Namibia, a country in southwest Africa, is distinguished by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast. The country is home to diverse wildlife, including a significant cheetah population. The capital, Windhoek, and coastal town Swakopmund contain German colonial-era buildings such as Windhoek’s Christuskirche, built-in 1907. In the north, Etosha National Park’s salt pan draws games including rhinos and giraffes. Most parts of the country lie on a high plateau. The central plateau is over 2,000 metres/2,650 ft. high and borders the Skeleton Coast with the Namib Desert in the West, the Orange River in the South and the Kalahari Desert in the East.
Key Cities
Key cities in Namibia include: Windhoek, Rundu, Walvis Bay, Oshakati, Swakopmund, Katima Mulilo, Grootfontein, Rehoboth, Otjiwarongo, and Okahandja.
Historical, Cultural facts & Religion
The history of Namibia has passed through several distinct stages from being colonized in the late nineteenth century to Namibia’s independence on 21 March 1990. From 1884, Namibia was a German colony: German Southwest Africa. From the Bantu-speaking Ovambo and Herero tribes (the latter of which are admired for their colorful Victorian dress) to the Damara minorities and nomadic San Bushmen, Namibia boasts cultural and historical flavor in spades. Christianity is the most widespread religion in Namibia; however, the largest Christian division is the Lutheran church. About 80 or 90 percent of the population in Namibia are Christians.
Brief Country History
Before Namibia was even called by its name today, the country was known as the German southwest Africa. Namibia was colonized by Germany in the late 1800s back when the exploration of Africa was at its peak in world history. What led to its discovery was the interest of foreigners to the rare ivory tusks that were hunted off from elephants. The country soon became a settlement for Germans who explored the land. In the early years, there had been conflicting between two peoples, the Namas and the Hereros, followed by the Namas and the Schutztruppes, and not to mention also the disagreements between the Schutztruppes and the Hereros. The Schutztruppes are the German protective forces that were sent to relieve and resolve the disagreements between the Hereros people and the Namas people. These three groups have been in conflict with each other but fortunately ended in a resolve to independence.
When Namibia was discovered to be a diamond country, there was great unrest. Germany then had to surrender the nation where it ended up in martial law till 1919. The country then was under the administration of the Union of South Africa which proved to be a start in the series of events that would lead to its independence. In the late 20th Century, the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) fought a war to liberate the county, but it was on March 21, 1990 when the United Nations enacted a resolution that was able to mandate elections and in effect became an independent state. The country underwent several phases in order to be the Namibia that is known today
In 1915, during the First World War the South Africans captured Namibia. After the war former German colonies were given to the allied powers and called mandates. Namibia was made a British mandate. It was to be administered by South Africa. In 1966 SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organization) began a long guerrilla war in Namibia. Finally, in 1988 South Africa agreed to allow Namibia to become independent. A constitution was written and Namibia became independent on 21 March 1990.
Today Namibia is still a poor country but its economy is growing steadily. Namibia depends heavily on the export of minerals. Today the population of Namibia is 2.4 million.
Language (s) Written & Spoken
Namibia Languages Although English is the official language, very few Namibians speak the language. A significant number of Namibians speak Oshiwambo, which is an indigenous language. Other major languages spoken are Afrikaans, Kavango, Otjiherero, and Nama/Damara.
Important Types of Commerce in Namibia
The Republic of Namibia is a southern African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the east and south. The economy of Namibia is based on the modern market sector and also on the traditional subsistence setup. Over 200,000 people in Namibia are skilled workers with a good number of trained professionals and managers. Namibia is ranked as a higher middle-income country with a GDP per capita of $5,828 (USD) but lags behind when it comes to income distribution. According to the UN and Gini coefficient ranking, Namibia leads the list of countries with the highest income inequality. The introduction of free-market principles since independence aims at reducing the income inequalities while encouraging the participation of Namibians into the mainstream economy. This includes the involvement of foreign investment to boost the local economy. The main economic sectors include:
Language Services US and others will provide working with Namibia
Diversities of languages in the world have made interpreting services very essential in communication today. This is because people want to trade with others, need health facilities, go for adventure and research in various countries. Namibia is a multilingual nation with although English being the official language but very few people in Namibia speak the language. The national and the most spoken languages are Oshiwambo, Afrikaans, Kavango, Otjiherero, and Nama/Damara. It is spoken by about 95% of the population. Oshiwambo, Afrikaans, Kavango, Otjiherero, and Nama/Damara to other language translation services would be required in various fields like business, tourism, construction, legal matters, medical fields, politics, education and so on.
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