This profile is taken from the SADC website.

BRIEF HISTORY
South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) freedom fighting group launched a war of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia won its independence in 1990 and has been governed by SWAPO since. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. Namibia is a member of ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

GEOGRAPHY
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa

CLIMATE
Desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic.

TERRAIN
Mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east.

NATURAL RESOURCES
Diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore.

POPULATION
2,044,147

ETHNIC GROUPS
black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups includes Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%.

NATIONALITY
noun: Namibian(s)
adjective: Namibian

LANGUAGES
English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages 1% (includes Oshivambo, Herero, Nama).

COUNTRY NAME
Conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
Conventional short form: Namibia
Local long form: Republic of Namibia
Local short form: Namibia
Former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa

GOVERNMENT TYPE
Republic

CAPITAL CITY
Windhoek.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa.

INDEPENDENCE
21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

NATIONAL HOLIDAY
Independence Day, 21 March (1990)

CONSTITUTION
Ratified 9 February 1990, effective 12 March 1990

LEGAL SYSTEM
Based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Chief of state: President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005)
Head of government: Prime Minister Nahas ANGULA (since 21 March 2005)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 November 2004 (next to be held in November 2009)
Election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of vote - Hifikepunye POHAMBA 76.4%, Den ULENGA 7.3%, Katuutire KAURA 5.1%, Kuaima RIRUAKO 4.2%, Justus GAROEB 3.8%, other 3.2%

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; 2 members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to determine members of the National Council, held 29-30 November 2004 (next to be held November 2010); National Assembly - last held 15-16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)
Election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 89.7%, UDF 4.7%, NUDO 2.8%, DTA 1.9%; seats by party - SWAPO 24, UDF 1, DTA 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 76.1%, COD 7.3%, DTA 5.1%, NUDO 4.2%, UDF 3.6%, RP 1.9%, MAG 0.8%, other 1.0%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, NUDO 3, UDF 3, RP 1, MAG 1
Note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body

JUDICIAL BRANCH
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission).

POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS
Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA, president]; Monitor Action Group or MAG [Jurie VILJOEN]; National Democratic Movement for Change or NamDMC; National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Kuaima RIRUAKO]; Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE]; South West Africa National Union or SWANU [Rihupisa KANDANDO]; South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]

FLAG DESCRIPTION
A large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders.

ECONOMY BRIEF
The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the population while about half of the population depends on subsistence agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50% of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a major problem in rural areas. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand. Privatization of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate long-run foreign investment. Increased fish production and mining of zinc, copper, uranium, and silver spurred growth in 2003-06.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Millet, sorghum, peanuts, grapes; livestock; fish.

INDUSTRIES
Meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamonds, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper).

EXPORT COMMODITIES
Diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed fish, karakul skins.

IMPORT COMMODITIES
Foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals.

CURRENCY CODE
Namibian dollar (NAD); South African rand (ZAR).

INTERNET COUNTRY CODE
.na