Namibia
Windhoek is the capital of Namibia and has approximately 180 000 inhabitants and is 1650 m above sea level.
For most Visitors Windhoek is the entrance point to Namibia's numerous and varied attractions.
Yet Windhoek should not merely be regarded as an arrival point and transit station because the city and its surroundings have much to offer.
The city is sheltered by the Auas Mountains to the south, the Eros Mountains to the North and the Khomas Hochland to the west.
Due to the height above sea level the climate is very pleasant.
Cultural activities
the National Gallery and several private galleries offer art and photo exhibitions.
Plays musicals and dramas are regularly presented at the National theatre.
Historical buildings in the centre of Windhoek dating back to the German colonial times include
"
Offiziershaus", "Alte Feste" (currently the oldest building in Windhoek), "Reiterdenkmal" "Goethe-Zentrum", "Kaiserliche Realschule", "
Christuskirche", "Tintenpalast", and State House.
Colourful street market in Post Street Mall.
A large variety of wood carvings from the Kavango Region, craft work from Zambia and Zimbabwe,
handmade textiles and many other unusual souvenirs are offered for sale.
Outings to scenic spots and places of interest,
e.g. a tour through the Khomas Hochland, to Daan Viljoen Game Park, to "Liebig Haus" or to "Von François Feste".
Global location
Namibia is situated between 17ž and 29ž latitude on the south-western coast of Africa.
Countries bordering Namibia
in the north: Angola and Zambia, in the east: Botswana, in the south and south-west: South Africa.
The Atlantic Ocean forms a natural border in the west.
Dimensions of the country: from north to south approx. 1300km, from east to west between 480 km and 930 km.
In addition in the north-east we find the Caprivi Strip which is approx. 40 km wide and extends about 450 km towards the east.
Total area: 824 269 km2
Population: 1.83 Million
The Namib Desert covers the entire western length of Namibia. Towards the east the coastal plains rise up the escarpment, characterised by deeply eroded valleys and rugged mountain ranges.
The escarpment extends as a narrow series of mountain ranges from the Orange River to the Swakop River and separates the coastal regions and the central highlands, which comprise rolling plains dotted with scattered hills and medium mountain ranges averaging about 1700 m in height.
Towards the east the mountainous Kaokoland and the central highlands slope into an extensive plateau of 1500 - 1000 m above sea level, while the south-eastern part of the country is partly covered by the red dunes of the Kalahari Desert.
Climate
approx. 300 days of sunshine per annum. Cool winter months from May to September, maximum day temperatures between 20° and 26° C in the interior.
Winter nights are cold with average temperatures between 5° and 12° C. Frost occurs occasionally over large parts of the country.
Because it does not rain in winter the air is very dry and the skies are usually clear.
During summer maximum day temperatures soar to 30°C. More than 80% of the total precipitation falls between November and March, usually in the late afternoon.
The average annual rainfall declines sharply from 600 mm in the far north-east to about 50 mm in the Namib.
Therefore Namibia is the most arid country south of the Sahara.
Nature Conservation
In terms of nature conservation, Namibia is one of the leading countries on the continent.
National Parks make up more than 13% of its total area. The greatest attraction among these is the Etosha National Park, boasting big game like elephant, rhino, giraffe and lion as well as large herds of antelope.
Economy
Mining, agriculture, fishing, secondary industries and tourism comprise the major economic sectors..
Currency Namibia Dollar
Official language English. Afrikaans is spoken in most of the parts of the country, while German is widely used, especially in Swakopmund and Lüderitz, also at least 9 indigenous languages.
Ethnic groups in Namibia
Owambo, Kavango, Herero, Himba, Damara, Nama, Topnaar, Rehoboth Baster, Coloured, Caprivian, San, Tswana, and people of European decent.
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