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NAMIBIA FACT SHEET
Namibia is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. It is famous for it's stark beauty and is a geologist's and naturalist's paradise.
Namibia lies on the west coast of Africa, its entire western border being the Atlantic Ocean. It is bounded on the north by Angola, the East by Botswana and the south by South Africa.
The country is divided into four distinct geographical regions: the Namib Desert, an area about 70 miles wide which extends along the entire coast; the mountainous central plateau extending over half the country; the low lying northeast and southeast semi-arid Kalahari Desert areas; and the northern area, beyond the Etosha Pan, which is bush covered plain.
HISTORY
Bushmen are generally assumed to have been the earliest inhabitants of Namibia. Later inhabitants include the Nama and the Damara. The Bantu speaking Ovambo and Herero migrated from the north. The inhospitable Namib Desert constituted a formidable barrier to European exploration until the late 18th century, when successions of
travelers, traders, hunters and missionaries explored the area. In 1884 much of the coast became German South West Africa until 1915 when South Africa took control during World War 1. The Union of South Africa received a mandate by the League of Nations over the region in 1920; the United Nations retracted the mandate in 1966 and renamed the country Namibia. The country became independent on March 21, 1990.
ECONOMY
Diamond mining is the mainstay of the Namibian economy, and there are also important reserves of copper, uranium and other minerals. Fishing, cattle rearing and tourism also play an important role. Economically Namibia is very dependent on South Africa, sharing the same currency.
CLIMATE
Namibia has a subtropical climate and is typical of semi-desert areas with hot days and cool nights. Inland summer (October to April) days are warm to hot (temperatures often exceed 100 F) with cool nights. Summer is the rainy season, with most rainfall occurring in the north and northeast.
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