Land area

824,269 sq km

Population

2.17m (mid-2009 IMF estimate)

Main towns

Population ('000; 2010 World Gazetteer estimates)

Windhoek (capital): 315.9

Rundu: 81.5

Walvis Bay: 67.2

Oshakati: 39.7

Swakopmund: 34.3

Grootfontein: 29.0

Katima Mulilo: 27.9

Climate

Semi-arid and subtropical

Weather in Windhoek (altitude 1,833 metres)

Hottest months, January and February, 17-39°C (daily minimum and maximum); coldest months, June and July, 6-20°C; driest month, July, 1 mm average rainfall; wettest month, January, 350 mm average rainfall

Languages

English (official), Oshivambo (various dialects), Nama-Damara, Afrikaans, Herero, Rukavango, Lozi, German, Tswana and several Bushman (San) dialects

Measures

Metric system

Fiscal year

April 1st-March 31st

Currency

Namibia dollar (N$) = 100 cents; introduced in September 1993, pegged at parity with the South African rand

Time

2 hours ahead of GMT

Public holidays

January 1st, March 21st (Independence Day), Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1st (Workers' Day), May 4th (Cassinga Day), Ascension Day, May 25th (Africa Day), August 26th (Heroes' Day), December 10th (Human Rights Day), December 25th and 26th (Christmas Day and Family Day)