Geography
Namibia
Area
land
823,290 sq km
water
1,002 sq km
total
824,292 sq km
Climate
arid; characterized by high temperatures and limited rainfall, which is both scarce and unpredictable
Terrain
predominantly a high plateau; featuring the Namib Desert on the coastline and the Kalahari Desert to the east
Land use
other
43.1% (2023 est.)
forest
9.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
47.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 46.2% (2023 est.)
Location
Located in Southern Africa, it lies adjacent to the South Atlantic Ocean, positioned between Angola and South Africa
Coastline
1,572 km
Elevation
lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
Konigstein on Brandberg 2,573 m
mean elevation
1,141 m
Irrigated land
80 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers
Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin and Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total
4,220 km
border countries
Angola: 1,427 km; Botswana: 1,544 km; South Africa: 1,005 km; Zambia: 244 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
extended durations of drought conditions
Geography - note
the Namib Desert, which lends its name to the country, is recognized as the oldest desert globally; approximately 14% of the territory is designated as protected, encompassing nearly the entire coastal strip of the Namib Desert
Natural resources
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, and fish
Area - comparative
nearly seven times larger than Pennsylvania; just over half the area of Alaska
Geographic coordinates
22 00 S, 17 00 E
Population distribution
the population density is extremely low, with the most significant concentrations occurring in the far north-central region along the Angolan border, as illustrated in this population distribution map
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage
Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage
Orange (941,351 sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)
Major rivers (by length in km)
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