According to Countryaah website, Namibia has approx. 2.7 million residents with an area of 824,292 km².
The country is therefore extremely sparsely populated and after Mongolia the state with the lowest population density in the world. About 2/3 of the people live in the districts of Caprivi, Kavango, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto, while 1/3 has settled in central Namibia.
In the capital Windhoek alone, 320,000 people have taken up residence. So you can see that the population of Namibia is very unevenly distributed and concentrated in the (fertile) north of the country and some cities. Only 7% of the population live in the south of Namibia, while the west of the country and the Namib desert are almost deserted – with the exception of the port cities, of course.
If Namibia also shows a clear population growth of 3% per year, it has to be mentioned that more than 20% of the people are infected with AIDS. For this reason, the average life expectancy at birth is currently around 47 years (women) and 48 years (men). If we continue to use the statistics, a Namibian woman gives birth to 3.6 children in the course of her life.
Ethnic composition
The population of Namibia is made up of around 47% Bantu-speaking Ovambo, 9% Kavango, 7% Herero, 7% Damara, 5% Nama, 3.6% Caprivians and 6% whites (approx. Half Boers, a quarter German). Minorities include the San (Bushmen) and the Rehobother Baster (descendants of mixed marriages between Nama and Buren).
Religion
About 62% of Namibia’s residents are Protestants and 20% Catholics. In addition, natural religions are widespread.
National language
The official language in Namibia is English. The colloquial languages are Afrikaans, various Bantu languages (including Kwanyama and Kwambi from the Ovambo, Otjiherero from the Herero and Himba), various Khoisan languages (from the Nama, the Orlam, the San and the Damara) and German.
Afrikaans
Afrikaans, formerly also Cape Dutch, is the language of the Boers and most of the colored people in southern Africa. It developed from Dutch in the 17th century.
Capital and other cities
Katima Mulilo
Katima Mulilo is the center of the Caprivi region, which extends in the far northeast of Namibia. The city extends on the southern bank of the Zambezi and forms a twin town with Sesheke in Zambia on the northern bank of the river, with which it is connected via the Katima Mulilo Bridge. About 30,000 people live in Katima Mulilo, a more African city than Windhoek. Katima Mulilo could and can benefit from the declining tourism in neighboring Zimbabwe, as numerous groups of visitors to the not far away Victoria Falls are now coming to the safer accommodations on the Namibian side. According to Abbreviation Finder, NAM stands for Namibia in English. Click to see other meanings of this 3-letter acronym.
Oshakati
The capital of the Oshana region in north-central Namibia is one of the largest cities in Namibia. About 40,000 people currently live there. At the time of the almost 30-year civil war in Angola, Oshakati was an important base for the army of South Africa, which actively intervened in the war from Oshakati. Oshakati is therefore not free from influences from this time, when civil development was very difficult. But the city, which increasingly became a refuge for many refugees, developed economically in areas that were of importance for the military.
Rundu
The capital and economic center of the Kavango region spreads out in the north-east of Namibia and with around 83,500 residents is the second largest city in the country after Windhoek. The city’s lifeline is the Okavango, which also acts as a border river to the nearby Republic of Angola. The Okavango is of the utmost importance to the Kavangos, a people who make a living from fishing and agriculture. Rundu has also made progress in tourism and in the education sector.
Swakopmund
The capital of the Namibian region Erongo is inhabited by 34,300 residents and is located in the Namib Desert, directly on the Atlantic. The popular tourist destination has particularly high numbers of tourists in December and January. In addition to tourism, the city benefits economically from the many retirees who prefer the favorable climatic conditions in Swakopmund to those in the rest of Namibia. Buildings worth seeing in the city include the mineral museum called “Crystal Gallery”, the so-called Hohenzollernhaus and the old train station.
Walvis Bay
The district town on Walvis Bay in the Erongo region, also known as Walvis Bay in German, is not only the most important seaport in Namibia, but also the third largest city in the country with around 67,200 residents. The Trans Kalahari Highway begins and ends in Walvis Bay, a highway that crosses the entire continent from Mozambique. In terms of tourism, Walvis Bay is still in its infancy, even if Walvis Bay is no longer just an insider tip because of its activities. From the city you can also take wonderful tours into the surrounding area, for example to the guano platform Bird Island, which is around 9 km from Walvis Bay.
Windhoek (Windhuk)
About 325,000 people, or 20% of the total Namibian population, currently live in Namibia’s capital Windhoek (Afrikaans: Windecke), the economic and political center of the country. The city, framed by mountains, has existed since at least 1840 and is the (main) seat of all important institutions and companies in the country such as the Bank of Namibia, the national broadcasting company NBC etc.
