Background:
South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during
World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War
II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West
Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war
of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was
not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in
accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia won
its independence in 1990 and has been governed by SWAPO since.
Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a
landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during
its first 14 years of self rule.
Geography Namibia
Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola
and South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 17 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 825,418 sq km
land: 825,418 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Land boundaries:
total: 3,936 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa
967 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline:
1,572 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm