Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari
Desert in east
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin,
lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected
deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 64%
forest and woodland: 22%
other: 13%
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources;
desertification
natural hazards: prolonged periods of drought
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not
ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes
People ———
Population: 1,677,243 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 370,090; female 362,185)
15-64 years: 52% (male 428,488; female 449,726)
65 years and over: 4% (male 28,599; female 38,155) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.93% (1996 est.)