What is the capital of Namibia?

The capital of Namibia is Windhoek.

What is the population of Namibia?

Namibia has a population of about 3.09 million, the #137 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.

Namibia covers 825,615 km², ranking #36 by area, with about 4 people per square kilometre.

Which countries border Namibia?

Namibia shares a land or maritime border with South Africa, Angola, Zambia, Botswana.

What is the largest city in Namibia?

Windhoek is the largest city in Namibia, with a metropolitan population of about 268,132.

What is the highest mountain in Namibia?

The highest summit recorded for Namibia in YearMaps is Brandberg at 2,579 m (8,461 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.

Namibia Map — Cities, Rivers & History

Interactive Map of Namibia

4.4

Centred on Windhoek at 22.5700° S, 17.0835° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.

About Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Zambia (via the Caprivi Strip) and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, approximating a quadripoint, Zimbabwe lies less than 200 metres (660 ft) away along the Zambezi river near Kazungula, Zambia. Namibia's capital and largest city is Windhoek.

Namibia is the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, and has been inhabited since prehistoric times by the Khoi, San, Damara and Nama people. Around the 14th century, immigrating Bantu peoples arrived as part of the Bantu expansion. From 1600, the Owambo formed kingdoms, such as Ondonga and Oukwanyama. In 1884, the German Empire established rule over most of the territory, forming a colony known as German South West Africa. Between 1904–08, German troops waged a punitive campaign against the Herero and Nama which escalated into the first genocide of the 20th century. German rule ended during the First World War with a 1915 defeat by South African forces. In 2021, German and Namibian diplomats created a "reconciliation agreement" acknowledging atrocities from the German colonial period.

In 1920, the League of Nations mandated administration of the colony to South Africa. The National Party, elected to power in 1948 in South Africa, applied apartheid to what was then known as South West Africa. Uprisings and demands for political representation resulted in the United Nations assuming direct responsibility over the territory in 1966, but South Africa maintained de facto rule until 1973. That year the UN recognised the South West Africa People's Organisation, SWAPO, as the official representative of the Namibian people. Namibia gained independence from South Africa in March 1990, following the South African Border War. However, Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands remained under South African control until 1994.

Namibia is a parliamentary democracy. Agriculture, tourism and the mining industry – including mining for diamonds, uranium, gold, silver and base metals – form the basis of its economy, while the manufacturing sector is comparatively small. Despite significant GDP growth since its independence, poverty and inequality remain significant. 41% of the population is affected by multidimensional poverty, and more than 400,000 people live in informal housing. Income disparity is one of the world's highest with a Gini coefficient of 59 in 2015.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Namibia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Geography and Climate of Namibia

Various ethnic groups occupied southwestern Africa prior to Germany establishing a colony over most of the territory in 1884. South Africa occupied the colony, then known as German South West Africa, in 1915 during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966, the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia gained independence in 1990, and SWAPO has governed it since, although the party has dropped much of its Marxist ideology. President Hage GEINGOB was elected in 2014 in a landslide victory, replacing Hifikepunye POHAMBA, who stepped down after serving two terms. SWAPO retained its parliamentary super majority in the 2014 elections. In 2019 elections, GEINGOB was reelected but by a substantially reduced majority, and SWAPO narrowly lost its super majority in parliament.

Location: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa.
Climate: Desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic.
Terrain: Mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east.
Highest point: Konigstein on Brandberg 2,573 m.
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m.
Coastline: 1,572 km.
Land borders: Total: 4,220 km; border countries: Angola 1,427 km; Botswana 1,544 km; South Africa 1,005 km; Zambia 244 km.
Major rivers: Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Orange river mouth (shared with Lesotho [s], and South Africa) - 2,092 km; Okavango (shared with Angola [s], and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
Natural resources: Diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish.
Land use: Agricultural land: 47.1% (2023 est.); arable land: 1% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 46.2% (2023 est.); forest: 9.8% (2023 est.); other: 43.1% (2023 est.)
Natural hazards: Prolonged periods of drought.
Geographic note: The Namib Desert, after which the country is named, is considered to be the oldest desert in the world; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip.
Languages: Oshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4%, Herero languages 9.2%, Zambezi languages 4.9%, English (official) 2.3%, other African languages 1.5%, other European languages 0.7%, other 1% (2016 est.)
Religions: Christian 97.5%, other 0.6% (includes Muslim, Baha'i, Jewish, Buddhist), unaffiliated 1.9% (2020 est.)
Ethnic groups: Ovambo 50%, Kavangos 9%, Herero 7%, Damara 7%, mixed European and African ancestry 6.5%, European 6%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, San 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%.
Economy: Upper middle-income, export-driven Sub-Saharan economy; natural resource rich; Walvis Bay port expansion for trade; high potential for renewable power generation and energy independence; major nature-based tourist locale; natural resource rich; shortage of skilled labor.

