General Information On Namibia:

AREA: 824,269 SQKM

POPULATION: 7.727.183 PEOPLE (1999)

CAPITAL OF NAMIBIA: WINDHOEK

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

OTHER LANGUAGES: OSHIWAMBO, DAMARA, HERERO, GERMAN, NAMA, AFRIKAANS, OTJIHERERO, SETSWANA, RUKWANGALI AND OTHER LANGUAGES

MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS: OWAMBO, KWANGALI, DAMARA, HERERO, NAMA, SAN, AFRIKANER, GERMAN AND OTHERS

CLIMATE:

THE MAJOR PART OF THE COUNTRY IS SEMI-ARID WITH A SUB-TROPICAL DESERT CLIMATE.THE DRY WINTER EXTENDS FROM APRIL-SEPTEMBER WHEN THE NIGHTS CAN BE VERY COLD WHILE THE DAYS ARE PLEASANT.NOVEMBER TO MARCH HOT,TO VERY HOT,WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF RAIN,BUT BEAR IN MIND THAT SOME AREAS,NOTABLE THE NAMIB AND THE EXTREME SOUTH CAN GO FOR YEARS WITHOUT HAVING ANY RAIN.IN THE KAVANGO AND CAPRIVI THE SUMMERS CAN BE VERY HOT AND HUMID WITH HIGH RAINFALL.IN A GOOD YEAR UP TO 300MM CAN FALL ON THE SOUTH WITH OVER 700MM IN THE CAPRIVI.

DRINKING WATER:

MOST TAP WATER IS PURIFIED AND SAFE TO DRINK.VISITORS SHOULD EXERCISE IN RURAL AREAS.

CRIME:

NAMIBIA IS A SAFE COUNTRY BUT THERE IS PETTY CRIME,AS WITH ANY OTHER POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION,NOTABLY IN THE LARGER TOWNS.

HIV/AIDS:

ALL SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED, SO WHEN VISITING NAMIBIA BEAR THIS IN MIND.

MALARIA:

THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL WHICH YOU MAY ENCOUNTER IS THE MOSQUITO.

TRAVELLING IN THE NORTH AND NORTH EAST EXPOSES YOU TO MALARIA.CHECK THE LATEST MALARIA PROPHYLAXIS WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMASIST.

TAX & CUSTOMS:

ALL GOODS AND SERVISES ARE PRICED TO INCLUDE VALUE-ADDED TAX OF 15%

VISITORS MAY RECLAIM VAT.

 

POPULATION:

ABOUT 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE SHARE THE VAST SPACES OF NAMIBIA,THE COUNTRY HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST POPULATION DENSITIES IN THE WORLD WITH 1.5 POELPE PER SQUARE KILOMETRE.IT IS THOUGHT THAT ONLY ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE POPULATION LIVE IN URBAN AREAS,ALTHOUGH THIS FIGURE IS CERTAINLY INCREASING AS GROWING NUMBERS OR UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR VILLAGES AND FARMS.

 

HISTORY:

BEFORE EUROPEANS EVER SET FOOT IN NAMIBIA,THE TERRITORY WAS BUZZING WITH ACTIVITY.UNFORTUNATELY ONLY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THESE TIMES,DUE TO FACT THAT THE EUROPEANS WERE THE FIRST ONES WHO EVER SAT DOWN AND WROTE ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.TRACES OF THE EVENTS OF THIS TIME CAN HOWEVER STILL BE FOUND IN THE RICH ORAL TRADITIONS THAT CIRCULATE IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.WHEN THE FIRST EUROPEANS SETTLED IN NAMIBIA IN THE EARLY DECADES OF THE 1800’S,THEY FOUND SOCIETIES WITH COMPLEX SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS.

 

MAMMALS OF NAMIBIA:

THE 26 PARKS AND RESERVES IS POSSIBLY THE COUNTRIES TOURIST ASSET.THE MOST FAMOUS OF THESE IS ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK WHICH HARBOURS 114 MAMMAL SPECIES.MANY OF THE ANIMALS FOUND IN NAMIBIA ARE UNIQUELY ADAPTED TO LIFE IN THIS HARSH DESERT COUNTRY.THIS IS A WILDLIFE ENTHUSIASTS DREAM COME TRUE.

 

BIRDS:

THERE ARE SOME 620 BIRD SPECIES NATIVE TO NAMIBIA.THE NATIONAL BIRD USED TO BE THE CRIMSON BREASTED SHRIKE AS IT’S COLOURS MATCHED THOSE OF THE IMPERIAL GERMAN FLAG.HOWEVER,AS THAT IS NO LONGER POLITICALLY CORRECT THE AFRICAN FISH EAGLE HAS NOW BEEN NAMED AS NATIONAL BIRD OF NAMIBIA.

 

PLANTS:

WHILE MUCH OF THE LANDSCAPE IN NAMIBIA IS CHARACTERISED BY DESERTS AND MOUNTAINS, THE COUNTRY EXTENDS FAR ENOUGH NORTH TO HAVE A VARIED RANGE OF PLANT LIFE.