Southwest Africa.

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from the first Sunday in September to the first Sunday in April).

824,292 sq km (318,261 sq miles).

2 million (UN estimate 2005).

2.43 per sq km.

Windhoek. Population: 223,364 (2001).

Namibia is in southwest Africa. It is a large and mainly arid country sharing borders with Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south and, in the Caprivi Strip, a narrow panhandle of Namibian territory jutting from the northeast corner of the country, with Zambia and Zimbabwe. To the west is 1280km (795 miles) of some of the most desolate and lonely coastline in the world. The port of Walvis Bay, situated roughly halfway down Namibia’s coast, was returned by South Africa to Namibian jurisdiction in February 1994. Along its entire length, the vast shifting sand dunes of the Namib Desert spread inland for 80 to 130km (50 to 80 miles). In the interior, the escarpment of a north–south plateau slopes away to the east and north into the vast interior sand basin of the Kalahari. In the far northwest, the 66,000 sq km (25,500 sq miles) of the Kaokoland mountains run along the coast, while further inland lies the Etosha Pan (a dried-out saline lake), surrounded by grasslands and bush which support a large and varied wildlife. The Etosha National Park & Game Reserve is one of the finest in Africa, in that it remains, to a large extent, free of human influence.

Under the Constitution which took effect upon independence in March 1990, executive authority rests with the President, who is directly elected for a five-year term. Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly with 78 members, 72 of whom are elected for five years while the remainder are presidential nominees (in May 1997, the Constitution was exceptionally amended to allow the incumbent President to seek a third term of office).

Republic. Gained independence from South Africa in 1990. Head of State: President Hifikepunye Pohamba since 2005. Head of Government: Prime Minister Nahas Angula since 2005. Recent history: Hifikepunye Pohamba, representing the ruling Swapo party, won a landslide victory in Presidential elections in November 2004 and was inaugurated in March 2005. He promised to pursue the land reforms proposed by his predecessor President Nujoma.

English is the official language. Afrikaans is spoken by most people. German, Herero, Kavango, Nama and Ovambo (51 per cent) are also spoken.

Christian majority (90 per cent).

Western customs prevail; normal courtesies should be shown when visiting someone’s home.

220 volts AC, 50hz. Outlets are of the three-pin type.