Republic of Namibia (in)
Republiek van Namibia (af)
Republik Namibia (from)
Republic of Namibia (en)
( Flag of Namibia ) ( Coat of arms of Namibia )
National motto : Unity, Freedom, Justice
Official Languages	English German , Afrikaans , Oshiwambo
Capital	Windhoek 22 33 '47 "South 17 04 '43 "East / -22.563056, 17.078611
Largest city	Windhoek
Form of State	Republic
- President of the Republic Prime Minister	Hifikepunye Pohamba Nahas Angula
Area - Total - Water (%)	Ranked 34 th 825,418 km 2 Negligible
Population - Total ( 2008 ) - Density	Ranked 142nd 2088669 inh. 2.5 inhabitants / km 2
Independence - Date	of South Africa 21 March 1990
Demonym	Namibia, Namibian
Currency	Namibian dollar ( NAD )
Time Zone	UTC +1 ( DST +2)
National anthem	Namibia, Land of the Brave
Internet domain	. Na
Indicative Telephone	+264

Namibia, in long form the Republic of Namibia (in English and in Afrikaans and German and is a state located in southern Africa.

Once known as the South-West Africa , German colony (1884-1915) and protectorate of South Africa , Namibia is an independent state since 21 March 1990. It is geographically surrounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean , north by Angola to the south by the Republic of South Africa , east by Botswana and north-east by Zimbabwe and Zambia.

• 1500 BC. AD: the ancestors of the Bushmen , the original inhabitants, make cave paintings. The Bushmen were driven into the desert by the Khoisan , who in turn were expelled by the Bantu ( Ovambo , Herero ) in the second part ^of the 1st millennium.
• In 1836 - one thousand eight hundred eighty-four : Discovery progressive "Transgariep" (or South-West Africa - SWA) by explorers British and German.
• One thousand eight hundred and forty - 1 870 : Domination Hereroland and Damaraland by Oorlams the chief Jonker Afrikaner.
• 1884 : Foundation of Lderitz by a German merchant of Bremen. The territory between the Cunene River and Orange River became the Protectorate of German South West Africa.
• 1885 : Heinrich Gring became the governor of the new German colony and began to sign treaties with local tribes.
• 1890 : Foundation of Windhoek ( Windhoek ) by the German army led by Curt von Francois.
• 1894 : Foundation of Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast about fifty miles north of the enclave Kingdom of Walvis Bay , the only port in deep water along the coast.
• 1904 : Rise of the indigenous Herero and German repression under the command of General Lothar von Trotha. The concentration camps are created like those made by the British in South Africa during the Boer War .

