Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia (in English: Republic of Namibia), is a country in southern Africa. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Although it does not border Zimbabwe, less than 200 meters of Botswana's right bank of the Zambezi River separates the two countries. Its capital and most populous city is Windhoek.

It is the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa and has been inhabited since prehistoric times by the San, Damara and Nama peoples. Around the 14th century, Bantu peoples migrated to its territory and the largest of them, the Ovambo, have constituted a majority since late 19th century. In 1878, the Cape of Good Hope, then a British colony, annexed the port of Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands; these became part of the Union of South Africa upon its creation in 1910. In 1884, the German Empire colonized most of the territory, forming German South West Africa. During World War I, South African troops deposed German administration, and in 1920 the League of Nations ordered South Africa to administer the colony.

Beginning in 1948, with the National Party elected to power, South Africa established apartheid in what was then known as South West Africa. At the turn of the century XX, uprisings and demands for political representation by black activists seeking independence led to the UN assuming direct responsibility for the territory in 1966, but South Africa retained the government de facto. In 1973, the UN recognized the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), a party made up mainly of the Ovambo, as the official representative of the Namibian people. Following continued guerrilla warfare, South Africa installed an interim administration in Namibia in 1985 and Namibia gained full independence from South Africa in 1990, however Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands remained under South African control until 1994.

Namibia has a population of 2.55 million and is a stable multi-party parliamentary democracy. The basis of its economy is agriculture, tourism, and the mining industry, including the extraction of diamonds, uranium, gold, silver, and base metals, while the manufacturing sector is comparatively small. The extensive and arid Namib desert from which the country gets its name makes Namibia one of the least densely populated countries in the world. It is a member of the African Union, the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Etymology

The name of the country derives from the name of the Namib desert, considered the oldest desert in the world. The term Namib is a word of Khoekhoe origin to which slightly different meanings have been assigned, among them: "shield" or "fence" alluding to the natural defense that the arid zone offered to the native populations from those who tried to threaten them from the sea. It is also speculated that if the term was not originally preceded by the phonic click it would mean "mirage".

Before gaining its independence in 1990, the territory was first called German South-West Africa (German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika), and later as South-West Africa (English: South-West Africa), to reflect the colonial occupation of the Germans and South Africans, the latter as part of the British Empire.

History

The first recorded human occupations are by the Nama or San. Later, various groups from North Africa settled in the territory. Europeans arrived in considerable numbers during the second half of the 15th century; the coasts of Namibia were explored by the Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias in 1486, but the aridity of the territory did not stimulate its colonization at that time.

The recent history of Namibia began in January 1793, when the Dutch reclaimed Walvis Bay. In 1815, with the annexation of the Dutch colony of the Cape of Good Hope by the British, the port became part of their territory.

This important port had been discovered in 1487 by Bartolomeu Dias, but the region was not claimed by the Portuguese Crown, probably because it was located in the middle of the Namibian desert.

In 1840 the Germans arrived, taking possession of the territory and colonizing it under the name of German Southwest Africa, a name newly given in 1884. The harsh colonial regime led to confiscation and violence against the indigenous population. The uprising of some ethnic groups was brutally suppressed, earning it the name of the first genocide of the XX century. Germany lost all its colonies after being defeated in World War I, so the League of Nations bequeathed its temporary administration to South Africa in the form of a mandate, although Namibia was a de facto free province. Years later, the UN and the International Court of Justice declared the South African occupation illegal on numerous occasions.

In 1904, the Hereros revolted and were massacred by the German colonial administration under General Lothar von Trotha. Concentration camps were created, similar to the camps created by the British in South Africa during the Second Boer War. In southwestern Africa, the Herero population was thus reduced, in a context of deplorable hygiene, famines and, above all, the order of the German colonial administration to exterminate all Hereros, from 8,000 to 15,000 individuals. Some 10,000 Namas also died. This massacre of the Herero and Namas is considered the first genocide of the XX century.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Windhoek.

