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Time Zone
Summer time: GMT + 2 Hours from the first Sunday in September to the first Sunday in April.
Winter time: GMT + 1 Hour from the first Sunday in April to the first Sunday in September.
Population
The latest figures estimate 1 826 845 million people with approximately 2,2 people per sq km.
Geography & Climate
The country comprises a long coastline that borders the Namib Desert. An escarpment leads on to the central highland regions and mountain ranges. The rest of the land is semi-arid desert, which is crossed by some major rivers. The extreme northern areas are tropical, especially near to the Kunene River and in parts of the Caprivi Strip, with the typical vegetation and climate of such regions. Generally a hot and dry country, there are, however, a range of local climates which vary extremely. The cold Atlantic coast is subject to cold mists, which come ashore in summer and hot dusty winds, which come from inland in winter. Mountain areas are typically cooler and have a greater rainfall. The border regions with Angola and Zambia are tropical - hot and humid. Most of the interior land surface is desert or semi-desert.
Communications
Namibia has an efficient postal system and thirty-one automatic telephone exchanges, enabling visitors to dial 277 countries. IDD and fax facilities are freely available.
Major Cities
Windhoek, the capital city, is the centre for commerce, with Swakopmund the focus of the diamond business, Walvis Bay for fishing and Tsumeb for mining.
Language
Although English is the official language, both Afrikaans and German are frequently used. The major African tongues are Herero and Ovambo, with at least nine other languages in some areas.
Culture
The many people who make up the Namibian population each maintain their own distinctive cultural traditions, which vary from German and Afrikaans for the colonial settlers to the many different tribal practices of the indigenous inhabitants. These represent all the major types of culture from hunter-gatherers (San) to nomadic farmers (Himba) and subsistence farmers like the Ovambo and Herero. Towns and cities have an old-fashioned but European ambience resulting from the country’s long history of colonial rule and it is only in the most remote areas you will find tribal African culture.    
Religion
There is a general following of Christian beliefs and social customs, with some tribal beliefs maintained in rural areas.
Electricity & Water
Electricity runs on 220/ 240 volts. Outlets are of the round 3-pin, 15 amps type, the same as in South Africa. Most tap water is purified and safe to drink. Visitors should exercise caution in rural areas.
Traditional Cuisine
Cuisine varies from area to area. You can, however, find German cuisine throughout Namibia, ranging from pastries to Bavarian beer, bockwurst and sauerkraut.
Entry Requirements
Passports must be valid six months after the date of entry. Citizens from the following countries are exempted from visa requirements if entering Namibia as bona fide tourists: Angola, Australia, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Scandanavian countries, Singapore, Spain, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, UK, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Getting there and around
There is an extensive network of international, regional and domestic flights from Windhoek. Charters are available to all destinations. Public transport is not available to all destinations in Namibia. A bus service runs from Widhoek/ Cape Town/ Johannesburg/ Vic Falls/ Swakopmund. Namibia’s main railway line runs from the South African border, connecting Windhoek to Swakopmund in the west and Tsumeb in the north. Desert Express operates a scenic route between Windhoek and the coast.
Accommodation
Namibia offers many excellent accommodation facilities, which are available in all towns and on major routes. When exploring country areas it is necessary to use 4x4 vehicles and proper camping equipment, except in the larger national parks where there are numerous first-class tourist facilities available.
Economy
Main sectors include mining, fishing and agriculture. Agriculture is the biggest employer (46%) and tourism is the fastest growing sector. Mining includes diamonds, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, magnesium, coolmium, pyrite, silver, gold etc.    
Internal Transport
Namibia has a well-established road network, linking most towns and two highways with access to Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
What to Buy
African crafts, curios, carpets, leather goods, Swakara garments, hand-crafted jewellery and semi-precious gemstones are available.
Business Hours
Banks are open from 09h00 to 15h30, Monday to Friday and from 08h30 to 10h30 on Saturdays. Normal business hours are from 08h00 to 17h00, Monday to Friday.
Government
The construction provides for a multi-party democracy. Headed by the president, Sam Nujoma, the executive body is assisted by the Cabinet. The bicameral legislature comprises an 80-member National Assembly and the National Council, which reviews bills passed by the National Assembly.
Currency
The unit of currency is the Namibian dollar, which is divided into 100 cents. The South African rand is still accepted as legal tender in the country. Traveller’s cheques are accepted. In general most hotels as well as the Namibia Wildlife Resorts accept credit cards. Bank-guaranteed cheques are also acceptable. Credit cards are not accepted at petrol service stations but most petrol/ garage cards are accepted. Personal cheques and foreign currency or foreign traveller’s cheques are not accepted at rest camps.
Public Holidays
1 January - New Year's Day
21 March - Independence Day
29 March - Good Friday
1 April - Easter Monday
1 May - Workers' Day
4 May - Cassinga Day
9 May - Africa Day
26 August - Human Rights Day
25 December - Christmas Day
26 December - Family Day
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Facts about Namibia
