General background: South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Independence came in 1990.

Area comparative: Slightly more than half the size of Alaska.

Climate: Desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic.

Terrain: Mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east

Population: 1,820,916

Ethnic groups: Black 87.5%, White 6%, Mixed 6.5%
note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%

Religions: Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), Indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%

Language: English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the White population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama

Government type: Republic

Capital: Windhoek

Legal system: Based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution

Economic overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. About half of the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood. Namibia must 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 pronounced poverty because of large-scale unemployment, the great inequality of income distribution, and the large amount of wealth going to foreigners. The Namibian economy has close links to South Africa. Agreement has been reached on the privatisation of several more enterprises in coming years, which should stimulate long-run foreign investment.

Communication/Telephone system: Good system

Places of interest: Blessed with rich natural resources, a solid modern infrastructure and diverse traditional cultures, Namibia is a beautiful country of vast potential. In the Okavango and Etosha National Parks the game roam wild and these are great places to visit.

Travel tips: