Namibia

Tours that include NAMIBIA and might include some of the countries below: South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia.

Namibia Basic Country Information

Official name:

Republic of Namibia

Motto:

"Unity, Liberty, Justice"

Anthem:

"Namibia, Land of the Brave"

Capital:

(and largest city)

Windhoek

Official language(s):

English

Recognised regional languages:

Afrikaans, German, Oshiwambo

President:

Hifikepunye Pohamba

Prime Minister:

Nahas Angula

Independence

from South Africa

21 March 1990

Area:

Total     825,418 km2 (34th)

Population:

2009 estimate    2,108,665[1] (142nd)

2008 census        2,088,669

Density:

2.5/km2 (235th)

6.6/sq mi

Calling code:

+264

Currency

NAD – Namibian dollar

1 on 1 with the South African Rand

Historical calendar

• 1488 - Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias visits.
• 1886-90 - Present international boundaries established by German treaties with Portugal and Britain. Germany annexes the territory as South West Africa.
• 1892-1905 - Suppression of uprisings by Herero and Namas. Possibly 60,000, or 80% of the Herero population, are killed, leaving some 15,000 starving refugees.
• 1915 - South Africa takes over territory during First World War.
• 1920 - League of Nations grants South Africa mandate to govern South West Africa (SWA).
• 1946 - United Nations refuses to allow South Africa to annex South West Africa. South Africa refuses to place SWA under UN trusteeship.
• 1958 - Herman Toivo Ya Toivo and others create the opposition Ovamboland People's Congress, which becomes the South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo) in 1960.
• 1999: Namibia learns hard lessons of independence
• 1961 - UN General Assembly demands South Africa terminate the mandate and sets SWA's independence as an objective.
• 1966 - Swapo launches armed struggle against South African occupation.
• 1968 - South West Africa officially renamed Namibia by UN General Assembly.
• 1972 - UN General Assembly recognises Swapo as "sole legitimate representative" of Namibia's people.
• 1988 - South Africa agrees to Namibian independence in exchange for removal of Cuban troops from Angola.
• 1989 - UN-supervised elections for a Namibian Constituent Assembly. Swapo wins.
• 2004: Namibians prepare for emotive land reform
• 2002: Land pressure mounting in Namibia
• 1990 March - Namibia becomes independent, with Sam Nujoma as first president.
• 1994 - South African exclave of Walvis Bay turned over to Namibia.
• 1994 - Nujoma and Swapo re-elected.
• 1998 - Hundreds of residents of the Caprivi Strip flee to Botswana, alleging persecution by the Namibian government.
• 1998 August - Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe send troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo to support President Laurent Kabila against rebels.
• 1999 August - Emergency declared in Caprivi Strip following series of attacks by separatists.
• 1999 December - Nujoma wins third presidential term.
• 1999 December - World Court rules in favour of Botswana in territorial dispute with Namibia over the tiny Chobe River island of Sedudu - known as Kasikili by Namibians.
• 2001 November - President Nujoma says he will not stand for a fourth term when his presidency expires in 2004.
• 2002 August - New prime minister, Theo-Ben Gurirab, says land reform is a priority. President Nujoma says white farmers must embrace the reform programme.
• 2003 November - Union representing black farmworkers calls off plans to invade 15 white-owned farms after reaching agreement with white farmers' group. Government says illegal land occupations will not be allowed.
• 2004 May - Road bridge across Zambezi river between Namibia, Zambia opens amid hopes for boost to regional trade.
• 2004 August - Germany offers formal apology for colonial-era killings of tens of thousands of ethnic Hereros, but rules out compensation for victims' descendants.
• 2004 November - Hifikepunye Pohamba, President Nujoma's nominee, wins presidential elections. He is inaugurated in March 2005.
• 2005 September - Government begins the expropriation of white-owned farms as part of a land-reform programme.
• 2005 November - Two mass graves are found near a former South African military base in the north. They are thought to date back to the apartheid-era independence struggle.
• 2006 June - National anti-polio vaccination campaign is launched following the death of at least 12 people from the disease.
• 2007 February - Chinese President Hu Jintao visits, signs aid and economic co-operation agreements.
• 2007 July - Controversy as a local rights group asks the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate ex-president Sam Nujoma over the death of thousands during the independence struggle.
• 2007 August - Ten men are found guilty of treason for leading a secessionist rebellion in the Caprivi region and are given long prison terms.
• 2009 November - Presidential and parliamentary polls. President Pohamba and his ruling Swapo party re-elected.

