Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994 provided courtesy of
the libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
======================================================
National Trade Data Bank
ITEM ID     : CI WOFACT WO0167
DATE        : Oct 28, 1994
 
AGENCY      : CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
PROGRAM     : WORLD FACTBOOK
TITLE       : World Factbook: Namibia
 
Source key      : CI 
Program key     : CI WOFACT 
Update sched.   : Annually         
Data type       : TEXT 
End year        : 1994
Date of record  : 19941020
Keywords 3      :  
Keywords 3      : | Namibia 
 
 
                                  Namibia
 
 
                                 Geography
 
Location:
     Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Angola and
     South Africa
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     825,418 sq km
land area:
     825,418 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Land boundaries:
     total 3,824 km, Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 855
     km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline:
     1,572 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
     24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint
     with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with
     South Africa over Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands has been resolved
     and these territories were transferred to Namibian sovereignty on 1
     March 1994
Climate:
     desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain:
     mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Natural resources:
     diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc,
     salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of oil, natural
     gas, coal, iron ore
Land use:
arable land:
     1%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     64%
forest and woodland:
     22%
other:
     13%
Irrigated land:
     40 sq km (1989 est.)
 
 
Environment:
current issues:
     very limited natural water resources; desertification
natural hazards:
     NA
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection;
     signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
 
                                  People
 
Population:
     1,595,567 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     3.45% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     43.4 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     8.87 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     61.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     61.65 years
male:
     58.97 years
female:
     64.4 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     6.4 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Namibian(s)
adjective:
     Namibian
Ethnic divisions:
     black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%
note:
     about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the
     Kavangos tribe
Religions:
     Christian
Languages:
     English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the
     population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%,
     indigenous languages
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1960)
total population:
     38%
male:
     45%
 
 
female:
     31%
Labor force:
     500,000
by occupation:
     agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 19%, services 8%, government
     7%, mining 6% (1981 est.)
 
                                Government
 
Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Namibia
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     WA
Type:
     republic
Capital:
     Windhoek
Administrative divisions:
     13 districts; Erango, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Liambezi,
     Ohanguena, Okarango, Omaheke, Omusat, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa
Independence:
     21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 21 March (1990)
Constitution:
     ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990
Legal system:
     based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
     President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990); election last held 16
     February 1990 (next to be held March 1995); results - Sam NUJOMA was
     elected president by the Constituent Assembly (now the National
     Assembly)
cabinet:
     Cabinet; appointed by the president from the National Assembly
Legislative branch:
     bicameral legislature
National Council:
     elections last held 30 November-3 December 1992 (next to be held by
     December 1998); seats - (26 total) SWAPO 19, DTA 6, UDF 1
National Assembly:
     elections 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
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
 
 
Political parties and leaders:
     South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Sam NUJOMA; DTA of
     Namibia (formerly Democratic Turnhalle Alliance) (DTA), Mishake
     MUYONGO; 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
Other political or pressure groups:
     NA
Member of:
     ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD,
     IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM
     (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
     UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH
chancery:
     1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
     (202) 986-0540
FAX:
     (202) 986-0443
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Howard F. JETER
embassy:
     Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St., Windhoek
mailing address:
     P. O. Box 9890, Windhoek 9000
telephone:
     [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680
FAX:
     [264] (61) 229-792
Flag:
     a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left
     section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right
     section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is
     contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders
 
                                  Economy
 
Overview:
     The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and
     process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 25% 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. More than half
     the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence
     agriculture) for its livelihood.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $3.85 billion (1993 est.)
 
 
National product real growth rate:
     3.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
     $2,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     17.9% (1992) in urban area
Unemployment rate:
     30% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
     $941 million
expenditures:
     $1.05 billion, including capital expenditures of $157 million
     (FY93/94)
Exports:
     $1.289 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
     diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium, cattle, processed fish,
     karakul skins
partners:
     Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Japan
Imports:
     $1.178 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment
partners:
     South Africa, Germany, US, Switzerland
External debt:
     about $220 million (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 4.9% (1991); accounts for 35% of GDP, including mining
Electricity:
capacity:
     490,000 kW
production:
     1.29 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     850 kWh (1991)
Industries:
     meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead,
     zinc, diamond, uranium)
Agriculture:
     accounts for 15% of GDP; 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,
     1988 catch reaching only 384,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in
     food
Economic aid:
recipient:
     Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
     (1970-87), $47.2 million
Currency:
     1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents
 
 
Exchange rates:
     South African rand (R) per US$1 - 3.4096 (January 1994), 3.2678
     (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7653 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     1 April - 31 March
 
                              Communications
 
Railroads:
     2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Highways:
total:
     54,500 km
paved:
     4,080 km
unpaved:
     gravel 2,540 km; earth 47,880 km (roads and tracks)
Ports:
     Luderitz; Walvis Bay
Airports:
total:
     136
usable:
     109
with permanent-surface runways:
     21
with runways over 3,659 m:
     1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     64
Telecommunications:
     good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns,
     wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; broadcast
     stations - 4 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV
 
                              Defense Forces
 
Branches:
     National Defense Force (Army), Police
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 336,145; fit for military service 199,337
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $66 million, 3.4% of GDP (FY92)
 
 
 
===========================================================================
This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994 produced by the United States
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK (NTDB) CD-ROM,
November, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/11/v.1-2 / Presented by Raleigh Muns,
(srcmuns@umslvma.umsl.edu) University of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries.