ABSTRACT

Prior to independence from South Africa, human rights and, with it, children’s rights were not high on the agenda of the then political dispensation, the apartheid regime. But this

FACTS ABOUT NAMIBIA Area: Namibia is a vast country of 823,145 km2. It is the twelh largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, lying on the southwest coast of the African continent between latitudes 17.5ºS and 28.5ºS and between longitudes 12ºE and 20ºE. It shares its main borders with Angola, Botswana, and South Africa. In the far northeast is the Caprivi Strip, now called Zambezi Region, an elongated panhandle consisting of tropical riverine swamplands and bordered by four countries-Angola, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Population: According to the last ocial census (Namibia Statistics Agency 2013), Namibia had a population of about 2.1 million with an annual growth rate (2001-2011) of about 1.4%. Namibia has a median age of 21 years, and is therefore rather “young.” e average population density of the territory is only 2.6 persons per km2 compared with 35.5 per km2 for Africa and 47 per km2 for the world. Although Namibia is one of the most sparsely populated regions of the world, it has a rich variety of cultures, languages, and races. While English is the ocial language, many languages are spoken in the country. ey can be divided into three categories: the Bantu languages, spoken by the Owambos, Hereros, Kavangos, Caprivians, and Twanas; the Khoi-san languages spoken by the San and Nama/Damara; and the Indo-Germanic languages of the Afrikaans, English, and Germans. e Owambos are the biggest ethnic group, representing about 50% of Namibia’s population. Windhoek is the nation’s capital. Other major municipalities include Ondangwa, Oshakati, Walvisbay, Luederitz, KatimaMulilo, Keetmanshoop, and Oranjemund. Climate: Namibia has a dry climate typical of a semidesert country where droughts are a regular occurrence. Days are mostly warm to very hot, while nights are generally cool. Average day temperatures in the summer vary from 20°C to 34°C and average night temperatures in the winter from 0°C to 10°C. Temperatures in the interior are lower because of the altitude, while along the coast, the cold Benguela Current has a modifying inuence. Average rainfall gures vary from less than 50 mm along the coast to 350 mm in the central and 700 mm in the far northeastern regions. However, because of the high variability of rainfall, especially in the arid regions, the “annual” rainfall does not necessarily give a true picture. Economy: e Namibian economy continues to show the features of a dualistic production structure, that is, its main streams “comprise traditional subsistence and high-technology industry” (Kaapama et al. 2007, 1). e national economy as a whole grew annually by 4.1% between 1995 and 2007 (Sherbourne 2010, 79). e pillars of Namibia’s economy are mining, shing, tourism, and agriculture. e largest single contributor to Namibia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is the government, and the largest provider of employment is agriculture. Government: Namibia is a unitary state, which is divided into 13 administrative regions. Namibia is ruled by a multiparty parliament and has a democratic constitution, buttressed by extensive human rights guaranties. e constitution provides for the division of power among the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.