Architecture of Swakopmund

Detailed map of Namibia

• 1959 : Massacre of "Old Location" in Windhoek (57 killed) during a protest against the establishment of the apartheid
• 1960 : Founding of Swapo.
• 1966 : The South-West Africa is supervised by the UN.
• 1967 : Beginning of the guerrillas of SWAPO against the South African presence.
• 1968 : South-West Africa is renamed Namibia by UN.
• 1971 : The International Court of Justice recognizes the legality of the South African presence in Namibia.
• September 12 1973 : In its Resolution No. 3111, the UN General Assembly recognizes the SWAPO title of "unique and authentic representative of the Namibian people.
• November 1974 : Meeting the lawgiver of South West Africa , dominated by the National Party of South West Africa invited all authorities of the territory, including tribal authorities and the representatives of political parties to participate in black constitutional talks the Turnhalle conference which will last two years in September 1975 to October 1977 , the invitation was declined by SWAPO and SWANU.
• 1 September 1975 : Opening of the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference.
• 1976 :
  • April : Andreas Shipanga , one of the co-founders of SWAPO , denounces nepotism, corruption and inefficiency in the direction of movement. With 2,000 of his supporters including Nathaniel Maxuilili , he tried to seize the party headquarters to Lusaka in Zambia. Nujoma is obliged to request the assistance of President Kenneth Kaunda to avoid being removed from office by the strength. The rebels were eventually arrested and imprisoned, and accused of collusion with South Africa. Some were released after six months, others are transferred to camps in Tanzania , and others disappeared permanently (Shipanga itself is released in May 1978).
  • 14 August : Dirk Mudge , leader of the National Party of South West Africa calls on whites to join blacks on the road to independence.
  • August 16 : The delegates of the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference to agree on an interim government in charge of turning the territory into an independent state on the model of a federation.
  • December 20 : In its Resolution No. 385, the UN General Assembly refused to recognize internal evolution of Namibia and provides "support for the armed struggle" conducted "under the leadership of SWAPO.
• 1977 :
  • March 18 : The principle of a government at three levels was adopted at the conference of the Turnhalle: a central government, local authorities based on ethnicity, the municipal authorities. The National Assembly is elected by indirect suffrage through local assembly. The name of the future state is the subject of a compromise: South West Africa / Namibia, at least for the interim period.
  • May : Whites are pronounced more than 60% for the Turnhalle proposals and endorse the principle of independence.
  • August : the management of the enclave of Walvis Bay (attached since 1971 the authorities of the Cape) is transferred to the South African government, and thus exempt from the independence process.
  • September : Dirk Mudge conflicts with the direction of the National Party of South West Africa, chaired by AH du Plessis, who wishes to maintain apartheid laws. Narrowly outvoted, Mudge and eighty of his followers left the party in October and created the Republican Party.
  • October : the new director of South Africa, Martinus Steyn, a judge's reputation as a liberal, repeals the law on mixed marriages segregationist and one on immorality. The internal controls are removed throughout with the exception of the diamond area (where it is still in force today) and the northern border.
  • November 6 : Mudge concluded an alliance with ten other ethnic movements whose NUDO Clemens Kapuuo to form the Alliance of Democratic Turnhalle (DTA) which is entrusted with the presidency Kapuuo.
• 29 September 1978 : The United Nations Resolution 435 vote demanding the withdrawal of South African and Namibian independence.
• December 1978 : The first multiracial elections on the principle "one man, one vote, boycotted by SWAPO and unrecognized by the United Nations, were won by the Alliance of Democratic Turnhalle. Implementation of the Namibian National Assembly and a Council of Ministers of Namibia.
• 1979 : Formal abolition of apartheid.
• 1983 : Resignation of the Namibian cabinet and dissolve the National Assembly. The administrator of South Africa combines the executive, administrative and legislative.
• 1985 : Replacing an interim government and a meeting with South Africa.
• In 1988 - in 1989 : Agreements under the auspices of the UN for a transition to the independence of South West Africa / Namibia.
• 1989 : SWAPO wins first general elections in which it participates.
• 21 March 1990 : Independence. Nujoma became the ^1st President of Namibia. SWAPO is the majority and its representatives direct from the country.
• 1992 : First post-independence elections.
• 1994 : Return of the Enclave of South Africa to Walvis Bay (main port) to Namibia.
• 2005 : Sam Nujoma hands over to his successor. SWAPO is the party ultradominant the National Assembly.
• 2007 : The WTO authorized the Joint Consortium CNTRM proceedings now before the Parliament of Namibia on the draft constitutional reform before the next election.

Politics

Fish River Canyon

Namibia is a parliamentary republic.

The president is elected by direct universal suffrage for a term of five years renewable once. An exception was made for the first president who was not directly elected for his first term because he had been appointed by the National Assembly.

He is the Chief Executive.

The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of the Republic.

