|
Contents
-
General Information
- Geography and Environment
- Population and HIV/AIDS
- Economy
- Communications, Information,
Science and Technology
- Chronology of History
Geography and Environment
Location: Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Namibia borders the South Atlantic Ocean (west), Angola (north),
South Africa (south and southeast), and Botswana and Zambia (east).
Map: Simplified Topography
and Major Rivers of Namibia
Click on the image to
view a bigger size
[1]
|
The Orange River forms the southern
boundary, and the Cunene, Cubango, and Zambezi rivers form
parts of the northern and northeastern borders. The country
includes the Caprivi Strip in the northeast, which is covered
by woods and crossed by several rivers, such as the Zambezi
and the Kavango.
An extensive central plateau that
averages ca. 1,100 m in elevation; the western fringes of
the Kalahari Desert in the east; and an alluvial plain in
the north that includes the Etosha Pan, a large salt marsh.
The highest point is Brandberg Mountain (2,561 m), situated
in the western part of the central plateau. In addition to
the capital Windhoek, other towns include Keetmanshoop, Tsumeb,
Lüderitz, Gobabis, and Otjiwarongo. |
Geographic coordinates:
Latitude 17.5o-29o South
Longitude 12o-25o East
Time zone: GMT +2 (GMT +1 from April
to August)
Land Area [11]
Total: 825,418 km2
Water: 0
Land boundaries: Total: 3,824 km
Coastline: 1,572 km
Maritime claims [11]
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
Namibia is the most arid country south of
the Sahara.
On the whole there are two seasons: sub-tropical dry winters May
to September with temperatures from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius; and
hot summers with easterly trade winds, which carry moisture-laden
air masses from the warm Mozambique current to the east coast of
Africa with temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius (October
to April). The outermost north is tropical, but the aridity increases
to the south and southwest; rainfall is sparse and erratic. Rainfall
varies from an annual average of less than 50 mm in the Namib Desert
to 600 mm in the northeastern Caprivi Strip. [2]
|
Map:
Mean Annual Rainfall and Rainfall Variability in Namibia.
Click on the image to
view a bigger size [1]
|
- 0 - 50 mm for the western coastal
zone which constitutes the Namib Desert;
- 50 - 200 mm for the strip zone
contiguous to the Kalahari and Namib Desert;
- 200 - 300 mm for the southeastern,
central and northwestern areas (i.e., parts of Karas, Khomas,
Hardap, Erongo and Kunene Region);
- 300 - 500 mm for the northeastern
and central areas (i.e., parts of Otjozondjupa and Omaheke
Regions; 33% of the country); and
- 500 - 600 mm for the northeast,
northern and north-central areas (i.e., Caprivi Region,
Kavango Region, former Ovamboland, and parts of Otjozondjupa
and Omaheke Regions; 8% of the country)
|
Vegetation types and terrestrial biomes:
|
Map: Main Biomes and
Vegetation Types of Namibia
Click on the image to
view a bigger size [1]
|
Giess [3] divides the vegetation of Namibia into 3 main groups
and 15 main vegetation types:
- Desert: 16% of the country with 5 vegetation types
- Savannas: 64% of the country with 8 vegetation types;
and
- Woodlands: 20% of the country with 2 vegetation types.
There are 4 natural vegetation biomes [4,5,6]:
2 winter rainfall zones, the Succulent Karoo and the Nama
Karoo; and
2 summer rainfall zones: the Savanna and Namib Desert.
|
Natural resources:
Diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc,
salt, vanadium, natural gas, fisheries and wildlife; suspected deposits
of oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore
Natural hazards: Prolonged periods
of drought
Environment-international agreements:
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands [11]
Water use, deforestation, and protected
areas:
Freshwater resources: 27,373 m3 per capita,
1998 [8]
Water sources: [7]
20% from surface water reservoirs (e.g., earth dams, ponds and water
pans);
23% from the country's peripheral perennial rivers (i.e., Cunene,
Kavango, Linyanti-Chobe, Zambezi, and Orange Rivers); and
57% from underground sources and aquifers
Water use: [7]
44% for irrigated agriculture
23% for livestock
16% for domestic consumption
12% for industry
06% for mining
Annual deforestation,
1990-95 [8]: 4290 km2, 0.3% average annual change
Trees are important providers of food, shelter, housing, medicine,
energy and many other useful utensils. In Namibia 74.2% of the rural
households and 40% of the urban households still rely primarily
on wood as their cooking energy. About 60% of the population lives
in rural areas. Therefore, in some areas, such as in former Ovamboland,
the cutting of trees has reached alarming situations of desertification
[9,10].
Nationally protected areas,
1996 [8]:
106.2 km2, 13% of total land area
Sources:
More information at the official website
of the Republic of Namiba, http://www.grnnet.gov.na/intro.htm
[1] Wardell-Johnson, Grant.2000. Biodiversity
and Conservation in Namibia into the 21st Century. Pages 1-16 in
B. Fuller and I. Prommer (eds.), Population, Development, Environment
in Namibia. Background Readings. Laxenburg, Austria, IIASA Interim
Report, IR-00-031.
[2] Heyns, P., S. Montgomery, J. Pallet,
and Mary Seely, Eds. 1998. Namibia's Water - A Decision Makers
Guide. Windhoek: DRFN and DWA.
[3] Giess, W. 1998. A Preliminary Vegetation
Map of South West Africa. Dinteria 4:5-112.
[4] Hilton-Taylor, C.A. 1987. Phytogeography
and Origins of the Karoo Flora. Pages 70-95 in R.M. Cowling and
P.W. Roux (eds.), The Karoo Biome: A Preliminary Synthesis. Part
2: Vegetation and History. South African National Scientific
Programmes Report No. 142. Pretoria: Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research.
[5] Hilton-Taylor, C.A. and Le Roux. 1989.
Conservation Status of the Fynbos and Karoos biomes. Pages 202-223
in B.J. Huntley (ed.), Biotic Diversity in Southern Africa: Concepts
and Conservation. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.
[6] Jürgens, N. 1991. A New Approach in
the Namib Region 1: Phytogeographic Subdivision. Vegetation
97:21-38.
[7] MWLTC. 1994. Namibia's Green Plan
(Environment and Development). Windhoek: Directorate of Environmental
Affairs.
[8] The World Bank. 2000. World Development
Report 2000/2001. Attacking Poverty. New York, N.Y.: Oxford
University Press. The complete report is available on-line: http://worldbank.org/poverty/wdrpoverty/report/
[9] Hamujtwe, G.S. and L.N. Wamukonya. 1998.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation in Namibia. Windhoek:
Namib Graphics.
[10] Hangula, Lazarus. 1998. People's Rights
to Land and Natural Resources. Pages 21-32 in University of Namibia,
Human Rights and Democracy in Southern Africa. Windhoek: New
Namibia Books.
[11] CIA. World Factbook. Namibia. http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/wa.html
-
General Information
- Geography and Environment
- Population and HIV/AIDS
- Economy
- Communications, Information,
and Science and Technology
- Chronology of History
|
A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria