Namibia Geography:
Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 17 00 E
Map references:
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 1376 km, Botswana 1360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline:
1,572 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain:
Mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m
Natural resources:
Diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
note: Suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 0.99%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.01%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
70 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Prolonged periods of drought
Environment - current issues:
Very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
First country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip |
