Namibia Country Profile

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Namibia

Under German colonial rule Namibia suffered one of the first genocides of the twentieth century. South Africa took control of the country after World War I and implemented the same apartheid policies that did so much damage to South Africa itself.

When Namibia finally gained independence in 1990, after a protracted armed struggle, it was the last country in sub-Saharan Africa to do so. Considering this troubled past, it is a significant achievement that two decades after its first democratic elections Namibia remains peaceful and relatively prosperous. Yet behind good economic growth rates can be found vast disparities between rich and poor, and in 2009 the UN rated Namibia as the world’s most economically unequal society.

The Namib Desert

The Facts

Capital: Windhoek
Major religion: Christianity
Main Languages: English, Herero, Oshivambo, Afrikaans, German, Nama
Key exports: diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, uranium
Government: South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO)
President: Hifikepunye Pohamba
Most recent Presidential/National Assembly elections: 2009/2009
Next scheduled Presidential/National Assembly elections: 2014/2014

The Figures

HIV prevalence: 15.3% aged 15-49 (UK: 0.2%)
Adult literacy rate: 88% aged 15 and older (UK: >99%)
GDP per capita: US$6,474 (UK: US$34,340)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years (UK: 80 years)
Under-five mortality rate: 42 per 1,000 live births (UK: 6 per 1,000 live births)
2010 Human Development Index Ranking (out of 169 countries): 105

For information on Namibia's history, politics, economy and more, view ACTSA's full Namibia Country Profile.

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