CURRENT PRESIDENT: Hage Geingob
Secular state
Multiparty parliament Democratic Division of power between constitution executive, freedom of religion legislature and
90%
Christian
judiciary
Freedom of the press/media
ECONOMY MAIN SECTORS:
Mining, fishing, tourism and agriculture
BIGGEST EMPLOYER:
46%
Agriculture
MONEY MINING: MATTERS
FASTEST-GROWING SECTOR: Tourism Diamonds, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, arsenic, pyrites, silver, gold, lithium minerals, dimension stones (granite, marble, blue sodalite) and many semiprecious stones
CURRENCY:
The Namibia Dollar (N$) is fixed to and on par with the SA Rand. The South African Rand is also legal tender. Foreign currency, international Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club credit cards are accepted.
TAX AND CUSTOMS
All goods and services are priced to include value-added 15% tax of 15%. Visitors may reclaim VAT.
ENQUIRIES: Ministry of Finance
Tel (+264 61) 23 0773 in Windhoek
TRANSPORT
Public transport is NOT available to all tourist destinations in Namibia. There are bus services from Windhoek to Swakopmund as well as Cape Town/Johannesburg/Vic Falls. Namibia’s main railway line runs from the South African border, connecting Windhoek to Swakopmund in the west and Tsumeb in the north. There is an extensive network of international and regional flights from Windhoek and domestic charters to all destinations.
17%
NATURE RESERVES:
of surface area
HIGHEST MOUNTAIN: Brandberg OTHER PROMINENT MOUNTAINS: Spitzkoppe, Moltkeblick, Gamsberg PERENNIAL RIVERS: Orange, Kunene, Okavango, Zambezi and Kwando/Linyanti/Chobe
EPHEMERAL RIVERS:
Numerous, including Fish, Kuiseb, Swakop and Ugab
FLORA
LIVING FOSSIL PLANT:
BIG GAME:
Elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, leopard, giraffe antelope species mammal species (14 endemic)
reptile species frog species bird species
ENDEMIC BIRDS including Herero Chat, Rockrunner, Damara Tern, Monteiro’s Hornbill and Dune Lark
DRINKING WATER Most tap water is purified and safe to drink. Visitors should exercise caution in rural areas.
TIME ZONES
GMT + 2 hours
ELECTRICITY 220 volts AC, 50hz, with outlets for round three-pin type plugs
www.travelnewsnamibia.com
37,000 km gravel
HARBOURS:
Walvis Bay, Lüderitz
MAIN AIRPORTS: Hosea Kutako International Airport, airstrips Eros Airport
46
RAIL NETWORK: 2,382 km
narrow gauge
TELECOMMUNICATIONS:
6.2
Welwitschia mirabilis
20 240 250 50 676
5,450 km tarred
telephone lines per
200 ENDEMIC 14 vegetation zones plant species 120 100+ species species of lichen of trees
PHYSICAL
CAPITAL: Windhoek
INDEPENDENCE: 21 March 1990
ENVIRONMENT INFRASTRUCTURE ROADS:
100 inhabitants
MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM: GSM agreements with
Direct-dialling facilities to
221 countries
117 countries / 255 networks
INFRASTRUCTURE
SOCIAL
824,268 km²
FAUNA
GENERAL
SURFACE AREA:
13,650 people 4 medical doctor per
privately run hospitals in Windhoek with intensive-care units
Medical practitioners (world standard) 24-hour medical emergency services
POPULATION
2.5 million 400 000 inhabitants in Windhoek (15% of total)
ADULT LITERACY RATE:
85%
DENSITY: 2.2 per km²
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE:
English
14 regions 13 ethnic cultures 16 languages and dialects POPULATION GROWTH RATE:
2.6%
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS:
over 1,700 schools, various vocational and tertiary institutions
FOREIGN REPRESENTATION More than 50 countries have Namibian consular or embassy representation in Windhoek.
