Namibia
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2023-08-28 16:06:38
Namibia
Namibia
The Republic of Namibia (English: The Republic of Namibia), referred to as Namibia, was originally called Southwest Africa. It borders Angola and Zambia in the north, Botswana and South Africa in the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The coastline is 1600 kilometers long. Most of the region is located at an altitude of 1000-1500 meters. The western coastal and eastern inland regions are deserts, while the northern region is plains. The land area is 824269 square kilometers, with a population of 2.59 million (as of 2021). 88% of the population is black, with white and colored people accounting for approximately 12% of the total population. The Owanbo ethnic group is the largest ethnic group, accounting for 50% of the total population. The capital is Windhoek and the country is divided into 14 administrative regions，sports fitness .
In the 15th to 18th centuries, colonizers from the Netherlands, Portugal, and Britain successively invaded. It was occupied by Germany in 1890. In July 1915, South Africa sent troops to occupy Southwest Africa (now Namibia). On December 17, 1920, the League of Nations "entrusted" South Africa to rule the area. South Africa annexed the area in 1949. In 1960, the Southwest African People's Organization was established and began the struggle for national independence. In 1966, the United Nations General Assembly renamed "Southwest Africa" to "Namibia" based on the decision of the people of Southwest Africa. On March 21, 1990, it achieved independence and became the last country on the African continent to achieve national independence. The next day, China established diplomatic relations with Namibia.
Namibia is vast and sparsely populated, with abundant mineral resources. Mining, fishing, and animal husbandry are the three traditional pillar industries, while manufacturing is underdeveloped. Namibia is a member of the World Trade Organization and has joined the Southern African Customs Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Group of African Caribbean and Pacific States, the Southern African Development Community Free Trade Zone, and the African Continental Free Trade Area. In 2022, Namibia's gross domestic product was 12.61 billion US dollars, with a per capita gross domestic product of approximately 4911 US dollars and an economic growth rate of 4.6%.
geographical environment
Regional location
Namibia is located in the southwest of Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean in the west, Angola and Zambia in the north and northeast, Botswana in the east and South Africa in the south. Namibia has a land area of 824000 square kilometers, ranking 15th in Africa and 34th in the world. The length from north to south is about 1300 kilometers, the width from south to north is narrow, and the width from east to west is 480-930 kilometers. The coastline is about 1600 kilometers long.
topographic features
There are narrow plains along the coast of Namibia; All inland areas are plateau and mountainous, with an altitude of over 1000 meters and a maximum point of 2600 meters. The central highland is in the middle; The eastern part is a part of the Kalahari Basin; The western coastal area is a desert plain. The Brand Mountain, located in the northwest, has an elevation of 2610 meters and is the highest point in the entire region. The Orange River in the south and the Cunei River in the north are boundary rivers with South Africa and Angola, respectively.
Tectonically, Namibia is located in the northwest of the famous Kalahari Craton. The oldest exposed strata within its territory are the Lower Proterozoic, with a bedrock exposure area of approximately 4600. The coverage area of the Tertiary to Modern sedimentation (Kalahari Formation) is approximately 54%.
The shield area is mainly distributed in the northwest and southwest of Namibia, consisting of early to middle Proterozoic metamorphic rocks directly exposed to the basement and ancient igneous rocks intruded into it. The original rocks of the metamorphic strata are a set of marine geosynclinal deposits, and the main metal mineralization within them include Au, Cu, Pb, and Zn.
The rift activity zone is widely distributed in Namibia. During the Late Proterozoic era, large-scale rifting occurred on the ancient land of Namibia, where thick rift type sediments developed. In the later stage of the rift, folding deformation occurred, accompanied by intrusion of igneous rocks. The main metal mineralization in the land included Cu, Pb, Zn, U, Mo, Fe, Sn, W, rare earth, Au, etc.
There are sedimentary rock areas that have not undergone metamorphism and lack structural changes on the metamorphic basement and rift activity zones in the platform area.
