ABSTRACT

Lying on the southwest coast of Africa, Namibia, independent since 1990, has long evoked images of dry rivers and perennial drought. With a population of some 1.5 million (1992 estimate) in an area of 824,300 square kilometres (318,300 square miles), the country is overpopulated given its available groundwater resources. Divided geographically into three parallel strips - the Namib coastal desert, a central farmland belt and a semi-desert, the Kalahari - the country is filled with wild game, and the Etosha National Park is a sought-after tourist attraction.