NAMIBIA - THE COUNTRY

Fancy a little history and geography lesson …. read on, if not skip and move onto the next blog entry.(Source:www.worldmapmaker.com )

The Flag (adopted 21 March 1990) (source www.worldflags.com)

The flag consists of 3 diagonal stripes - the top stripe is blue, the middle stripe is red and the bottom stripe is green.The blue and green stripes are of equal size.The red stripe in the middle is bordered on the top and bottom by a thin white stripe.In the top blue stripe there is a golden sun with 12 straight rays.

Meaning : red represents Namibia's most important resource - its people (their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all); white refers to peace and unity;green symbolises agricultural resources and vegetation; blue represents the clear Namibian sky and the Atlantic ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain; and the golden-yellow sun represents life and energy.

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 Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became 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 in1990. 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.

Area: total: 825,418 sq km land - slightly more than half the size of Alaska.

Land boundaries: total: 3,936 km border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km

Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Population: 2,1 million

Nationality:Namibian

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 include Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%

Religions: Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%

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)

Government type: republic

Capital: name: Windhoek

Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

Currency: Namibian Dollar (NAD)

Exchange rates: Namibian dollars (NAD) per US dollar - 7.75 (2009 est