Namibia
Type of Government: Republic
Independence: 1990 from a South African mandate
Head of State: President Hifikepunye Pohamba (since March 21, 2005)
2007/2008 UN Development Index ranking (out of 177 countries): 125
2007 TI Corruption Perception Index (out of 179): 57
Political Development: Namibia won its independence in 1990 and has been governed by the South-West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) ever since. Hifikepunye Pohamba was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam Nujoma who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule.
Adult HIV Rate: 21.3%
Life Expectancy: 43.11
GDP: $5.245 billion
Inflation: 5.1%
Poverty: 55.8%
Petroleum: N/A
Leading Export Partner: South Africa (33.4%)
Economic Note: The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa, the world’s fifth-largest producer of uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. The mining sector, however, employs only about 3% of the population while about half of the population depends on subsistence agriculture for its livelihood. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand. Privatization of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate long-run foreign investment. Increased fish production and mining of zinc, copper, uranium, and silver spurred growth in 2003-06.
