Namibia:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Namibia:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition 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 Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla 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 has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. 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.

Location	Definition Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa
Geographic coordinates	Definition 22 00 S, 17 00 E
Map references	Definition Africa
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 825,418 sq km land: 825,418 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Land boundaries	Definition total: 3,936 km border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline	Definition 1,572 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	Definition desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain	Definition mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m
Natural resources	Definition diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 0.99% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 80 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 45.5 cu km (1991)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 0.3 cu km/yr (24%/5%/71%) per capita: 148 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition prolonged periods of drought
Environment - current issues	Definition limited natural fresh water resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

Namibia: Geography

Namibia:
Geography