divides Its Farmland"
Archived
19 November 2020 at the
Wayback Machine
The New York Times
"NAMIBIA: Key step in land reform completed"
. IRIN Africa. 1 October 2004.
Archived
from the original on 10 September 2011
. Retrieved
10 September
2013
"Germany officially recognises colonial-era Namibia genocide"
. BBC. 28 May 2021.
Archived
from the original on 14 November 2021
. Retrieved
14 November
2021
Lange, Glenn-marie (2004). "Wealth, Natural Capital, and Sustainable Development: Contrasting Examples from Botswana and Namibia".
Environmental & Resource Economics
29
(3):
257–
83.
Bibcode
2004EnREc..29..257L
doi
10.1007/s10640-004-4045-z
S2CID
155085174
"Mining in Namibia"
(PDF)
. NIED. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 10 May 2011
. Retrieved
26 June
2010
Oancea, Dan (February 2008).
"Mining Uranium at Namibia's Langer Heinrich Mine"
(PDF)
. MINING.com.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 4 March 2016
. Retrieved
16 April
2010
Bhutada, Govind (23 September 2021).
"70 years of global uranium production by country"
. Visual Capitalist Elements.
Archived
from the original on 8 August 2022
. Retrieved
24 June
2022
– via Mining.Com.
Oancea, Dan (6 November 2006).
"Deep-Sea Mining and Exploration"
. Technology.infomine.com. Archived from
the original
on 27 June 2017
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Gold production"
Our World in Data
Archived
from the original on 29 November 2023
. Retrieved
20 December
2024
"Background Note:Namibia"
US Department of State
. 26 October 2010.
Archived
from the original on 21 October 2020
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"The Diamond Investigation, chapter 1 by Edward Jay Epstein, in an interview with Harry Frederick Oppenheimer owner of De Beers"
. Edwardjayepstein.com. 4 December 1978.
Archived
from the original on 19 September 2018
. Retrieved
10 September
2013
Nathan Munier (1 March 2016). "Diamonds Without Blood: A Look at Namibia".
South African Security
(1):
21–
41.
doi
10.1080/19392206.2016.1132903
S2CID
147267236
Brandt, Edgar (8 April 2022).
"Namibia: Orange Basin potential shoots up to billions of barrels"
. AllAfrica, New Era. allafrica.com.
Archived
from the original on 13 April 2022
. Retrieved
13 April
2022
Weidlich, Brigitte (7 January 2011).
"Uranium: Saving or sinking Namibia?"
The Namibian
. Archived from
the original
on 13 January 2011.
"A Framework/Model to Benchmark Tourism GDP in South Africa"
. Pan African Research & Investment Services. March 2010. p. 34. Archived from
the original
on 18 July 2010.
Hartman, Adam (30 September 2009).
"Tourism in good shape – Minister"
The Namibian
Archived
from the original on 4 May 2011
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
Humavindu, Michael N.; Barnes, Jonothan I. (October 2003). "Trophy Hunting in the Namibian Economy: An Assessment. Environmental Economics Unit, Directorate of Environmental Affairs,
Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia
".
South African Journal of Wildlife Research
33
(2):
65–
70.
"Namibia top tourist destinations"
. Namibiatourism.com.na. Archived from
the original
on 27 December 2016
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Report on the Namibia Tourist Exit Survey 2012–2013"
(PDF)
Mcanamibia.org
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 5 March 2016
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"HAN Namibia"
Hannamibia.com
Archived
from the original on 24 August 2016
. Retrieved
26 August
2016
"Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia, No. 3235 (2014)"
(PDF)
laws.parliament.na
. 14 July 2004. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 31 August 2019
. Retrieved
24 March
2018
"FENATA | Federation of Namibian Tourism Association in Namibia"
Fenata.org
. Archived from
the original
on 8 March 2016
. Retrieved
8 March
2016
Banerjee, Sudeshna (2009).
