REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA

• Official name: Republic of Namibia
• Location: Southern Africa
• International organisations: African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, African Union, Commonwealth of Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, United Nations, World Trade Organisation
• Borders: Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
• Coastline: Atlantic Ocean
• Land area: 825,418 Km2
• Population: 2,200,000
• Annual GDP (PPP) per capita: US$6,400 (2009 CIA estimate). World ranking: 103
• Ethnicity: Nearly 90% of the population is of African stock, with the largest groups being the Ovambo (50%), Kavangos (9%) and Herero (7%). There is a 6% European minority.
• Languages: English is the official language but almost no-one speaks it as their first language. Most of the Ovambo speak Odonga, and most of the white populatiom speaks Afrikaans. Other languages include Nama (12%) and Herero 7%.
• Religion: Over 80% of the population are Protestant Christians, with the remainder following indigenous beliefs.
• Form of government: Presidential democratic republic. Namibia is divided into 13 regions.
• Capital: Windhoek
• Constitution: The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia came into effect on 12 March 1990.
• Head of state: The President, elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term.
• Head of government: The President, who appoints all ministers. The Prime Minister, appointed by the President. The Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party in the legislature and is accountable to it.
• Legislature: Namibia has a bicameral legislature, the Parliament. The National Assembly has 78 members, elected for five-year terms, of whom 72 members are elected by proportional representation and six appointed by the president. The National Council has 26 members elected for six year terms from 13 electoral districts.
• Electoral authority: The National Electoral Commission administers national elections. (This website changes its address with each election.)
• Freedom House 2011 rating: Political Rights 2, Civil Liberties 2
• Transparency International Corruption Index: 44% (56 of 178 countries rated)
• Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom 2010 Index: 93% (21 of 178 countries rated)
• Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom 2010 Index: 62.7% (73 of 178 countries rated)

Political history

The area which is now Namibia is mostly desert, and did not attract the attention of the European powers until 1878, when Britain occupied the harbour at Walvis Bay. In 1883 Germany claimed the rest of the coastal region. The interior was not brought under German control until after wars with the Herero and Nama in 1904-08. There was some German settlement in the colony, but in 1915 South African troops occupied it on behalf of Britain, and in 1920 South-West Africa (SWA) became a League of Nations Mandate under South African administration.

After World War II South Africa refused to allow SWA to become a United Nations Trust Territory, and extended the South African apartheid system to the territory, with a small white settler class holding all power. In 1966 the United Nations General Assembly revoked South Africa's mandate, but South Africa continued its occupation. The South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) then began guerrilla resistance from bases in Zambia and later from Angola.

Negotiations between South Africa and the UN led to an agreement on Namibia's future in 1978, but South Africa then held elections without international approval and installed a government that excluded SWAPO. The situation was complicated by the civil war in Angola, in which South Africa was involved.

In 1989, following renewed fighting in the northern border region, there was a second international agreement for South Africa's withdrawal from Namibia. UN-supervised elections were held in which SWAPO gained a clear majority. Namibia finally became independent in March 1990. In 1994 South Africa transferred Walvis Bay to Namibia.

Since independence Namibia has been ruled by the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), first under its founding leader Sam Nujoma, and since his retirement in 2005 under President Hifikepunye Pohamba. SWAPO has dropped its Marxist ideology but still claims to be a socialist party. Its base is among the Ovambo people of north and central Namibia. The main opposition is now the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), founded in 2007 by a former senior SWAPO member, Hidipo Hamutenya, who ran for president against President Pohamba in 2009. SWAPO regarded the RDP as a serious threat and there were a number of cases of harassment and intimidation of RDP activities by government and SWAPO officials. Smaller opposition parties include the Democratic Turnhall Alliance, which originally represented the white minority but now has a black leadership.

Freedom House's 2011 report on Namibia says: "Namibia is an electoral democracy... A number of amendments to the electoral code were passed in advance of the 2009 elections, such as authorising the counting of ballots at polling places. These changes were applauded by the opposition, but other issues, including the length of the polling period and the absence of an electoral tribunal, remained the subject of criticism. The campaign period witnessed some localised tension and violence between SWAPO supporters and the opposition RDP. Domestic and international observers declared the elections free and fair, although the latter raised some concerns about the pro-SWAPO bias on the government-run Namibian Broadcast Corporation (NBC), delays in the counting process, and organisational mishaps during the polling process... Although President Hifikepunye Pohamba has made anti-corruption efforts a major theme of his presidency, official corruption remains a significant problem, and investigations of major cases proceed slowly... The constitution guarantees free speech, and Namibia's media have generally enjoyed a relatively open environment. Private broadcasters and independent newspapers usually operate without official interference... Freedoms of assembly and association are guaranteed by law and permitted in practice... The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and the separation of powers is observed in practice. Access to justice, however, is obstructed by economic and geographic barriers, a shortage of public defenders, and delays caused by a lack of capacity in the court system."

Updated November 2011