KEY FACTS
Joined Commonwealth: 1990
Population: 2,259,000 (2012)
GDP p.c. growth: 2.3% p.a. 1990–2012
UN HDI 2012: world ranking 128
Official language: English
Time: GMT plus 1–2hr
Currency: Namibia dollar (N$)
Geography
Area: 824,269 sq km
Coastline: 1,570 km
Capital: Windhoek
Namibia in south-west Africa is one of the driest and most sparsely populated countries on Earth. It is bounded by the South Atlantic Ocean on the west, Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south. The Caprivi Strip, a narrow extension of land in the extreme north-east, connects it to Zambia. Namibia comprises 13 regions (from south to north): Karas, Hardap, Khomas, Erongo, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Kunene, Oshikoto, Okavango, Omusati, Oshana, Caprivi and Ohangwena.
Main towns:
Windhoek (capital, Khomas region, pop. 315,900 in 2010), Rundu (Kavango, 81,500), Walvis Bay (Erongo, 67,200), Oshakati (Oshana, 39,700), Swakopmund (Erongo, 34,300), Grootfontein (Otjozondjupa, 29,000), Katima Mulilo (Caprivi, 27,900), Okahandja (Otjozondjupa, 25,300), Otjiwarongo (Otjozondjupa, 23,000), Rehoboth (Hardap, 20,900), Gobabis (Omaheke, 19,900), Usakos (Erongo, 18,700), Lüderitz (Karas, 18,300), Keetmanshoop (Karas, 15,400) and Tsumeb (Oshikoto, 10,800).
Society
KEY FACTS 2012
Population per sq km: 2.7
Life expectancy: 64 years
Net primary enrolment: 88%
Population:
2,259,000 (2012); density is extremely low overall and 39 per cent of people live in urban areas; growth 2.1 per cent p.a. 1990–2012; birth rate 26 per 1,000 people (43 in 1970); life expectancy 64 years (53 in 1970 and 62 in 1990).The Ovambo and Kavango together constitute about 60 per cent of the total population. Other groups are the Herero, Damara, Nama and the Caprivians. The San (Bushmen), who are among the world’s oldest surviving hunter-gatherers, have lived in this territory for more than 11,000 years. The Basters, who settled in Rehoboth in 1870, stem from marriages between white farmers and Khoi mothers in the Cape. The ‘Cape Coloureds’, immigrants from South Africa, tend to live in the urban areas. Of the white group of approximately 90,000, about 50 per cent are of South African and 25 per cent of German ancestry; about 20 per cent are Afrikaners (longer established migrants); and a small minority are of UK ancestry.
Language:
English, Oshiwambo, Herero, Nama, Afrikaans and German. The official language is English, first or second language to only about 20 per cent. Oshiwambo is spoken throughout most of the north. The Caprivians speak Lozi as their main language. Afrikaans is widely spoken and is the traditional language of the Cape Coloureds and Baster communities.
Education:
Public spending on education was eight per cent of GDP in 2010. There are ten years of compulsory education starting at the age of seven. Primary school comprises seven years and secondary five, with cycles of three and two years. In 1993 English replaced Afrikaans as the main language of instruction. The Namibian Constitution provides free education until the age of 16 or completion of primary education. Some 84 per cent of pupils complete primary school (2009). The school year starts in January. The principal tertiary institution is the University of Namibia, established in 1993, with its main campus in Windhoek and nine other campuses across the country. The university offers courses in agriculture and natural resources, economics and management sciences, education, engineering and information technology, medical and health sciences, and law. There are also a polytechnic, technical and agricultural colleges, and four national teacher training colleges. Namibian College of Open Learning provides open and distance learning. The female–male ratio for gross enrolment in tertiary education is 1.30:1 (2008). Literacy among people aged 15–24 is 93 per cent (2010). There are extensive adult literacy programmes.