From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.

Namibia in Numbers

Population: 3.09 million
GDP: US$15.1 billion
GDP per person: US$4,876
Life expectancy: 67.5 years
Population growth: 2.05% a year
Population density: 4 per km²
Urban population: 50.9%
Surface area: 824,292 km²
Forest cover: 9.8%
Arable land: 1.0%
Access to electricity: 59.3%
Internet users: 64.9%

Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.

Namibia in Depth

History

The name of the country is derived from the Namib desert, the oldest desert in the world. The word Namib itself is of Khoi origin and means "vast place". The name was chosen by Mburumba Kerina, who originally proposed "Republic of Namib". Before Namibia became independent in 1990, its territory was known first as German South-West Africa (Deutsch-Südwestafrika), and then as South West Africa, reflecting its colonial occupation by Germans and South Africans, respectively.

"The dry lands of Namibia have been inhabited since prehistoric times by the San, Damara, and Nama. For thousands of years, the Khoisan peoples of Southern Africa maintained a nomadic life, the Khoikhoi as pastoralists and the San people as hunter-gatherers.

Geography

At 825,615 km2 (318,772 sq mi), Namibia is the world's 34th largest country (after Venezuela). It lies mostly between latitudes 17° and 29°S (a small area is north of 17°), and longitudes 11° and 26°E.

The Namibian landscape consists generally of five geographical areas, each with characteristic abiotic conditions and vegetation, with some variation within and overlap between them: the Central Plateau, the Namib Desert, the Great Escarpment, the Bushveld, and the Kalahari Desert.

Namibia is situated between the Namib and Kalahari Deserts. Namibia has the least rainfall of any country in sub-Saharan Africa. The Namib is a broad expanse of hyper-arid gravel plains and dunes that stretches along Namibia's entire coastline. It varies between 100 and 200 km (60 and 120 mi) in width.

Economy

The trans-African automobile route – the Tripoli-Cape Town Highway and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor pass through Namibia. Namibia's economy is tied closely to South Africa's due to their shared history. In Q3 2023, the largest economic sectors were mining (18.0% of GDP), public administration (12.9%), manufacturing (10.1%), and education (9.2%).

Namibia has a highly developed banking and financial services sector with modern infrastructures, such as online banking and cellphone banking. The Bank of Namibia (BoN) is the central bank of Namibia responsible for performing all other functions ordinarily performed by a central bank. There are five BoN authorised commercial banks in Namibia: Bank Windhoek, First National Bank, Nedbank, Standard Bank and Small and Medium Enterprises Bank.

Demographics

Namibia has the second-lowest population density of any sovereign country, after Mongolia, as well as having the lowest population density of any sovereign country with a coastline. In 2017 there were on average 3.08 people per km2. The total fertility rate in 2015 was 3.47 children per woman according to the UN which is lower than the average TFR in sub-Saharan Africa of 4.7.

Namibia conducts a census every ten years.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Namibia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Namibia: Key Facts

Key facts about Namibia
Currencies	Namibian dollar, rand
Official language	English
Head of state	Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Head of government	Elijah Ngurare
Calling code	+264
Internet domain	.na
Highest point	Brandberg
Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean
Established	1990

Facts from Wikidata Q1030 (CC0).

History of Namibia: Empires and States

The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Namibia, from German Africa in 1885 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.

Polities that held Namibia, in chronological order
Polity	Period here	Extent
German Africa	1885–1915 CE	Nearly all
British Africa	1916–1931 CE	Most
The British Empire	1916–1931 CE	Most
South Africa	1932–1989 CE	Most
Namibia	1990–2024 CE	Most

Historical Maps of Namibia

Namibia on the world map in each year one of these states held it:

Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.

Visiting Namibia

Namibia is a country in Southern Africa, north of South Africa and west of Botswana, boasts remarkable natural attractions such as the Namib Desert, the Fish River Canyon Park, Etosha National Park and the Kalahari Desert.

Thanks to both a wealth of indigenous cultures and a tumultuous colonial history, its people speak nine different languages, including some of the Khoisan languages which include the 'clicks' that present an enigma to most native English speakers. It is also one of the few places outside Central Europe where German, although not official, remains a commonly spoken language, while Afrikaans, shared with its southern neighbour, is also prevalent.

