Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 provided courtesy of The Libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Match 168 DB Rec# - 55,916 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 168 Title :NAMIBIA Data type :TEXT End year :1994 Date of record:02/16/1994 Keywords 3 : | NAMIBIA Text : 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: 824,290 km2 land area: 823,290 km2 comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Alaska Land boundaries: total 3,935 km, Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 966 km, Zambia 233 km contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; disputed island with Botswana in the Chobe River; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa; Namibia and South Africa have agreed to jointly administer the area for an interim period; the terms and dates to be covered by joint administration arrangements have not been established at this time, and Namibia will continue to maintain a claim to sovereignty over the entire area; recent dispute with Botswana over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in the Linyanti River 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 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification Note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia PEOPLE Population: 1,541,321 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 43.77 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 63.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: male: 58.57 years female: 63.91 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.46 children born/woman (1993 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: Namibia Digraph: WA Type: republic Capital: Windhoek Administrative divisions: 13 districts; Erango, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Liambezi, Ohanguena, Okarango, Omaheke, Omusat, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa 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, Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate) Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990 Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution National holiday: Independence Day, 21 March (1990) Political parties and leaders: South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Sam NUJOMA; DTA of Namibia (DTA; formerly Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia), 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 Other political or pressure groups: NA Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: 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) 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 National Council: last held 30 November-3 December 1992 (next to be held by December 1998); seats - (26 total) SWAPO 19, DTA 6, UDF 1 Executive branch: president, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of an upper house or National Council and a lower house or National Assembly Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government: President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990) Member of: ACP, C, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, 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 Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009 (mailing address is PO Box 34738, Washington, DC 20043) telephone: (202) 986-0540 US diplomatic representation: 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 - exchange rate conversion - $2 billion (1992 est.) National product real growth rate: 2% (1992 est.) National product per capita: $1,300 (1992 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1992) in urban area Unemployment rate: 25-35% (1992) Budget: revenues $864 million; expenditures $1,112 million, including capital expenditures of $144 million (FY 92) Exports: $1.184 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins partners: Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Japan Imports: $1.238 billion (f.o.b., 1991) 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: 490,000 kW capacity; 1,290 million kWh produced, 850 kWh per capita (1991) 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: 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 - 3.1576 (May 1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7653 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track Highways: 54,500 km; 4,079 km paved, 2,540 km gravel, 47,881 km earth roads and tracks Ports: Luderitz; primary maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa) Airports: total: 137 usable: 112 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: 62 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 15-49 324,599; fit for military service 192,381 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $66 million, 3.4% of GDP (FY92) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 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 CD-ROM, July, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/7/v.1-2 / R. Muns, UM-St. Louis Libraries Local Filename: WF940165.TXT