Namibia

The Republic of Namibia is located in SW Africa . It is bordered by Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, and to the south by S. Africa.

Travel Insurance for Namibia :
Area: World Wide exc. USA / Canada *

Know Before You Go:
FCO Country Advice for Namibia
 

Namibia a huge country of differing terrain, with the Namib Desert , central plateau area and mountains, rivers and national parks. Formerly known as South-West Africa , it became a German colony in the late 18 th century. During WW1 the territory was taken over by S. Africa . Namibia obtained independence in 1990 under leadership of President Sam Nujoma.

English is the official language, with Afrikaans commonly spoken as well as some German and other indigenous languages. The majority of the population is black with about half of those being members of the Ovambo tribe. Christianity is the main religion.

Namibia has three main areas: The Kalahari Desert, the Central Plateau area, and the Namib Desert . The Central Plateau is an area of beautiful scenery and mountains.

Included in the central area of Namibia , surrounded by mountains, is the capital city, Windhoek . It is a cosmopolitan city and the main starting place for visitors to Namibia before setting off on safaris. It offers good hotels, restaurants, shopping and nightlife. There are also art galleries, botanical gardens and museums.

Not far from Windhoek is a game reserve and also one of many hot mineral springs resorts, which is a must for relaxation and for viewing the large game animals. The other major town in Namibia is Swakopmund, situated on the coastline, which has mainly German influence, including German beer.

Visitors to Nambia usually wish to go on safari to one of the game parks to view the African wild game, including elephants, lions, wildebeest, rhinos, giraffe, cheetah and hyenas, to name just a few. There are plenty of organized safari trips to be found. Etosha National Park in the northern part of the country is one of the more well known game parks and it is open year-round. The hunting season for game animals is typically from February to November. There are also river trips down the Zambezi River for wildlife viewing.

In the southern part of the country Fish River Canyon provides a similar experience to the Grand Canyon . There are hot springs resorts and dams and lots of spectacular scenery. The Namib Desert area has spectacular sand dunes and is reputed to be the oldest desert in the world.

Facts
President: Hifikepunye Pohamba (2005)
Prime Minister: Nahas Angula (2005)
Capital: Windhoek
Population: 2,000,000 (very approx.)
Time Zone: GMT +2 (DS observed)
Currency: Namibian Dollar
Country Dialling Code: 264

Weather / Climate
Namibia ’s climate is mostly desert, hot and dry with infrequent rainfall. In the central areas summer temperatures (Oct-Apr) range from 20C-35C and sometimes higher. The coastal area has milder temperatures from 15-25C. The wet season is from Oct-Apr. Winter season is from May toSept.

Health
Travel Insurance for travel to Namibia

Links
www.namibiatourism.com Is the website of the Namibia Tourist Board which gives comprehensive information for visitors.

Disclaimer: While we have tried to ensure this information is correct we do not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy.
* Inclusion on this guide does not guarantee travel insurance is available in this country at any given time. Travel Insurance is not available in countries for which the FCO advise against travel to.
** The FCO advised against travel to countries marked thus at the time of writing. Travel Insurance is not available in areas where the FCO advise against travel to.