Namibian Geography
Namibia is located in the southwest of Africa, on the Atlantic coast. It borders Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south, Zambia to the northeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Despite its long coastline, most of the territory is desert, standing out two important deserts, the Namib in the west and the Kalahari in the east. The reason why the Namib desert comes to border the ocean on the Skeleton Coast and the great atmospheric dryness even on the beaches is due to the fact that the water in this part of the Atlantic is cold due to the currents that come from the Antarctica: cold water does not produce enough evaporation to form significant rain clouds.
Relief
Advancing from the ocean to the east, the territory immediately rises to form a broad plateau that occupies most of the country. Namibia is crossed from south to north by a series of very old mountain ranges and for this reason quite rounded by erosion, (the toponymy still used is largely the German colonial and the Afrikaner since the same geographical feature can receive very different names). different according to the different native ethnic groups). The highest altitude is Mount Konigstein at 2606 m s. no. m.; in the north center stands out Mount Omatako of 2286 m; a short distance from this is the Etig with 2085; About 700 km southwest of the aforementioned mountains, the Schroffenstein stands out with 2,202 m; and in the far southwest is the isolated massif of the Hunsberge Mountains.
The two main rivers are exogenous (origin outside Namibia) to the north the Kunene which marks part of the border with Angola and to the south the Orange which marks a large part of the border with South Africa.
If we look at Namibia on the map of Africa, we find a narrow strip that extends between the north of Botswana and the south of Angola and that is Namibian territory; It's the Caprivi strip.
The main coastal feature is the Bay of the Whale (Walvis Bay).
The cold water of the ocean that bathes the Namibian coasts is very rich in fishing resources, on the other hand the subsoil of the desert interior has important mineral deposits among which gold and diamonds stand out.
Climate
Namibia, cut by the Tropic of Capricorn, has a subtropical climate, desert along the coast and in the south, and arid, with a rainy season between November and March, in the center-north and northeast.
On the coast, the rain is almost non-existent, in Swakopmund it falls just 8 mm a year and it rains only one day on average, but the fog caused by the cold Benguela current, which runs along the coast from south to north, makes temperatures range from 9.oC to 21.oC of minimum and maximum averages throughout the year, with 16.oC maximum between August and October. The wind called Oosweer, coming from the interior, can cause temperatures to rise suddenly. It is enough to move a few kilometers from the coast to feel the heat.
The driest area is on the coast, in the Namib desert, and in the south, which is part of the Kalahari desert, moist enough to support xerophytic and succulent plants.
Most of the interior of Namibia is covered by a plateau between 1,200 and 1,700 m elevation. In the drier south, the heat is more intense before the rainy season. At Keetmanshoop, at 1,000m in the Kalahari desert, 147mm falls in 22 days, most of it between January and April. Average maximum temperatures exceed 30oC between October and March, with little rain, and the minimum drops below 10.oC between May and September, with clear skies.
In the center of the country, in Windhoek, at an altitude of 1,650 m on the plateau, 371 mm fall between October and April, with average temperatures ranging from 7-21.oC in June and July, and 17-30.oC between November and February.
In the north, near Etosha National Park, in Tsumeb, at 1,300 m altitude, 556 mm falls in 59 days, between October and April, with minimums of 8.oC in June and July and highs above 30.oC between September and February.
The rainiest area is found in the Kavango region and in the Caprivi strip, in the northeast. In Katima Mulilo about 680 mm fall between mid-October and early April. Temperatures range from 4.oC to 25.oC in winter; in the rainy season, in December and January, with more than 160 mm each month, temperatures range between 18.oC and the 24.oC. However, when the rains begin, in October, they fluctuate between 17.oC and 35. oC.
Namibia National Parks
The nature conservancy in Namibia is managed and organized by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. In 2013, 138,163.7 km², slightly less than 16.8 percent of Namibia's area, were under direct state protection. In addition, another 177,435 km² (approximately 21.5 percent of the area), which are under partial state protection (so-called Conservancies).
- Mudumu National Park, created in 1990 in Caprivi, 1,009 km2, savannah, mopame forest and a swamp area by the river When on the south-west edge of the park, sitatungas, elephants, buffaloes, hippopo, kudus, crocodiles, etc.
- Mamili National Park, created in 1990, 320 km2, on two islands in two rivers in the south extension of Caprivi, the island of Nkasa is not accessible by road, wooded savannah with acacias, 600 mm, between 5 and 35.orC; passage area between Namibia and Botswana, elephants and buffaloes.