But the city is also the main hub of the road, rail and aviation networks. Windhoek, one of the cleanest capitals in Africa, has numerous European and African influences that coexist. The contemplative cityscape that resembles a central European city in many places is interesting. The most popular sights include the clock tower of the former Deutsche Afrikabank, St. Mary’s Cathedral from 1908, the Ink Palace and Christ Church, a child from 1911. Windhoek is also the venue for many major events such as the Wild Cinema-Windhoek International Film Festival, the Windhoek Carnival, the Namibia Travel Expo in May and the Windhoek Oktoberfest.
Namibia: geography and map
Namibia covers a total area of 824,292 km². Check topmbadirectory for politics, flags, famous people, animals and plants of Namibia.
Thereof:
ForestAround 22% of the country is forested.
Meadow and pasture landAround 64% of the land is used as meadow or pasture land.
Arable land and fieldsAround 1% of the land is used as arable land or fields, especially for growing wheat, maize and millet.
DesertNamib Desert and the Kalahari
Namibia shares a border with the following four countries.
– Angola with a length of 1,376 km,
– Botswana with a length of 1,360 km,
– South Africa with a length of 967 km
– Zambia with a length of 233 km and
– Zimbabwe with a length of only approx. 100 m
Caprivi Strip
In the far north-east of the country lies the approx. 430 km long and 30 to 90 km wide Caprivi Strip where Zambia, Zimbabwe and Bootwana meet and thus form a four-country corner with Namibia.
The region was named in honor of Count Georg Leo von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli (1831-199), who was German Chancellor from 1890 to 1894, succeeding Bismarck.
Coastal length The country has a coast to the Atlantic Ocean with a length of around 1,575 km.
Longitude and latitude
Namibia extends over the following geographical latitude (abbreviation Δφ) and geographical longitude (abbreviation Δλ):
Δφ = from around 17 ° to around 29 ° south latitude Δλ = from around 012 ° to around 025 ° east longitude
You can find detailed information on this subject under Longitude and Latitude.
Legal time
For Namibia, the following value applies to Central European Time (CET), i.e. the time (without summer time) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A minus sign means that it is earlier there, a plus sign that it is later than CET:
Δ t (CET) = 0 h
Further and detailed explanations of the time can be found under Time zones, time.
Highest sun in Windhoek
Windhoek lies at a southern latitude of around φ = 22.5 °.
If the declination δ of the sun has the value 22 ° 30 ‘south and the image point of the sun is therefore exactly above the city, the sun is perpendicular there. This happens exactly twice a year, roughly four days before December 21st and four days after December 21st (for details see position of the sun).
Attention
If the image point of the sun and thus the declination δ is north of the latitude of Windhoek, the sun is not in the south at noon, as in our latitudes, but in the north. This is the case all year round except for about 8 days. In this case, the sun moves from east to north to west, where, like us, it sets.
Namid desert
The Namid Desert is located on the southwest coast of Africa and for the most part in the territory of Namibia and Angola. The desert covers an area of around 95,000 km² and is home to the national parks Namib-Skeleton Coast, Tsau-Khaeb and Dorob in Namibia and Iona in Angola. Since the Namib borders directly on the coast of the Atlantic, it is one of the few coastal deserts in the world.
It extends from Benguela in Angola in the north for around 2,000 km to Oranje in the south to the south and extends up to 160 km into the country. On June 20, 2013, large parts of the Namib Sand Sea were inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites.
mountains
The highest mountain in the country is the Königstein with a height of 2,573 m. The Königsstein is the top of the Brandberg massif. Other high mountains are the Auas with a height of 2,484 m and the Spitzkopje in the Erongo Mountains with a height of 2,350 m.
Rivers
The longest river in the country is the Zambezi with a length of 2,763 km. Other rivers in the country are the Orange River with a length of around 2,100 km, the Okawango with a length of around 1,300 km, the Kunene with a length of 945 km and the Fish River.
Lakes
The country includes several smaller lakes. These include Lake Otschikoto and some reservoirs. The Etosha Pan turns into the rainy season in one of up to 5,000 square kilometers of salt marsh.
Islands
The following small islands are located in front of the country:
the Possession Islands
the Hollandsbird Island.
The Atlantic
As mentioned above, in the west of the country borders with a length of 1,575 km on the Atlantic Ocean.