Random facts about Namibia

Women’s Rights

By the early 2000s, Namibia had Africa’s fourth highest proportion of women in its National Parliament, behind Mozambique, South Africa and Rwanda. 25.0 percent of the seats in the National Assembly were occupied by women (compared with 14.0 percent in the United States).

World-Famous Icons

During the 1990s,  Frankie Fredericks, an American-trained business administrator, was one of the world’s top sprinters, along with Carl Lewis, Linford Christie and Donovan Bailey. Thanks to his talent, Namibia, an obscure nation, won two medals, 100m & 200m (both silvers), in the 25th Summer Olympics in Spain. Mr. Fredericks was born on October 2, 1967 in Windhoek, Namibia.

Independence

The country, formerly known as South-West Africa, gained its independence on March 21, 1990. About the same time, the Sub-Saharan African nation was the world’s youngest republic.

Location

Located in Southern Africa, the country is bordered on the north by Angola and Zambia, on the south by South Africa, on the east by Botswana, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Around 80% of the country’s terrain consists of  deserts.

Population

The  Ovambo is the country’s largest ethnic group; they make up some 50% of the population. The English-speaking state, twice the size of California, is the most sparsely populated republic in the African region.

Tourism

The country, known as the “Gem of Africa”, is a unique place for eco-tourists. Much of Namibia is as it was centuries ago. Due to this, it has a host of natural wonders and amazing places. From one of the world’s biggest deserts and national parks to tropical forests and savannahs with one of Africa’s most concentration of wild animals, including lions, zebras, elephants, rhinoceros, hyenas, and marine mammals. Here, there are so many bigger cats that Namibia has the world’s largest population of cheetahs (home to up to 3,000 animals). The country’s nature reserves are home to several species of exotic birds. For the last two decades, Namibia a been a favorite destination for South African tourists.

Mineral Resources

Like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola, Namibia is one of Africa’s richest places in strategic minerals (diamonds, uranium, and gold). Mineral resources are the backbone of the country’s economy.

Michelle McLean

The tallest Miss Universe (from 1952 to 2009) is Namibia’s  Michelle McLean, who is 1m 83. McLean is Africa’s second MU since 1952. Beginning in the 1990s, in Bangkok (Thailand), Miss McLean, a 19-year-old student-turned-model, was named Miss Universe by a panel of celebrity judges, which included Miriam Makeba, a South African-born singer, and Vijay Amritraj, one of the world’s top tennis players in the mid-70s. In the mid-1990s, she became an outspoken champion for children in her homeland. During that time, she set up the “Michelle McLean Children Trust”, an organization that work to improve the lives of children.

Summer Olympics

Did you know- Since the early 1990s, Namibia became an independent state, with help of the United Nations, and it was allowed to compete on the Olympic circuit (Commonwealth Games – African Games – Olympics). For the past two decades, it has had a handful of famous athletes in the African continent: Lucktz Swartbooi (track & field/marathon), Monica Dahl (swimming/ 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, and 100m butterfly), Friedhlem Sack (one of Africa’s top shooters), Joseph Jermia (one of the Continent’s top boxers), and Agnes Samaria(athletics/800m/ one of the best runners of Africa).

Swakopmund

Did you know- Swakopmund, the nation’s second largest city, has some of the best-preserved colonial buildings on the African continent.

International Organizations

Did you know- The Sub-Saharan African state, a predominantly black country, was admitted to the United Nations (UN) and the Commonwealth of Nations in 1990. It also is member of the Organization of African Unity (OUA).

Etosha National Park

Did you know- This English-speaking republic is home to the  Etosha National Park, one of the most famous national parks on the Planet. Due to its abundant and unique wildlife, its geography and spectacular landscapes, it has been visited by numerous naturalists, travel writers and wildlife photographers. This nature refuge is one of the largest national parks in Southern Africa.

Miss Universe in Namibia

Did you know- In mid-1994, Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, was elected as host city for the 1995 Miss Universe Pageant. Over 80 countries and territories participated in Namibia’95. The telecast, backed up by Head of State Sam Nujoma, served as a springboard to attract more foreign visitors and investors. The event was televised in America and other 60 nations. For the first time in MU history, Africa hosted the global event.

Rossing

Did you know- In the 20th century, the  Rossing Uranium Mine -located in the heart of Namibia — was the world’s largest uranium mine.