See also: Presidents of Namibia

Subdivisions

Map of Namibia

Since 1990 , Namibia is divided into 13 regions:

• Caprivi , Capital: Katima Mulilo
• Erongo , capital: Swakopmund
• Hardap , capital: Mariental
• Karas , capital: Keetmanshoop
• Khomas , capital: Windhoek
• Kunene , capital: Opuwo
• Oshikoto capital: Tsumeb
• Ohangwena capital: Oshikango
• Okavango , capital: Rundu
• Omaheke capital: Gobabis
• Omusati capital: Outapi
• Oshana , capital: Oshakati
• Otjozondjupa capital: Grootfontein

Geography

House in the abandoned village of Kolmanskop

Aus

Swakopmund

Luderitz

The former South-West Africa is divided into 4 main areas:

• the Namib Desert and the coastal plains along the Atlantic inhospitable enough for about 2 000 km
• the central plateau rises to 2,606 m is where the cities are concentrated
• the Kalahari Desert to the east
• the bushveld woodland of Kavango and Caprivi , north

Major cities

• Windhoek
• Walvis Bay
• Diingfoetus
• Swakopmund
• Luderitz
• Keetmanshoop
• Grootfontein
• Okahandja
• Otjiwarongo
• Outjo
• Gobabis
• Karasburg
• Rehoboth
• Mariental
• Katima Mulilo
• Rundu
• Ondangwa
• Tsumeb

Welwitschia mirabilis

Climate

Summer Southern (October to April) is the rainy season characterized by scorching heat in the interior (cool nights) and temperatures much more pleasant seaside longer it goes south and less the rainy season is marked.

Winter (May to September) is the dry season , temperatures are pleasant and nights are always cool.

The sea is also fresh in the year in the southern part of the country (thanks to the cold Benguela current that runs along the coast) and fog are common on the coast.

Economy

Bottleboom tree bottle of Namibia

The main resource of the country comes from its basement and the numerous mines of uranium , of copper , of silver or diamonds.

Thus, diamond production represents about 40% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), followed by the fishing industry. In other sectors, Namibia remains dependent on its neighbor South Africa.

In 2005, the unemployment rate is around 35%. A device for universal allowance is experienced .

Since 1990, roads and communications were extended across the country.

In 1999, Namibia is the first African country to propose the opening of its nature reserves to wealthy hunters around the world. This activity allows hunts endangered species such as wildebeest or the elephant. The activity is considered lucrative by the government and the CNTRM, experiments have been made since 2005 to allow a wider audience to access this activity without lowering the price of logging permits.

According to official figures, for 2005, water and electricity are available at 80% of the population, the literacy rate reached 80% and 90% of children attend school.

According to UNAIDS , Namibia is facing one of the highest HIV / AIDS the highest in the world with 21.3% of adults infected.

Demographics

The population is mostly black Bantu minorities with white Afrikaner and German (7%), Chinese (2%) and Mtis (6.5%). In total, the population is about 2.2 million inhabitants in 2007 to 842 000 km . Namibia has one of the driest and least populated of the world.

The English is the only official language of Namibia, but the Afrikaans , the German and other languages are widely spoken. It ethnic Ovambo majority is in the Bantu and monopolizes political positions. Of Bushman , language Khoisan , are the indigenous population but are a minority, although Namaquas nearly 200,000.

Demographic changes between 1961 and 2003 (figure in FAO , 2005). Population in thousands.

Women Herero of Namibia

Culture

International Codes

The Republic of Namibia for codes:

• FY , according to the list of prefixes ICAO airport codes ,
• NA , according to the standard ISO 3166-1 (list of country codes), code alpha-2
• . Na , according to the list of Internet TLDs ( top level domain )
• NAM , according to the standard ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 (list of country codes)
• NAM , according to the list of country codes IOC ,
• NAM , according to the list of international codes of plates ,
• NAM , according to the list of country codes used by NATO , alpha-3,
• V5 , according to the list of prefixes ICAO aircraft registration ,
• WA , according to the list of country codes used by NATO , alpha-2 code,
• V5 , according to the list of prefixes amateur ,

Gallery

Swakopmund, Erongo	Kaokoland	Sossusvlei	Duwisib Castle
Sesriem canyon	Quivertree Forest, Karas	Kolmanskop, Karas	Lderitz , Karas
Windhoek, Khomas	Twyfelfontein	Skeleton Coast	Etosha National Park
Waterberg Plateau Otjozondjupa	Dunes of the Namib Desert

References

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