General information
- Official Name
- Republic of Namibia
- Capital and seat of Government
- Windhoek (322.500 population)
- Chief of State
- Hage Geingob
- Chief of Government
- Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
- Political Sistem
- Semi-Presidentalist
- Area
- 824.269 km (9 times bigger than Portugal)
- Population
- 2.104.900 (Census 2011)
- Demographic density
- 2.55 inhab./Km (Census 2011)
- Population Dispersion
- 58% rural /52% urban (Census 2011)
- Age Structure
- 0-14: 34%/ 15-64: 61.7%/ +65: 4.1%
- Average Life Expectancy
- 64 years (BM-2013)
- Provinces (Capitals)
- 13 - Caprivi (Katima Mulilo), Erongo (Swakopmund), Hardap (Mariental), Karas (Keetmanshoop), Kavango (Rundu), Khomas (Windhoek), Kunene (Opuwo), Ohangwena (Eenhana), Omaheke (Gobabis), Omusati (Uutapi), Oshikoto (Tsumeb), Otjozondjupa (Otijwarongo)
- Climate
- Semi-arid and semi-tropical
- Predominant Religion
- Christian (80%), Indigenous African religions (10%), Atheists (7%), Others (3%)
- Official Language
- English (official), Oshiwambo, Nama-Damara, Afrikaans, German, Other dialects
- Currency
- Namibian Dollar (NAD)
- Foreign Exchange
- Namibian Dollar (NAD) - parity 1:1 with South Africa Rand (accepted in Namibia) - 1€ ≈ n$15
- GDP at market prices
- about 12 billion Euros
- GDP per capita
- approximately € 9.004,37 (FMI)
- Inflation October 2015
- 3,4%
- Unemployment
- 28.1%
- Debt Rating
- BBB - Fitch// Baa3 (Moody's)
- Commercial Organizations
- World Trade Organization (WTO), South African Development Community (SADC) and The Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU)
- Exports (Destination)
- EU (23.5%) Botswana (16.7%), África do Sul (13.0%), Suíça (12.2%), Coreia (9.1%) - Annual Trade Statistics Bulletin 2014
- Exports (Products)
- Pearls, precious stones and metals (25.6%), ships and floating materials (13.8%); minerals (12.5%); Zinc and articles (5.1%) - Annual Trade Statistics Bulletin 2014
- Imports (Source)
- South Africa (56.8%), Korea (6.5%), China (4.0%), Bahamas (3.4%), Germany (2.8%) - Annual Trade Statistics Bulletin 2014
- Imports (Products)
- Vehicles (12.4%), ships and floating materials (12.2%), machinery and mechanical equipment (12.0%), fuels and mineral oils (6.4%), electrical equipment (5.4%) - Annual Trade Statistics Bulletin 2014
- Local time
- GMT + 2 (Summer), GMT (Winter)
- Fiscal Year
- 1 April - 31 March
- Nationals Holidays
- 1 Jan, 21 Mar, Friday and Monday of Easter, 1 May, 4 May, Ascension Day, 25 May, 26 Aug, 10 Dec, 25 Dec, 26 Dec.
- International Rankings
- Ease of Business: 101 (in 189) World Bank 2016
- Global Competitive Index: 88 (in 144) World Economic Forum 2014/15
- Economic Freedom Index: 93 (in 178) Heritage Foundation in 2015
- Corruption Perception Index: 55 (in 175) Transparency International
- Good Governance Index: 6 (in 52) - Mo Ibrahim Foundation 2014
Ficha de mercado
The population of Namibia, about 2.1 million, is well below other countries in southern Africa, particularly South Africa. This small population is spread over a vast territorial area. Given the limited internal market, it is also the neighbouring markets that attracts foreign investors.
In recognition of this, Namibia has made efforts in expanding their trade relations with the most varied parts of the globe, being a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since its inception in 1995.
Namibia belongs to the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), the oldest Custom Union in the world, whose Secretariat is located in Windhoek. Namibia enjoys duty-free access to the vast market of South Africa, as well Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, the first two countries being medium-high income countries.
Like other members of SACU, Namibia is a member of the Community for the Development of Southern Africa (SADC). Since the signing of the Trade Protocol in 1996, SADC has been trying to create a free trade area (FTA) of SADC, which started in 2008, but without Angola or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite the slow progress in creating a functional FTA within the SADC, in June 2011 a Tripartite Summit, involving the Heads of State of SADC countries, the Common Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC) agreed to create a free trade area of 26 countries and a greater number of customers to 700 million. The Summit defined a preparatory phase of 6-12 months and a phase of negotiations on the movement of goods and entrepreneurs with a duration of 24-60 months.
Namibia has preferential access to the market of the European Union (EU) since 1991, through the Lomé and Cotonou Agreements. At the moment, the EPA negotiations between the EU, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland are concluded. The new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), is expected to be to be signed in 2016 and come into force later this year.