Ebbing Water, Surging Deficits: Urban Water Supply in Sub-Saharan Africa
(PDF)
. Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 4 March 2012
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
Smith, Jana–Mari (12 July 2011).
"Red alert on sanitation and safe drinking water"
The Namibian
. Archived from
the original
on 31 May 2012.
"Independent UN expert urges Namibia to expand access to sanitation services"
UN News Centre
United Nations
News service. 11 July 2011.
Archived
from the original on 26 August 2017
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
Tjihenuna, Theresia (2 April 2014).
"More than 1 million Namibians defecate in open"
The Namibian
. Archived from
the original
on 7 April 2014
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
Cloete, Luqman (28 April 2008).
"Namibia is lagging behind on sanitation"
The Namibian
Archived
from the original on 1 January 2016
. Retrieved
14 September
2015
Deffner, Jutta; Mazambani, Clarence (September 2010).
"Participatory empirical research on water and sanitation demand in central northern Namibia: A method for technology development with a user perspective"
(PDF)
CuveWaters Papers
. Frankfurt (Main): Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE). Archived from the original on 22 March 2012
. Retrieved
14 September
2015
Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat (2009).
"Table A.1"
(PDF)
World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision
. New York: United Nations.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 18 March 2009
. Retrieved
12 March
2009
"World Development Indicators (WDI) | Data Catalog"
. World Bank.
Archived
from the original on 20 August 2016
. Retrieved
9 July
2019
Bongaarts, John (21 September 2020).
"Trends in fertility and fertility preferences in sub-Saharan Africa: the roles of education and family planning programs"
Genus
76
(1) 32.
doi
10.1186/s41118-020-00098-z
ISSN
2035-5556
"Census Summary Results"
. National Planning Commission of Namibia. Archived from
the original
on 11 January 2012
. Retrieved
21 February
2012
Kapitako, Alvine (8 August 2011).
"Namibia: 2011 Census Officially Launched"
Allafrica.com
Archived
from the original on 29 October 2016
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Methodology"
. National Planning Commission of Namibia. Archived from
the original
on 11 January 2012
. Retrieved
21 February
2012
Duddy, Jo Maré (28 March 2013).
"Census gives snapshot of Namibia's population"
The Namibian
Archived
from the original on 1 February 2014
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Namibia Statistics Agency | Census Disemination"
. Archived from
the original
on 13 March 2024
. Retrieved
13 August
2024
Malia Politzer (August 2008).
"China and Africa: Stronger Economic Ties Mean More Migration"
. Migration Information Source.
Archived
from the original on 29 January 2014
. Retrieved
10 September
2013
"Flight from Angola"
The Economist
. 16 August 1975.
Archived
from the original on 25 August 2018
. Retrieved
10 September
2013
Singh, Lalita Prasad (1980).
The United Nations and Namibia
. East African Publishing House.
"National Institute for Educational Development"
. Nied.edu.na.
Archived
from the original on 12 May 2020
. Retrieved
26 June
2010
"Literacy – The World Factbook"
. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from
the original
on 1 April 2023
. Retrieved
30 March
2022
"GII Innovation Ecosystems & Data Explorer 2025"
WIPO
. Retrieved
16 October
2025
Dutta, Soumitra; Lanvin, Bruno (2025).
Global Innovation Index 2025: Innovation at a Crossroads
World Intellectual Property Organization
. p. 19.
doi
10.34667/tind.58864
ISBN
978-92-805-3797-0
. Retrieved
17 October
2025
"Namibia"
The World Factbook
. Central Intelligence Agency. 2009. Archived from
the original
on 10 January 2021
. Retrieved
23 January
2010
"Table: Muslim Population by Country"
. Pew Research Center. 27 January 2011.