During the South African occupation, the system of racial segregation (apartheid) was imposed and forced mobilizations of people were carried out. Huge farms were allocated to farmers of European descent, while native Africans were relegated to the poorer territories. In response to this, various forces opposed to the apartheid regime were created: the most important was SWAPO, which would eventually become the official representative of the Namibian people at the UN during the South African occupation. South Africa used Namibia to attack other countries, particularly Angola, in order to prevent communism from spreading to the south of the continent.

After South Africa's defeat by Cuban, Angolan and SWAPO troops in Cuito Cuanavale, Angola, in 1988, and under international pressure, South Africa agreed to abandon the territory and oversee the transition to independence, which in 1989 it elected its first president in the person of Sam Nujoma, leader of SWAPO. Sam Nujoma was reelected in 1994 and 1999; furthermore, in both elections he achieved a parliamentary majority.

In 2004, Hifikepunye Pohamba (SWAPO candidate) was elected president, having won 55 of the 72 seats in congress.

Government and politics

The Tintenpalast ("Palacio de la Tinta"), seat of the Namibian Parliament.

The head of state is the president, elected by universal suffrage every five years. The government is headed by the prime minister, who, along with his cabinet, is appointed by the president.

The political party with the greatest electoral weight after independence has been SWAPO (South-West Africa People's Organization, in Spanish Organización Popular del Sudoeste de África) which has held the government since 1989 and that in 2004 it obtained 75% of the votes (55 seats out of 78 in the National Assembly).

Namibia's parliament is bicameral, consisting of the 26-seat National Council, held by two members elected from each regional council in six-year terms; and the National Assembly (National Assembly), with 78 seats, of which 72 members are elected by popular suffrage and the rest are directly appointed by the president, in five-year terms.

The Assembly is the main legislative body of the country, having the Council as a support body in decision-making. The current constitution of 1990 is notable for being one of the first to incorporate environmental protection into its text. The largest judicial body is the Supreme Court, whose judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.

Since gaining its independence in 1990, Namibia has become an active member of various multinational organizations, especially with a view to strengthening its ties of economic, social and cultural support with its neighboring nations. Thus, it is a member of the Southern African Development Community (CDAA), the African Union (AU), the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations (UN).

Human Rights

In terms of human rights, regarding membership of the seven bodies of the International Bill of Human Rights, which include the Human Rights Committee (HRC), it has signed or ratified:

Status of major international human rights instruments

	International treaties
	CESCR		CCPR			CERD	CED	CEDAW		CAT		CRC			MWC	CRPD
	CESCR	CESCR-OP	CCPR	CCPR-OP1	CCPR-OP2-DP			CEDAW	CEDAW-OP	CAT	CAT-OP	CRC	CRC-OP-AC	CRC-OP-SC		CRPD	CRPD-OP
Pertenence
Signed and ratified, signed, but not ratified, neither signed nor ratified, without information, it has agreed to sign and ratify the body concerned, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications from the competent bodies.

Political-administrative organization

Namibia is divided into the following 14 regions after the division of the Kavango region in 2013:

Map of Namibia

1. Kunene
2. Omusati
3. Oshana
4. Ohangwena
5. Oshikoto
6. West Kavango
7. East Kavango
8. Zambezi
9. Erongo
10. Otjozondjupa
11. Omaheke
12. Khomas
13. Hardap
14. Karas

Geography

Brandberg Mountain.

Main cities: Windhoek (population 250,000), Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Okahandja, Otjiwarongo, Katima Mulilo.

Among its highest peaks are the Spitzkoppe and Brandberg mountains.

Namibia is located in a desert area dominated by the Namib desert, which gives the country its name, and except for the northern area, it is a dry, desert-like place with little rainfall. In this northern area is the Etosha National Park, one of the largest in the world and notable for its great plant and animal diversity of species characteristic of the African savannah. The Kalahari desert stretches across eastern Namibia.

• Highest point: Konigstein (2606 m)
• Lowest point: Fosa Kongrascheeg ́s (-1563 m)

Ecology

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the territory of Namibia is divided into twelve ecoregions:

Sand Dunes in the Namib Desert.

Panoramic view in Spitzkoppe.

