Namibia, a country in southwest Africa, is recognized by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast. The nation is home to assorted untamed life, including a huge cheetah populace. The capital, Windhoek, and seaside town Swakopmund contain German provincial time structures like Windhoek’s Christuskirche, built in 1907. Namibia is one of the youngest countries in the world, having achieved independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990.
In 2011, approximately 1,218,234 overseas tourists visited Namibia, mostly from the United Kingdom, United States, and Germany.
The Namib Desert is the world’s oldest desert. It is thought to have existed for at least 55 million years.
Celebrities Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie chose to give birth to their daughter Shiloh in Namibia in 2006.
Namibia’s modern international boundaries were established when Germany annexed the territory as South West Africa in 1890.
Namibia enjoys 300 days of sunshine every year.
In 2014, Namibia became the first African country to use electronic voting in its presidential elections.
The San of Namibia are the world’s oldest surviving hunter-gatherers.
Namibia is the second least densely populated country in the world. It has a population of 2.6 million living in an area of 825,615km2, with just 3.2 people per km2. Only Mongolia is more sparsely populated.
Namibia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Twyfelfontein, is home to over 2,500 cave paintings and carvings on 212 slabs of rock and 13 panels, some of which are almost 6,000 years old.
At 383m, Dune 7 near Walvis Bay is the highest in Namibia and one of the highest in the world.
Himba women of Namibia cover their skin with a mixture of ocher, butter, and resin from omuzumba shrubs for protection from the sun, giving their skin a reddish hue.
Earth’s largest (non-subglacial) underground lake is hidden beneath the Kalahari Desert in Dragon’s Breath Cave in Namibia. The lake is located at least 100m (330ft) below the surface.
The Hoba meteorite in Namibia is the world’s largest known single meteorite, weighing over 119,050 pounds.
Namibia has Africa’s largest free-roaming population of black rhinos as well as the largest cheetah population in the world.
Dragon’s Breath Cave in Namibia has the largest known underground lake in the world. The lake is 196 feet below ground level and 215,178 square feet in size.
Namibia’s current prime minister, Saara Kuugongelwa, is its first female leader and currently the only female leader in Africa.
The Namibian Otjihaenamaparero farm is home to fossilized animal tracks made 150 million to 200 million years ago, including a set of dinosaur footprints.
Africa’s largest canyon, Fish River Canyon, is in Namibia. At 160km long, up to 27km wide and 550m (1804ft) deep, it is Africa’s longest canyon and, after the Grand Canyon in the US, the second largest in the world.
Namibia’s Skeleton Coast was named due to the shipwrecks, whale bones, and human skeletons in the area
US President Donald Trump twice referred to Namibia as ‘Nambia’, incurring plenty of ridicule online.
In terms of freedom of the press, Namibia ranks first in Africa and 17th worldwide.
Despite its low population, Namibia is still home to 13 different ethnic groups which includes the Himba.
After its creation in 1990, Namibia’s constitution was considered one of the most democratic in the world, including a Bill of Rights that grants freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, and religion.
Namibia is one of only two countries in the world, Mali being the other, that has desert elephants!
Namibia is the first country ever to incorporate environmental protection into its constitution. Over 40% of Namibia’s land falls under private or state protection, covering a total area of 135,000 square kilometers.
Numerous big budget blockbuster movies including 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Flight of the Phoenix (2006) were filmed in Namibia.
About 90% of Namibian land remains natural habitat.