Archived
from the original on 6 April 2018
. Retrieved
13 March
2017
"Islam in Namibia, making an impact"
. Islamonline.net. Archived from
the original
on 15 February 2020
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Namibia: Virtual Jewish History Tour"
. Jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
Archived
from the original on 9 November 2016
. Retrieved
1 August
2013
Pütz, Martin (1995) "Official Monolingualism in Africa: A sociolinguistic assessment of linguistic and cultural pluralism in Africa", p. 155 in
Discrimination through language in Africa? Perspectives on the Namibian Experience
. Mouton de Gruyter. Berlin,
ISBN
311014817X
Kriger, Robert & Ethel (1996).
Afrikaans Literature: Recollection, Redefinition, Restitution
. Rodopi Bv Editions. pp.
66–
67.
ISBN
978-90-420-0051-3
Tötemeyer, Andree-Jeanne.
Multilingualism and the language policy for Namibian schools.
PRAESA Occasional Papers No. 37. University of Cape Town. Cape Town:2010.
"Cirrus Data"
cirrus.com.na
Archived
from the original on 9 November 2023
. Retrieved
6 December
2023
Sasman, Catherine (15 August 2011).
"Portuguese to be introduced in schools"
The Namibian
. Archived from
the original
on 22 December 2012
. Retrieved
5 January
2020
"Life Expectancy ranks"
The World Factbook
. Archived from
the original
on 23 May 2020
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Namibia: Health Extension Programme Will Bridge Gaps Â? Unicef"
AllAfrica.com
. 16 October 2012
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Going the extra mile to deliver health care"
(PDF)
. unicef. 7 August 2015. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 11 July 2018
. Retrieved
11 July
2018
"AIDSinfo"
UNAIDS
Archived
from the original on 5 March 2013
. Retrieved
4 March
2013
Together We Are Ending AIDS in Namibia
(PDF)
. Namibia AIDS Conference 2016: 28 to 30 November 2016. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 16 January 2017
. Retrieved
15 January
2017
"UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report 2011"
(PDF)
. UNAIDS. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 24 August 2014
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Aidsinafrica.net"
. Aidsinafrica.net. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
The Namibia Aids Response Progress Report 2015
(PDF)
(Report).
Republic of Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services
. March 2015. p. 10.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 19 January 2022
. Retrieved
13 January
2026
Reporting Period: 2013–2014.
"HIV and AIDS estimates (2015)"
Unaids.org
Archived
from the original on 13 August 2017
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
Korenromp, E.L.; Williams, B.G.; de Vlas, S.J.; Gouws, E.; Gilks, C.F.; Ghys, P.D.; Nahlen, B.L. (2005).
"Malaria Attributable to the HIV-1 Epidemic, Sub-Saharan Africa"
Emerging Infectious Diseases
11
(9):
1410–
1419.
doi
10.3201/eid1109.050337
PMC
3310631
PMID
16229771
"WHO Country Offices in the WHO African Region"
(PDF)
. World Health Organization. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 7 January 2010
. Retrieved
26 June
2010
"Namibia"
The World Factbook
, Central Intelligence Agency, 6 November 2023, archived from
the original
on 10 January 2021
, retrieved
13 November
2023
@AfricaFactsZone (30 January 2023).
"Namibia has the highest beer consumption per capita in Africa (108 litres)"
Tweet
. Retrieved
13 November
2023
– via
"Wiese, Erasmus the heroes as Namibia qualify for the Super 12s"
. ESPNcricinfo.
Archived
from the original on 1 October 2023
. Retrieved
22 October
2021
Helge Schütz (19 December 2017).
"Namibia Cricket Year Review"
The Namibian
Archived
from the original on 22 December 2017.
"IAAF World Championships in Athletics"
gbrathletics.com
Archived
from the original on 16 March 2019
. Retrieved
26 February
2019
"Player Profile"
OWGR.com
. Retrieved
21 January
2026
"Dan Craven"
FirstCycling.com
Archived
from the original on 27 May 2023
. Retrieved
20 June
2022
"Press Freedom Index 2010"
. Reporters Without Borders. Archived from
the original
on 24 November 2010
. Retrieved
12 December
2012
Rothe, Andreas (2010): Media System and News Selection in Namibia. p. 14–96
"Press Freedom Index 2009"
. Reporters Without Borders. Archived from
the original
on 28 January 2012
. Retrieved
26 August
2017
"Press Freedom Index 2013"
. Archived from
the original
on 27 July 2014
. Retrieved
24 June
2013
"World Press Freedom Index"
RSF
. Reporters Without Borders. Archived from
the original
on 14 February 2014
. Retrieved
25 April
2015
"Namibia: Real freedom but frequent threats | Reporters without borders"
. Reports Without Borders. 27 November 2020.
Archived
from the original on 21 March 2022
. Retrieved
3 January
2020
Kahiurika, Ndanki; Ngutjinazo, Okeri (22 January 2019).
"40 journalists lose jobs since 2016"
The Namibian
. p. 6. Archived from
the original
on 22 January 2019
. Retrieved
22 January
2019
von Nahmen, Carsten (2001): Deutschsprachige Medien in Namibia
Links, Frederico (2006):
We write what we like: The role of independent print media and independent reporting in Namibia
One Africa Television
. oneafrica.tv. 25 May 2010
"Namibia: A Bridge to the Desert"
La Biennale di Venezia Arte 2022
. 15 April 2022.
Archived
from the original on 9 May 2024
. Retrieved
10 May
2024
Sources
edit
Vedder, Heinrich
(1997).
Das alte Südwestafrika. Südwestafrikas Geschichte bis zum Tode Mahareros 1890
The old South-West Africa. South-West Africa's history until Maharero's death 1890
] (in German) (7th ed.). Windhoek: Namibia Scientific Society.
ISBN
978-0-949995-33-9
Olusoga, David
; Erichsen, Casper W. (2010).
The Kaiser's Holocaust: Germany's Forgotten Genocide
. London, England: Farber and Farber.
ISBN
978-0-571-23142-3
Besenyo, Molnar (2013).
"UN peacekeeping in Namibia"
(PDF)
Tradecraft Review
(2013/1. Special Issue). Budapest, Hungary: Military National Security Service:
93–
109. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 17 December 2014
. Retrieved
8 November
2014
Christy, S. A. (2007).
Namibian Travel Photography
Horn, N/Bösl, A (eds.).
Human rights and the rule of law in Namibia
, Macmillan Namibia, 2008.
Horn, N/Bösl, A (eds.).
The independence of the judiciary in Namibia
, Macmillan Namibia, 2008.
KAS Factbook Namibia, Facts and figures about the status and development of Namibia, Ed. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.
Fritz, Jean-Claude
fr
La Namibie indépendante. Les coûts d'une décolonisation retardée
, Paris:
L'Harmattan
, 1991.
World Almanac
. 2004. New York, NY: World Almanac Books.
External links
edit
Listen to this article
27
minutes
This audio file
was created from a revision of this article dated 31 August 2009
2009-08-31
, and does not reflect subsequent edits.
