Looking to boost your knowledge of the big wide world and your chances of being crowned the next quiz champion? Why not start with these fun facts about Namibia!
1. Where in the world is Namibia?
Namibia is a sub-Saharan country in south-west Africa. It shares a border with Angola to the north, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the east and South Africa to the south. The Atlantic Ocean sits to the west of the country.
2. It’s a fairly sparse country.
Namibia’s population was 2.541 million in 2020. This sparsely populated country has an area of 318,261 square miles (824,292 square kilometres).
3. What’s the capital of Namibia?
The capital city is called Windhoek; it covers an area of 249 square miles (645 square kilometres) and has a population of 322,500 (2014).
4. Want to fly here?
The coordinates for this hot desert country are 22.5700° S, 17.0861°.
5. Now that’s some ancient sands!
At over 55 million years old, the Namib Desert is the oldest desert in the world!
6. And so are the plants!
The Welwitschia Mirabilis can be found in the Namib Desert – an incredible plant that can live for over 1,000 years!
7. It’s arid throughout.
Namibia has a desert climate with hot, dry weather and sporadic rainfall.
8. Life expectancy is a little short.
The average life expectancy here is 59.27 years (2021).
9. Giving the Grand a run for its money!
With an incredible length of 161km, width of 27km and depth of 550m, Fish River Canyon is the 2nd largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon.
10. Better move fast…
Watch out! Namibia has the largest population of free-roaming Cheetahs in the world!
11. Crash landing!
Amazingly, Namibia is reportedly home to the largest single piece of meteor on Earth! It weighs an incredible 66 tons!
12. Time for change…
The currency of Namibia is the Namibian Dollar, which is linked to the South African Rand and thus maintains the same value.
13. Fancy a dip?
Namibia is home to Dragon’s Breath Cave; only discovered in 1986 by explorers, it is home to the world’s largest underground non-subglacial lake! It also happens to be the only place on Earth where the endangered species Golden Cave Catfish live!
14. What do people speak in Namibia?
The official language of Namibia is English! Nice and easy…
15. Namibia’s industry is fairly varied.
They grow millet, peanuts and sorghum, rear livestock and catch fish. The country’s industry consists of meat packing, fish processing, dairy products and mining. Namibia exports copper, gold, diamonds, lead and zinc.
16. And here’s that all important number…
The international dialing code for Namibia is +264.
FAQs about Namibia
What is Namibia famous for?
Namibia is likely most famous for its incredible desert expanses, as well as its national parkland.
What was Namibia’s original name?
Namibia used to be called South West Africa up until 1968.
What is Namibia’s main religion?
Most people - around 97% of the Namibian populace - are practicing Christians.
Do you have any facts about Namibia? Please share them in the comments below!
Further reading:
https://visitnamibia.com.na/
https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/namibia