01
Physical geography
Mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east.
Local timeWindhoek ·
Africa / Southern Africa · Card 038
Namibia
Namibia is a country in Southern Africa. Its capital is Windhoek.
Find Namibia
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Windhoek
- Languages
- English (official); other national languages
- Currency
- Namibian dollar (NAD)
- Population
- 3.1 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 825,615 km²318,772 square miles
- Independence
- 1990from South African mandate
Namibia in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Windhoek; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
English is the official language. Oshiwambo languages, Khoekhoegowab, Afrikaans, Otjiherero and other languages are also spoken.
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Location
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa.
Flag
A wide red stripe edged with narrow white stripes divides the flag diagonally from lower-left corner to upper-right corner; the upper triangle is blue and has a golden-yellow, 12-ray sunburst, and the lower triangle is green
History & independence
Namibia became independent on 21 March 1990 after a long liberation struggle and a UN-supervised transition from South African administration. Its earlier history included German colonial rule and the genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples.
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German colonial rule begins
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SWAPO’s armed independence struggle begins
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Independence follows a UN-supervised transition
Economy
Main activities
Mining, fishing, livestock and tourism are important activities. Diamonds and uranium are notable exports. The arid climate and long distances shape settlement, infrastructure and water use.
Industry and production
mining, tourism, fishing, agriculture
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people3.12025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 757,868 | 0.758 |
| 1980 | 981,434 | 0.981 |
| 1990 | 1,369,303 | 1.369 |
| 2000 | 1,818,647 | 1.819 |
| 2010 | 2,109,811 | 2.110 |
| 2020 | 2,728,762 | 2.729 |
| 2025 | 3,092,816 | 3.093 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars12.42025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,912,561,187 | 3.913 |
| 1991 | 4,232,045,773 | 4.232 |
| 1992 | 4,536,302,039 | 4.536 |
| 1993 | 4,464,649,372 | 4.465 |
| 1994 | 4,541,882,426 | 4.542 |
| 1995 | 4,718,971,067 | 4.719 |
| 1996 | 4,869,568,738 | 4.870 |
| 1997 | 5,075,069,423 | 5.075 |
| 1998 | 5,242,119,678 | 5.242 |
| 1999 | 5,418,741,286 | 5.419 |
| 2000 | 5,607,973,667 | 5.608 |
| 2001 | 5,674,032,720 | 5.674 |
| 2002 | 5,945,742,924 | 5.946 |
| 2003 | 6,197,830,194 | 6.198 |
| 2004 | 6,958,275,951 | 6.958 |
| 2005 | 7,134,269,026 | 7.134 |
| 2006 | 7,638,888,382 | 7.639 |
| 2007 | 8,049,405,616 | 8.049 |
| 2008 | 8,262,699,735 | 8.263 |
| 2009 | 8,287,154,923 | 8.287 |
| 2010 | 8,787,636,884 | 8.788 |
| 2011 | 9,235,045,192 | 9.235 |
| 2012 | 9,702,493,818 | 9.702 |
| 2013 | 10,247,261,643 | 10.247 |
| 2014 | 10,871,578,022 | 10.872 |
| 2015 | 11,335,161,084 | 11.335 |
| 2016 | 11,338,991,739 | 11.339 |
| 2017 | 11,222,512,163 | 11.223 |
| 2018 | 11,341,464,002 | 11.341 |
| 2019 | 11,246,291,862 | 11.246 |
| 2020 | 10,335,184,546 | 10.335 |
| 2021 | 10,707,646,944 | 10.708 |
| 2022 | 11,285,723,333 | 11.286 |
| 2023 | 11,773,828,665 | 11.774 |
| 2024 | 12,218,704,810 | 12.219 |
| 2025 | 12,430,110,585 | 12.430 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.665Medium human developmentRank 136 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.597
20000.561
20100.591
20200.647
20230.665
67.4 yearsLife expectancy at birth
7.3 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic. Parliament has two chambers (a bicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Namibia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Namibia?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.