Audio help
More spoken articles
Namibia
at Wikipedia's
sister projects
Definitions
from Wiktionary
Media
from Commons
News
from Wikinews
Quotations
from Wikiquote
Texts
from Wikisource
Textbooks
from Wikibooks
Resources
from Wikiversity
Travel information
from Wikivoyage
Namibia
Archived
10 January 2021 at the
Wayback Machine
The World Factbook
Central Intelligence Agency
Namibia
from
UCB Libraries GovPubs
(archived 3 March 2016)
Wikimedia Atlas of Namibia
Key Development Forecasts for Namibia
Archived
11 October 2012 at the
Wayback Machine
from
International Futures
Republic of Namibia
Archived
20 March 2023 at the
Wayback Machine
Government Portal
Chief of State and Cabinet Members
(archived 10 December 2008)
Namibia
articles
History
Colonial governors
Walvis Bay
German South West Africa
Herero genocide
World War I
Mandate and occupation
Bantustans
Apartheid
SWAPO
South African Border War
Tripartite Accord
Caprivi conflict
Geography
Regions
Cities and towns
Villages and settlements
Geology
Great Escarpment
Islands
Kalahari Desert
Namib Desert
Ecoregions
Protected areas
Conservation
Wildlife
Politics
Anthem
Cabinet
Coat of arms
Constituencies
Constitution
Elections
Foreign relations
Government
Human rights
LGBT
Land reform
Military
Parliament
National Council
National Assembly
Political parties
President
Vice-President
Prime Minister
Deputy-Prime Minister
Supreme Court
Economy
Agriculture
Companies
Mining
State-owned enterprises
Stock Exchange
Taxation
Telecommunications
Tourism
Transport
Society
Cuisine
wine
Culture
Demographics
Education
Ethnic groups
Flag
Languages
List of Namibians
Living conditions
Health
Poverty
Sanitation and water supply
Squatting
Media
Music
Public holidays
Religion
Sports
Outline
Category
Articles relating to Namibia
Countries and territories
of
Africa
Sovereign states
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
(partly in Asia)
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
States with limited
recognition
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
unclear sovereignty
Somaliland
Dependent
territories
France
Îles Éparses
United Kingdom
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
African territories
fully part of
non-African states
France
Mayotte
Réunion
Italy
Pantelleria
Pelagian Islands
Portugal
Madeira
Savage Islands
Spain
Canary Islands
Ceuta
Melilla
Plazas de soberanía
Yemen
Socotra
Category
Africa portal
Former German colonies and protectorates
Colonies
Africa
East Africa
Kionga Triangle
Wituland
South West Africa
West Africa
Kamerun
Neukamerun
Kapitaï and Koba
Mahinland
Togoland
Oceania
New Guinea
Samoa
Concessions
China
Kiautschou Bay
Tsingtao
Tientsin
Hankou
Unrecognised
Antarctica
New Swabia
(claimed by
Nazi Germany
Southern African Development Community
(SADC)
Member states
Angola
Botswana
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eswatini
Lesotho
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Seychelles
South Africa
Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Leaders
Chairpersons
Levy Mwanawasa
Kgalema Motlanthe
Secretaries-General
Kaire Mbuende
Prega Ramsamy
Tomaz Salomão
Peacekeeping missions
Democratic Republic of Congo
Mozambique
See also
Southern African Development Coordination Conference
(forerunner)
Southern African Customs Union
(SACU)
Common Monetary Area
(CMA)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA)
African Union
History
Pan-Africanism
Decolonisation of Africa
Union of African States
Casablanca Group
Monrovia Group
African and Malagasy Union
Abuja Treaty
Sirte Declaration
Lome Summit
Organisation of African Unity
Chairperson
Secretary General
Geography
Borders
Extreme points
Member states
Regions
Organs
Executive Council
Permanent Representatives' Committee
Specialized Technical Committees
Assembly
Chairperson
Commission
Chairperson
Deputy Chairperson
AUCC
2025 election
Pan-African Parliament
Bureau
Secretariat
Gallagher Estate
African Court of Justice
African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights
ECOSOCC Committees
Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation
Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security
Department of Infrastructure and Energy
Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development
HR, Sciences and Technology
Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Blue Economy
Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, Mining
Cross-Cutting Programs
Financial institutions
African Central Bank
African Monetary Fund
African Investment Bank
Pan-African Payment and Settlement System
Peace and Security Council
ACIRC
African Standby Force
Panel of the Wise
UNAMID
AMIB
AMIS
AMISOM
MISCA
Specialised agencies and institutions
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
African Civil Aviation Commission
African Energy Commission
Afripol
African Space Agency
Politics
APRM
Foreign relations
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Enlargement
United States Africa Command
United States military bases
United States ambassadors
African Union–Ethiopia relations
Symbols
Anthem
Emblem
Flag
Passport
Economy
Currencies
Gold standard
Development Bank
African Economic Community
NEPAD
