Geography of Namibia
Location: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South AfricaGeographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 17 00 E
Map references: Africa
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:
3,824 km
border countries:
Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 855 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline: 1,572 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 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, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
note:
suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
Land use:
arable land:
0.99% (1998 est.) 1% (1993 est.)
permanent crops:
0% (1998, 1993 est.)
permanent pastures:
46% (1993 est.)
forests and woodland:
22% (1993 est.)
other:
99.01 (1998 est.), 31% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 70 sql km (1998 est.), 60 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: prolonged periods of drought
Environment - current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification
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
- See also : Namibia, List of rivers of Africa
