Namibia is a coastal country in southern Africa bordered in the North by Angola and clockwise by Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. On its western side is the Atlantic Ocean. Its southern border with the Northern Cape Province of South Africa lies along the Orange River. Namibia is a country of with a population of nearly 2 million and was once known as South West Africa. The country became independent from South Africa in 1990. It is a member of the SADC (Southern African Development Community) and of the British Commonwealth. Its capital city is Windhoek.

Namibia, as Southwest Africa, came under German protection in 1880. The country was occupied by South African forces during the First World War, and in 1920 it became a League of Nations Mandate Territory under South African Trust. South Africa’s apartheid government refused to give up the territory and this led to armed resistance by SWAPO (The South West Africa People’s Organisation) until the occupying forces withdrew in 1988. Namibia became independent in 1990, and in 1994 Walvis Bay, which South Africa had hung onto, was ceded to it. There is still plenty of German influence in the country up to the present day.

Namibia is the same size as Pakistan, but after Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the World with only 2.5 persons per square kilometre. The country consists of the Central Highlands, rising to more than 2600 metres amsl, a central plateau of 1500 metres amsl running from North to South and covered in thornbush, the Namib Desert and coastal plains in the West. To the East lies the Kalahari Desert. In the far northeast is the Caprivi Strip, a narrow strip of land giving the country access to the Zambezi River. In the North of the country lies the vast Etosha Pan, surrounded by dense bush.

The climate of Namibia is generally hot and dry, ranging from desert to sub-tropical. Along the coastal plain there is a little precipitation and frequent thick fogs, influenced by the cold Benguela Current that flows just off the western coastline. Rainfall is sparse in the desert regions but can reach 700mm per annum in the far northeast near the Zambezi.

Mining accounts for about 20% of Namibia’s economy, major exports being alluvial diamonds and large quantities of Tungsten, Silver, Tin, Zinc and Lead as well as Uranium, of which Namibia is the world’s fifth largest producer. About half of the country’s population relies on subsistence farming. Beef and mutton are major exports and generally of high quality. Commercial fishing has long been a major industry and fish processing is a growing and important industry. The tourist industry is becoming a major income maker with a strong accent on eco-tourism. Main attractions are the Fish River Canyon, the Etosha Pan, the Petrified Forest and Dinosaur footprints. There are numerous venues for adventure holidays and plenty of 4 x 4 trails. Wildlife protection is embodied in the country’s constitution.