African Continental Free Trade Area
Africa–CARICOM Summit
Single African Air Transport Market
Trans-African Highway network
Culture
Africa Day/Africa–Caribbean (CARICOM) Day
African Border Day
Theory
Afro
Federal Africa
United States of Latin Africa
East African Federation
Category
English-speaking world
English speaking countries
Further links
Articles
English-speaking world
History of the English language
British Empire
English in the Commonwealth of Nations
Anglosphere
Lists
List of countries by English-speaking population
List of countries where English is an official language
Countries and territories where English is the national language or the native language of the majority
Africa
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Americas
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Canada
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Falkland Islands
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Montserrat
Saba
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States
United States Virgin Islands
Europe
Guernsey
Ireland
Isle of Man
Jersey
United Kingdom
Oceania
Australia
New Zealand
Norfolk Island
Pitcairn Islands
Countries and territories where English is an official language, but not the majority first language
Africa
Botswana
Cameroon
Eswatini
The Gambia
Ghana
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Malawi
Mauritius
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Somaliland
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Americas
Puerto Rico
Asia
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Hong Kong
India
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
Europe
Gibraltar
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Malta
Oceania
American Samoa
Cook Islands
Fiji
Guam
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
Niue
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tokelau
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Dependencies
shown in
italics
Members
of the
Commonwealth of Nations
Sovereign states
(members)
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei
Cameroon
Canada
Cyprus
Dominica
Eswatini (Swaziland)
Fiji
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Kingdom
Vanuatu
Zambia
Associated states
Cook Islands
Niue
Dependent territories
Australia
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Australian Antarctic Territory
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Norfolk Island
New Zealand
Ross Dependency
Tokelau
United Kingdom
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
Montserrat
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
Source:
Commonwealth Secretariat – Member Countries
Authority control databases
International
ISNI
VIAF
GND
FAST
WorldCat
National
United States
France
BnF data
Japan
Czech Republic
Spain
Norway
Israel
Geographic
MusicBrainz area
Artists
KulturNav
People
UK Parliament
Other
Historical Dictionary of Switzerland
NARA
Yale LUX
22°S
17°E
 / 
22°S 17°E
 /
-22; 17
Retrieved from "
Categories
Namibia
Countries in Southern Africa
Member states of the African Union
Countries and territories where English is an official language
Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
States and territories established in 1990
Member states of the United Nations
Republics in the Commonwealth of Nations
Former German colonies
1990 establishments in Africa
Countries in Africa
Hidden categories:
Pages using the Phonos extension
Pages including recorded pronunciations
All articles with dead external links
Articles with dead external links from February 2018
Articles with permanently dead external links
Source attribution
CS1 European Portuguese-language sources (pt-pt)
CS1 Finnish-language sources (fi)
CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown
CS1 German-language sources (de)
CS1 errors: ISBN date
Articles with dead external links from February 2023
Webarchive template wayback links
CS1: unfit URL
Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
Articles with short description
Short description matches Wikidata
Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages
Use South African English from March 2021
All Wikipedia articles written in South African English
Use dmy dates from September 2024
Articles containing Afrikaans-language text
Articles containing German-language text
Articles containing Khoekhoe-language text
Articles containing Kuanyama-language text
Articles containing Otjiherero-language text
Articles containing Kwangali-language text
Articles containing Tswana-language text
Articles containing Lozi-language text
Wikipedia articles in need of updating from December 2025
All Wikipedia articles in need of updating
Articles containing Latin-language text
Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2012
All articles containing potentially dated statements
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014
Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2011
Articles with unsourced statements from July 2015
Articles with hAudio microformats
Spoken articles
Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata
Pages using Sister project links with default search
Coordinates on Wikidata
Namibia
Add topic