- Bwabwata National Park, 2007, 6100 km2, in the Caprivi Strip, between the Okavango and Kwando rivers, low vegetation with dunes, flooded areas in times of rain, carrizos and papyrus, palm trees, elephant pass area between Botswana and Angola; licaons, antelopes, hippos, lions, etc.
- Dorob National Park, created in 2010, 1610 km2 on the central coast of Namibia. To the south is the national park of Namib-Naukluft, and to the north is the Costa de los Esqueletos. Just north of the Cape Cross seal reserve. Like on the coast of skeletons, there are hyenas, oryx, zebras and 270 species of birds.
- Etosha National Park, created in 1907, 22,270 km2, low forest with scrub, savannah and dried salt lagoons, mopane forest, ponds; all large and predatory mammals.
- Costa de los Esqueletos National Park, created in 1971, 16,845 km2, northwest coast of Namibia, sand between mountains and ocean, only open to vehicles south half, to the Ugab River. It links the north with the national park of Iona, in Angola, of 15,150 km2, to form the Cross-Border Conservation Area of Iona-Costa de los Esqueletos.
- Khaudom National Park, created in 1989, 4,000 km2, south of the Caprivi strip, on the border with Botswana, forest and scrub savannah, elephants, lions, licaons, leopards, kudus, oryx, etc.
- Mangetti National Park, created in 2008, 420 km2, in the north, in Kavango; wooded and scrub savannah, antelopes, hyenas, licaons, leopards, etc.
- National Park of Namib-Naukluft, created in 1979, 49,768 km2, center-south of the country, next to the ocean, giant dunes; better known place: Sossusvlei; neblina, 100 mm of annual precipitation exploited by gender beetles Stenocara. Also eyes of the Cape.
- Sperrgebiet National Park, created in 2004, 26 000 km2, Atlantic coast up to 100 km in a desert area largely forbidden by the exploitation of diamonds, near Luderitz; it enters by the ghost town of Elizabeth Bay. In the south, mouths of the Orange River, Ramsar site of birds; in the desert, succulent endemic plants.
- Waterberg National Park, 1972, 405 km2, center of Namibia, Waterberg Plateau, elevation in the middle of the Kalahari, 1600-1700 m, 200 m of unevenness, almost inaccessible except for the northeast, black and white rhinoceros, buffaloes, giraffes, kudus, antelopes, etc.
Population and ethnic groups of Namibia
A little more than 2,600,000 people live in Namibia according to estimates at the end of 2021, 0.03% of the world population. Being a country of 824,000 km², the population density is very low, of 3 hab. per km². 55% live in cities and the average age is 21.8 years, with a life expectancy of around 65 years and infant mortality under 5 years of 36.3 per 1,000 births. The fertility rate in 2020 was 3.4 children per woman, with a notable decrease between 1970, when it reached almost 7 children, until 2005, when it reached the current quota. The most populous city is Windhoek, with 268,000 inhabitants, followed by Rundu, with 58,000 inhabitants, and Walvis Bay, with 52,000 inhabitants. A dozen cities between 15,000 and 33,000 inhabitants follow.
Most Namibians are of Bantu linguistic origin, especially from the Ovambo ethnic group, who make up more than half of the population (50-60%) and live preferably in the north of the country. They are followed by the Kavango (9%), who live in the northeast, on the border with Angola, the Herero (7-10%, about 280,000)), the Damara (7%), the Nama (5%), the Lozi of the Caprivi Strip (4%), the San (3%) and the Tswana (0.5%). The Himba (about 50,000 between Namibia and Angola), who live in the northwest and maintain their traditional way of life, separated from the Herero about 200 years ago, share the Herero language, but their way of life and culture are very different.
Overall, 85% of Namibians consider themselves black, 5% have European ancestry and 10% are coloured, which does not imply being mixed race, like the Nama, who live in the southern third from Namibia and have reddish skin and are known as the Red Nation. Among the whites, two thirds are Afrikaners, of Dutch origin, and one fifth are of German origin.
The official language is English, although it is the native language of only 3% of the population. The Oshiwambo or Ovambo language is spoken by 80% of the population, followed by Nama-Damara or Khoekhoe, with 6%. The Kavango, Herero and Afrikaans languages make up 4%, although English and German are commonly used by a large part of the population.
80-90 percent of the population is Christian, half Protestant, mostly Lutheran, and fifth Catholic. There are evangelical groups from the Dutch Reformed, Anglican, African Methodist Episcopal, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.