The strata of various eras developed in Namibia include:
(1) The Vaalian and Mokolian systems of the Lower Middle Proterozoic are a set of intermediate basic volcanic rocks, pyroclastic rocks, and clastic sedimentary rocks, most of which have undergone strong metamorphism and become metamorphic basement.
(2) The Damara system of the Upper Proterozoic is a set of continental rift type sediments. In the early stage, it was mainly composed of fluvial and lacustrine clastic rock deposits and rift volcanic rock deposits, while in the middle and late stages, it was composed of marine clastic rock and carbonate deposits.
(3) The Nama Group of the Cambrian is a set of platform cover type sediments, mainly composed of a set of shallow marine clastic rocks and carbonate rocks.
(4) Karo. Sequence: It is a set of platform cover deposits, consisting of two sets of rock series: sedimentary rock and volcanic rock. The sedimentary rock series is located in the lower part, mainly composed of sandstone, siltstone, and shale, containing important coal seams. The age is from the Carboniferous to the Triassic; The volcanic rock series is located in the upper part and formed during the Jurassic Cretaceous period.
The Namibian tectonic line is influenced by the Pan African orogeny, mainly in the northwest and northeast directions, and is mainly composed of a series of thrust faults and fold structures. They not only control the distribution of Namibian igneous rocks since the late Proterozoic, but also control the formation of later sedimentary basins and the distribution of sedimentary rocks.
Climatic characteristics
Namibia has a subtropical arid and semi-arid climate with an average of 300 clear days per year, making it one of the driest countries in sub Saharan Africa. The average annual rainfall is 270mm, with significant regional differences in annual rainfall, ranging from less than 50mm along the coast, 350mm in the central region, to 700mm in the northeast. Except for the southernmost region where rainfall occurs in winter (June September), 70% of the country's rainfall is concentrated from November to March of the following year.
Due to its high terrain, the air temperature is slightly lower than other regions of the same latitude in the world, and it is mild all year round with a large temperature difference between day and night. The year is divided into four seasons: early spring in September, summer in December, autumn in March, and winter solstice in June. The average daytime temperature in the mainland during summer is 20-34 ° C, and the temperature in remote northern and southern regions is often higher than 40 ° C. The average daytime temperature in mainland China during winter is 18-25 ° C, and the nighttime temperature is often below 0 ° C, with frequent ground fog. The coastal areas are affected by the Benguela Cold Current, with temperatures maintained at 15-25 ° C throughout the year, and there is often thick fog at night.
natural resources
Namibia is rich in mineral resources and is known as the "strategic metal reserve". More than 30 types of minerals have been mined, of which the most valuable are diamonds, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, and gold, with 90% of the mineral products exported.
Namibia has extremely abundant marine fishery resources, making it the third largest fishing country in Africa and the third largest source of income after mining and tourism. Fishery exports account for approximately 15% of total exports. The main products are cod, tuna, sardine, mackerel, lobster, crab, etc., 90% of which are for export. There are only over 300 fishing vessels registered in Namibia, with an annual fishing volume of 500000 to 800000 tons and an annual output value of approximately 480 million US dollars, directly providing 16800 employment opportunities.
Population and ethnicity
According to the 2018 Labor Force Survey report released by the Namibian Bureau of Statistics, the national population of Namibia is 2.414 million. Rural areas account for 50.1% of the population, while urban areas account for 49.9%. The population density is less than 3 people per square kilometer, making it one of the countries with the lowest population density in the world. The labor force accounts for 45.2% of the national population, of which 0.07% have received university or higher education. In 2021, the population was 2.59 million.
Among the 14 provinces in Namibia, the central province of Homas has the largest population, accounting for 18.5% of the national population. The northern Ohanguina district accounts for 10.8%, while Omusati accounts for 10.5%. The population in the southern provinces of Karas, Hadap, northwestern province of Kunene, and eastern province of Omakhko is relatively small.
The Owanbo tribe is the largest tribe in Namibia, with a population of 50% of the national population. Other major tribes include: Kawango, Damara, Herrero, as well as the Caprivi, Nama, Bushman, Rehobot, and Tswana tribes.