Blending German, Afrikaner, Herero and other indigenous heritage in its modern cities, unique desert landscapes, rich wildlife and a relatively high standard of living, resulting in part from abundant natural resources (for example, Namibia produces the world's highest-quality gem diamonds), Namibia is today a peaceful country, welcoming to visitors and offering unforgettable experiences.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Namibia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Largest Cities in Namibia

27 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.

Largest Cities in Namibia
#	Name	Population	Region	Role
1	Windhoek	268,132	Khomas	National capital
2	Rundu	58,172	Kavango	Populated place
3	Walvis Bay	52,058	Erongo	Populated place
4	Swakopmund	29,491	Erongo	Admin-1 region capital
5	Rehoboth	25,219	Hardap	Admin-1 capital
6	Ongwediva	25,032	Oshana	Populated place
7	Katima Mulilo	25,027	Caprivi	Populated place
8	Otjiwarongo	24,815	Otjozondjupa	Admin-1 region capital
9	Grootfontein	24,099	Otjozondjupa	Populated place
10	Okahandja	20,879	Otjozondjupa	Admin-1 capital
11	Keetmanshoop	18,039	Karas	Admin-1 region capital
12	Gobabis	16,321	Omaheke	Admin-1 capital
13	Lüderitz	15,137	Karas	Admin-1 capital
14	Tsumeb	14,959	Oshikoto	Admin-1 capital
15	Mariental	13,380	Hardap	Admin-1 capital
16	Oshikango	12,423	Ohangwena	Populated place
17	Omaruru	11,547	Erongo	Admin-1 capital
18	Bethanie	10,363	Karas	Admin-1 capital
19	Usakos	9,147	Erongo	Populated place
20	Oranjemund	8,496	Karas	Populated place
21	Karibib	6,898	Erongo	Admin-1 capital
22	Outjo	6,557	Kunene	Admin-1 capital
23	Karasburg	6,054	Karas	Admin-1 capital
24	Opuwo	4,857	Kunene	Populated place
25	Otavi	4,562	Otjozondjupa	Admin-1 capital

The other 2 (population, region, role)

Maltahöhe · 2,329 · Hardap · Admin-1 capital
Cuangar · 500 · Kavango · Populated place

Highest Mountains in Namibia

2 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.

Highest Mountains in Namibia
#	Name	Elevation	Feet	Region
1	Brandberg	2,579 m	8,461 ft	Africa
2	Hunsberge	1,655 m	5,430 ft	Africa

Rivers in Namibia

7 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.

Rivers in Namibia
Name	Type	Also Flows Through
Auob	River	South Africa
Cuando	River	Angola, Zambia, Botswana
Cubango	River	Angola
Cunene	River	Angola
Okavango	River	Botswana
Orange	River	South Africa, Lesotho
Zambezi	River	Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe

Ports in Namibia

2 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.

Ports in Namibia
#	Name	Channel Depth	Class	Sea	Max Vessel
1	Luderitz Bay	42.1 m	Small	Atlantic Coast of Africa	medium vessels
2	Walvis Bay	31.1 m	Small	Atlantic Coast of Africa	large vessels

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Namibia

2 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Namibia
#	Name	Inscribed	Type	Criteria
1	Twyfelfontein	2007	Cultural	(iii) (v)
2	Namib Sand Sea	2013	Natural	(vii) (viii) (ix) (x)

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Namibia

8 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.

More on these mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms →

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Namibia
#	Name	Area	Type	Region
1	Africa	29.41M km²	Continent	Africa
2	Kalahari Desert	763,095 km²	Desert	Africa
3	Groot Karasberge	55,560 km²	Range/mtn	Africa
4	Khomas Highland	42,802 km²	Plateau	Africa
5	Skeleton Coast	14,829 km²	Coast	Africa
6	Etosha Pan	7,317 km²	Desert	Africa
7	Namib Desert	3,621 km²	Desert	Africa
8	Kaokoland	3,037 km²	Geoarea	Africa

States and Provinces of Namibia

3 first-level divisions with their own map.

Countries Bordering Namibia

Land and maritime neighbours.

More Maps in Africa

Namibia: Quick Answers

What is the capital of Namibia?: The capital of Namibia is Windhoek.
What is the population of Namibia?: Namibia has a population of about 3.09 million, the #137 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
How big is Namibia?: Namibia covers 825,615 km², ranking #36 by area, with about 4 people per square kilometre.
Which continent is Namibia in?: Namibia is in Africa.
Which countries border Namibia?: Namibia shares a land or maritime border with South Africa, Angola, Zambia, Botswana.
What is the largest city in Namibia?: Windhoek is the largest city in Namibia, with a metropolitan population of about 268,132.
What is the highest mountain in Namibia?: The highest summit recorded for Namibia in YearMaps is Brandberg at 2,579 m (8,461 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.