1981 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1981 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Aid
South Africa is only donor
Area
823,620 kmz; mostly desert except for interior plateau and area along northern border
Coastline
1,489 km
Electric power
540,000 kW capacity (1980); 1.3 billion kWh produced (1980), 1,251 kWh per capita
Fiscal year
1 ApriI-31 March •
Fishing
catch fell 31% to 277,000 metric tons (1980), processed mostly in South African enclave of Walvis Bay
Land boundaries
3,798 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
6 nm (fishing 12 nm)
Major industries
meatpacking, fish processing, copper, lead, diamond, and uranium mining, dairy products
Monetary conversion rate
1 South African Rand= US$1.15 (as of March 1978); 0.87 SA Rand=US$l
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
83% African, 11% white, 6% mulatto; approximately half the Africans belong to Ovambo tribe
Labor force
203,300 (total of economically active, 1970); 68% agriculture, 15% railroads, 13% mining, 4% fishing
Language
Afrikaans principal language of about 70% of white population, German of 22% and English of 8%; several African languages
Literacy
high for white population; low for nonwhite
Nationality
noun — Namibian(s); adjective — Namibian
Organized labor
no trade unions, although some white wage earners belong to South African unions
Population
1,086,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 3.0%
Religion
whites predominantly Christian, nonwhites either animist or Christian
Government
Branches
since September 1977 Administrator-General, appointed by South African Government, has exercised coordinative functions over zone of white settlement and tribal homelands, where traditional chiefs and representative bodies exercise limited autonomy; Namibian National Assembly, elected December 1978, has been granted legislative powers, subject to Administrator-General's veto; a Ministers' Council, composed of members of the National Assembly and with limited executive powers, established July 1980
Capital
Windhoek
Communists
no Communist Party, SWAPO guerrilla force is supported by USSR, Cuba, and other Communist states as well as OAU
Elections
election of Namibian National Assembly, December 1978 Political parties and leaders: there are approximately 50 political parties in Namibia; the major parties include (white parties) — Action Front for the Preservation of the Turnhalle Principles (AKTUR), also known as the National Party of SouthWest Africa, Kosie Pretorius; Federal Party, Bryan O'Linn; Republican Party, Dirk Mudge; many of the nonwhite parties belong to the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), a multiethnic alliance of traditional tribal leaders and the white Republican Party, which is favored in South Africa; the other multiethnic alliance, the Namibian National Front (NNF), the white Federal Party, and nonwhite groups opposed to the homeland system, operates independently; South-West Africa People's Organization Democrats (SWAPO-D), a predominantly Ovambo party led by Andreas Shipanga, broke away from Sam Nujoma's SWAPO and is loosely affiliated with NNF
Government leader
Danie HOUGH, AdministratorGeneral
Legal system
based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law
Official name
Namibia
Other political or pressure groups
South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), led by Sam Nujoma, maintains a foreign-based guerrilla movement; is predominantly Ovambo but has some influence among other tribes; is the only Namibian group recognized by the UN General Assembly and the Organization of African Unity
Political subdivisions
10 tribal homelands, mostly in northern sector, and zone open to white settlement with administrative subdivisions similar to a province of South Africa
Suffrage
several tribal homelands have adult franchise for homeland legislatures; all ethnic groups were eligible to vote in 1978 election for Namibian National Assembly
Type
former German colony of South-West Africa mandated to South Africa by League of Nations in 1920; UN formally ended South Africa's mandate on 27 October 1966, but South Africa has retained administrative control
Voting strength
(1978 election) DTA won 41 seats in Namibian National Assembly; AKTUR, 6 seats; 3 miniscule parties, 1 seat each; NNF, SWAPO, and SWAPO-D boycotted elections; 15 additional, appointed seats have not been filled
Economy
Agriculture
livestock raising (cattle and sheep) predominates, subsistence crops (millet, sorghum, corn, and some wheat) are raised but most food must be imported NAURU
Communications
Airfields
128 total, 102 usable; 17 with permanentsurface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
4 major transport aircraft
Highways
54,500 km; 4,079 km paved, 2,540 gravel, remainder earth roads and tracks
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 31 March 1982, $63.1; 6.7% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, about 239,000; about 141,000 fit for military service Defense is responsibility of Republic of South Africa; however, a Southwest African Territory Force was established 1 August 1980
Ports
2 major (Walvis Bay and Luderitz)
Railroads
2,340 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Telecommunications
good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires extend to other population centers; 50,300 telephones (5.2 per 100 popl.); 11 FM, no TV stations; AM and TV stations under construction DEFENSE FORCES