• Twisted savannah of Zambeze in the northeast
• Surrounded by the Zambeze, in several areas of the Caprivi Strip
• Treeed savannah of the Zambeze mopane, on the eastern end of the Caprivi Strip
• Wooden savannah from Angola, in the north
• Etosha Depression Salobral, Etosha Depression
• Kaoko Desert on the North Coast
• Wooden savannah of Namibia, in a strip from northwest to south
• Treeed savanna of the Kalahari, east
• Kalahari's xerophile savanna, central and southeast
• Namib Desert on the Central Coast
• Succulent Karoo, on the south coast
• Karoo nama, in the south

In 2019, parts of Namibia are facing the worst drought in 60-90 years, with no rain in two years and most livestock dead. Authorities declare a state of natural disaster in May and call for international help: "The livelihoods of most Namibians are in danger, especially those who depend on agricultural activities," laments the Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.

Economy

Traditionally, Namibia's economy has depended on mining, mainly diamond and uranium exploitation; although there are also small deposits of copper, tin and lead. Fishing is important, although catches have decreased since the 1970s. In recent years tourism has become much more important given the country's natural beauty and interesting native wildlife, traditionally African, but in a different environment from that commonly associated with the African savannah.

Aerial view of the Windhoek financial center.

Namibia's main partner is the European Union, with which it maintains a favorable trade balance, while in recent years the country has also established trade relations with China, a country that has increased its investment in the national economy. Despite the fact that poverty has been reduced by half —it has gone from affecting 58% of the population in 1993 to 29% at the beginning of this decade—, it continues to be very high.

Namibia has a 30-40% unemployment rate and in 2004 passed a Labor Act to protect people from potential employment discrimination due to pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. Namibia's economy is closely linked to South Africa due to their shared history. The central plateau serves as one of the most densely populated transportation corridors north of South Africa, the source of four-fifths of Namibia's imports. Namibia is the fourth largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa and the fifth largest producer of uranium in the world.

There has been significant investment in uranium mining and Namibia is projected to become the largest exporter of uranium by 2015. Namibia also produces large amounts of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten.

About half the population depends on agriculture (mainly subsistence farming) for their livelihood, but still has to import some of their food. Namibia has one of the highest rates of income inequality in the world, due in part to the fact that there is an urban and a rural economy. Agreement has been reached on the privatization of several more companies in the coming years, in the hope of stimulating foreign investment. One of the fastest growing areas of economic development in Namibia is the growth of wildlife conservation.

Falling commodity prices and a persistent drought caused the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to fall in 2017 and 2018 and unemployment to rise.

Transportation

The vast majority of roads in Namibia are not asphalt. The image shows one passing through the Namib-Naukluft National Park.

The B2 motorway links the cities of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

Despite the remote nature of much of its territory, Namibia has several seaports, airports, highways and (narrow gauge) railways. The country seeks to become the center of regional transport, thanks to its important ports and the fact that it shares borders with several landlocked nations. The central plateau already functions as a transport corridor linking the densely populated north with South Africa, the source of more than 80% of Namibia's imports.

Tourism

Namibia is a popular ecotourism destination for its different climates and landscapes such as the Great Eastern Desert and the plains.

The most visited of the regions include, but are not limited to, the Sossusvlei, Etosha National Park, and the bustling coastal areas of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

Demographics

Despite its small population (2,055,080), Namibia has many different ethnic groups. The largest is that of the Ovambos, who have controlled the country politically since its independence. Other groups are Herero, Himba, San, Nama, and Basters. All of them make up 85% of the population. It is estimated that the white population accounts for approximately 7% of the total (mostly residing in the capital), and mestizos and mulattoes account for 8%. In total, emigrants make up 2%. Coexistence and the low number of conflicts characterize the relations between the various ethnic groups. Namibia has the second lowest population density of any sovereign state (after Mongolia). The majority of the Namibian population is of Bantu origin, mainly of Ovambo ethnicity (representing about half of the population) and lives in the north of the country. Other ethnic groups are the Hereros and Himba who share a language and the Damaras who speak the same language as the Namas.

Evolution of the population between 1960 and 2010, in thousands.

Half of Namibians have Owambo as their mother tongue, while the most widely spoken and understood languages are Afrikaans and German, official until Namibia's independence in 1990 and recognized today. Among the younger generations the most widely understood language is English. Both Afrikaans and German are used in the public sphere as secondary languages, although small (mainly white) groups remain. Portuguese is only spoken among people of Angolan origin.

