Namibia | History, Capital, Language, Flag, Facts & Geography of Namibia
History of Namibia:
Namibia was the first inhabited place of the San people. They are tribesmen who hunt and gather for a living. Around the 14th century, the Bantu migrated to this area. The area was not explored by Europeans until the late 18th century, mainly due to the difficulties in exploring the Namib Desert. In 1878, Britain took control of the Walvis Bay area. Then a German merchant, Adolf Luderitz, claimed the rest of the coastal area belonged to Germany. After a while, Germany and Britain negotiated a treaty and all of Namibia became a German colony.
After World War I, South Africa took control of the region. However, when many other countries later granted independence to African countries, South Africa refused. The United Nations subsequently revoked South Africa’s mandate over Namibia. However, South Africa only relinquished control of the area in 1988. Namibia became an independent country in 1990.
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Information about Namibia:
| Capital | Windhoek |
| Population | 2,611,641 (Source: 2023 worldometer) |
| Major Cities | Windhoek (capital), Luderitz, Keetmanshoop, Swakopmund, Rundu, Okahandja, Walvis Bay, Otjiwarongo, Katima Mulilo |
| Borders | Angola to the north, Zambia to the northeast, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the southeast and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west |
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | $12,607,436,976 (2022 worldometer) |
| Currency | Namibian dollar (NAD); South African rand (ZAR) |
Flag of Namibia:
Namibia Economy Key Industries:
Namibia Major Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamonds, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)
Namibia Agricultural Products: millet, sorghum, peanuts, grapes; livestock; fish
Namibia Natural Resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish
Namibia Major Exports: diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed fish, karakul skins
Namibia Major Imports: foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals
The Geography of Namibia:
Total Size of Namibia: 824,292 km² (source: wikipedia)
Geographical Low Point of Namibia: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Geographical High Point of Namibia: Konigstein 2,606 m
Climate of Namibia: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
General Terrain of Namibia: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
World Region or Continent of Namibia: Africa
Geographical Coordinates: 22 00 S, 17 00 E
The People of Namibia & Culture
Namibia Government Type: republic
Namibia Nationality: Namibian(s)
Namibia National Holiday: Independence Day, 21 March (1990)
Namibia Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
Namibia National Symbol:
Namibia National Anthem or Song: Namibia, Land of the Brave
Namibia Languages Spoken: English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages (Oshivambo, Herero, Nama)
Namibia Religions: Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%
Interesting Facts about Namibia:
The Namib Desert – the name of the country – is the oldest desert in the world. It is believed to have existed for at least 55 million years.
The largest underground (non-ice) lake on Earth is hidden beneath the Kalahari Desert at Dragon’s Breath Cave, Namibia. The lake lies at least 100 m (330 ft) below the surface.
The 2015 film starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, Mad Max: Fury Road, was filmed in Dorob National Park in the Namib Desert. At the time, there were complaints that the filming had caused environmental damage to the surrounding desert.
Namibia has the largest population of free-ranging black rhinos in Africa as well as the largest number of cheetah species in the world.
Namibia was the first country in Africa and one of the few countries in the world to include environmental protection in its constitution.
Namibia is one of only two countries (Mali being the other) that is home to desert-adapted elephants. Although they are not another subspecies of steppe elephants, they have adapted to the desert environment.
The ghost town of Kolmanskop in Namibia was once one of the wealthiest places in the world. The former diamond mining town had the first X-ray machine in the Southern Hemisphere. However, after the diamonds were exhausted, the city was abandoned.
Africa’s largest canyon, the Fish River Gorge, is found in Namibia. At 160 km long, 27 km wide and 550 m deep, it is the longest canyon in Africa and, after the Grand Canyon in the United States, the second largest canyon in the world.
In Namibia, five famous large game species can be observed: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo.
The Cape Cross Seal Sanctuary in Namibia is the largest breeding ground for Cape fur seals in the world. During the breeding season in November and December, up to 210,000 seals can be found there.