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Communications

Airports [time series]

143 total, 123 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 67 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

2 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

54,500 km; 4,079 km paved, 2,540 km gravel, 47,881 km earth roads and tracks

Ports [time series]

Luderitz; primary maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa)

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; stations--2 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

National Defense Force (Army), Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, 4.9% of GNP (1986)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 309,978; 183,730 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising major source of cash income; crops--millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled, 1987 catch reaching only 520,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in food

Budget [time series]

revenues $794.1 million; expenditures $999.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

South African rand (plural--rand); 1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $47.2 million

Electricity [time series]

486,000 kW capacity; 1,280 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

South African rand (R) per US$1--2.625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$1,021 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--uranium, diamonds, zinc, copper, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins; partners--Switzerland, South Africa, FRG, Japan

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

about $27 million at independence; under a 1971 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia may not be liable for debt incurred during its colonial period

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

GNP [time series]

$1.8 billion, per capita $1,240; real growth rate - 2.0% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$894 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment; partners--South Africa, FRG, US, Switzerland

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc, diamond, uranium)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

15.1% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 30% of GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten, and it has substantial resources of coal. More than half the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood.

Unemployment rate [time series]

over 30% (1990)

Geography

Climate [time series]

desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Coastline [time series]

1,489 km Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly more than half the size of Alaska

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification

Land boundaries [time series]

3,935 km total; Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 966 km, Zambia 233 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 64%; forest and woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Natural resources [time series]

diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and iron ore

Note [time series]

Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia

Terrain [time series]

mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east

Area (Total area) [time series]

824,290 km2; land area: 823,290 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

the former administrative structure of 26 districts has been abolished and 14 temporary regions are still in the process of being determined; note--the 26 districts were Bethanien, Boesmanland, Caprivi Oos, Damaraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein, Hereroland Oos, Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland, Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz, Maltahohe, Mariental, Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek

Capital [time series]

Windhoek

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

no Communist party

Constitution [time series]

ratified 9 February 1990

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH; Chancery at 1413 K Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20005 (mailing address is PO Box 34738, Washington DC 20043); telephone (202) 289-3871; US--Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES; Embassy at Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St., Windhoek (mailing address is P. O. Box 9890, Windhoek 9000, Namibia); telephone [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680

Executive branch [time series]

president, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe which is contrasted by two narrow white edge borders

Independence [time series]

21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990)

Legal system [time series]

based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral; House of Review (upper house, to be established with elections in 1992 by planned new regional authorities); National Assembly (lower house elected by universal suffrage)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Namibia

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

C, ECA (associate), FAO, FLS, IAEA, IBRD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, WCL, WFTU, WHO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 21 March 1990

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Sam NUJOMA; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk MUDGE; United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus GAROEB; Action Christian National (ACN), Kosie PRETORIUS; National Patriotic Front (NPF), Moses KATJIUONGUA; Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN), Hans DIERGAARDT; Namibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii RUKORO

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held 16 February 1990 (next to be held March 1995); Sam NUJOMA was elected president by the Constituent Assembly (now the National Assembly); National Assembly--last held on 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held by November 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA 21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

45 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%; about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe

Infant mortality rate [time series]

69 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

500,000; agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 19%, services 8%, government 7%, mining 6% (1981 est.)

Languages (Language) [time series]

English is official language; Afrikaans is common language of most of population and about 60% of white population, German 32%, English 7%; several indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

58 years male, 63 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

38% (male 45%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1960)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Namibian(s); adjective--Namibian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

20 trade unions representing about 90,000 workers

Population [time series]

1,520,504 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

predominantly Christian

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.6 children born/woman (1991)