Description

Namibia is a country located in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast and bordered by Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Namibia is the thirty-fourth largest country in the world and the second least densely populated country. The landscape consists of five different geographical areas: t he Central Plateau, the Namib Desert, the Escarpment, the Bushveld, and the Kalahari Desert. The highest point in Namibia, Konigstein at 8,411 feet is located in the Central Plateau. The best known geographical feature in Namibia is the Kalahari Desert. One area, the Succulent Karoo, is home to over 5,000 species of plants and one third of the world\'s succulents are found here. Because of this fact, Namibia is the only country in the world to specifically address conservation and protection of natural resources in their constitution. The climate is generally extremely dry except for a north-flowing Benguela current accounting for some of the low precipitation.
 
In Namibia, the politics take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic. The President is the head of state, head of government, and of a multiparty system and elected to a five year term. Executive power is exercised by the government; legislative power is vested in both the government and the bicameral Parliament: the National Assembly and the National council, and the Judiciary is independent of both.
 
The official language of Namibia is English; however most of the population speaks either Afrikaans or German. Half of all Namibians speak Oshiwambo as their first language, while the most widely understood language is Afrikaans. For the younger generations, English is the most widely understood language. The Namibian population is mostly black African, with half of the population being part of the Owambo tribe. In addition to the Bantu majority, there are large groups of Khoisan, Coloureds, Basters, and Whites of Portuguese, Dutch, German, British and French ancestry. Traditional Namibian dance occurs at community events such as weddings and the Caprivi Arts Festival. The music consists of various strings, flutes, and drums. The Owambo people are known for their unique style of music called shambo.

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