Due to the ravages of HIV/AIDS, life expectancy has dropped dramatically in recent years. In the last decade, life expectancy was only 43 years for men and only 38 years for women. It is estimated that 21.3% of the population was infected with the HIV virus and the average number of children per woman was 2.94 (one of the lowest rates in Africa). However, recently the Government has managed to reduce HIV cases to a rate of 17%, life expectancy has increased to 60 years (in the case of men) and 52 years (in the case of women), and the average number of children has grown remarkably to 3.56. In all of this, the government's social programs have influenced, which try to reduce the cases of HIV in the country through campaigns to raise awareness among the population, to publicize how to prevent HIV.

89% of the population is literate.

According to 2012 estimates, of the most populous towns on Namibian territory, five exceed 30,000 residents: Windhoek, the capital and most populous city (334,580 inhabitants), Rundu (96,615), Walvis Bay (74 062), Swakopmund (35,675) and Oshakati (35,144).

Religion

Namibia describes itself as a secular state in its constitution. The main religion is Christianity: 91.2% of the inhabitants identify themselves as Christians. Within this membership, Protestant churches predominate (73.3%), followed by Catholics (23.7%), and, with less weight, a large number of Anglican, Reformed, Adventist, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Charismatic and Mormon. Some of these churches have components of an ethnic nature to some extent, which are intermingled with Christian dogmas, in such a way that their followers can be classified as followers of ethnic religions, making up 5.9% of the population. The other religious options are more minority, without exceeding 1% of followers among the population. Agnostics and atheists make up 2% of the population. Muslims make up 0.34% while followers of the Baha'i faith make up 0.48%. We also find minority groups of Jews, Buddhists and Hindus.

Regarding religious freedom, the Constitution prohibits religious discrimination, granting freedom of thought, conscience and belief. The Namibian government allows to profess, practice, maintain and promote any religion, always within the framework of national security. Religious groups are allowed to associate and create private schools, always with the requirement not to discriminate in access to them for religious reasons. Thus, the government's restrictions on religious matters are scored at 1.6/10 (compared to the world average of 2.7/10). These restrictions are due to the strong regulation on the entry of foreigners for the purpose of religious preaching. From the social point of view, there are hardly any hostilities for religious reasons.

Culture

A young herba ethnic group in Namibia.

The culture of Namibia is the product of the contribution of the various ethnic groups of peoples who settled in its territory, and of the contribution of European immigrants who settled there since the XVIII.

The natural habitat has exerted a clear influence on the consolidation of local culture. It is strongly marked by the Kalahari desert that covers much of eastern Namibia, as well as the Namib desert, a strip that stretches along almost the entire Atlantic Ocean coast.

Literature

Two currents can be recognized in Namibian literature; firstly, the oral tradition that relates tales and legends of the different ethnic groups; and secondly, the literature of authors of European origin, mostly in German, who normally recount their experiences. The Namibian classic in this stream is The Sheltering Desert, the diary of two Germans who elude British forces during World War II by going to live in the desert.

Sports

Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek.

The most popular sport in Namibia is football and its representative league is the Namibian Premier League, organized by the Namibian Football Association. Rugby union and cricket are also played. Its rugby team, known as the Welwitschias, has participated in the Rugby World Cup in the 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 editions. The country also participated in 2003 in the Cricket World Cup.

Its most outstanding athlete is sprinter Frank Fredericks, the country's only Olympic medalist in the Olympic Games after winning two silver medals in Barcelona 1992 and repeating the same previous medals in Atlanta 1996. Other prominent Namibian athletes are Jan Ellis and Percy Montgomery famous rugby players who defended the colors of South Africa after they acquired that nationality. Also notable are Collin Benjamin, a footballer who has spent most of his career in Germany, and cyclist Dan Craven, as well as Julius Indongo, current super lightweight boxing world champion who won his IBF title at beat Russian champion Eduard Troyanovski by first-round knockout. A year later, in Glasgow, he wrested the WBA title from Scotsman Ricky Burns.