General Information about Namibia

Geographic Location
The Republic of Namibia is a vast, sparsely populated country situated along the south Atlantic coast of Africa between 17 and 29 degrees south of the Equator. With its surface area of 824 268 square kilometers, Namibia is the 31st largest country in the world. It stretches for about 1 300 km from south to north and varies from 480 to 930 km in width from west to east.Namibia, previously known as South West Africa, is bordered by South Africa in the south, Angola and Zambia in the north and Botswana and Zimbabwe in the east. The oldest desert in the world, the Namib Desert stretches along the whole west coast of the country, while the Kalahari Desert runs along its southeastern border with Botswana.The country is demarcated into 13 regions, namely the Caprivi, Kavango, Kunene, Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana and Oshikoto Regions in the north, the Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Erongo and Khomas Regions in the central areas and the Hardap and Karas Regions in the south.Perennial rivers are found only on the country's borders, being the Orange River on the southern border and the Kunene, Okavango, Kwando and Zambesi Rivers on the northern border.

The Namibian landscape varies from vast expanses of desert and sand dunes to rock formations in the south, contrasting starkly to the savannah and woodlands of the central regions and the lush and forested scenery of the northeast. The Brandberg with a height of 2 579 meters in the southern Kunene Region is Namibia's highest mountain. Other mountains are the Auas Mountain with its 2 479 meters Von Moltkeblick peak, the Gamsberg (2 347 metres), the Erongo Mountain (2 319 meters), the Karas Mountain (2 202 meters), the 1 900 meters Eros Mountain and Brukkaros (1 603 meters), a well known sight between the southern towns of Keetmanshoop and Mariental. In the south the Fish River Canyon is one of the wonders of Africa. The 161 km long, 27 km wide ravine with a maximum depth of 550 meters is surrounded by high, forbidding cliffs, and is gashed into the plateau with startling abruptness. The awesome grandeur of the canyon is surpassed only by the Grand Canyon in the United States of America.

Namibia's Climate:
The Namibian climate varies from arid and semi-arid to subtropical with the generally temperate desert coast offering sometimes fog-ridden days with temperatures between 5° C and 20°C. The central, southern and coastal areas constitute some of the most arid landscapes south of the Sahara. The hottest months are January and February, with average day temperatures varying between 9°C to 30°C. During the winter months that stretch from May to September minimum temperatures can fluctuate between -6°C and 10°C at night to recover to 20°C after 11:00 in the day. Frost occurs over large areas of the country during winter, but in general winter days are clear, cloudless and sunny.

Overall Namibia is a summer rainfall area, with limited showers occurring from October and building up to peak in January and February.

Languages Spoken in Namibia:
English is the official language, but Namibia's relatively small population is extraordinarily diverse in language and culture. More than 11 languages are indigenous to Namibia but with its cosmopolitan society, languages from around the world are spoken in Namibia. People commonly speak two or three languages and more than 50% of the population speak Oshiwambo. Due to the country's colonial history Afrikaans, the language of the previous South African occupiers is still widely spoken. Namibia has a small number of Khoisan speaking people, known as the Bushmen or San. Indigenous languages are included in the school syllabus at primary level. From secondary level English is the medium of instruction. Among European languages spoken in Namibia are German, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Arabic and Chinese.

The Namibian Constitution:
The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia is the fundamental law of the country which recognizes the inherent dignity, equal and inalienable human rights of all members of the Namibian society. It provides for a sovereign, secular, democratic and unitary State founded on the principle of democracy and the rule of law. Fundamental human rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech and expression are enshrined in the Constitution and it furthermore lays down the division of power between the executive, the legislature and the independentjudiciary.