Namibia. A narrow strip of abundant grace. Fine arts and crafts

Useful information for tourists about Namibia, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Namibia, cuisine, visa and customs restrictions Namibia.

Geography of Namibia

Namibia is a country in southwest Africa. In the north it borders with Angola and Zambia, in the east - with Botswana, in the southeast and south - with South Africa. From the west it is washed by waters Atlantic Ocean.

The bulk of Namibia consists of highlands occupying the center of the country. The highest point is located there (Mount Königstein (Brandberg), 2,606 m). From the west, the central plateau is bounded by the Namib Desert, facing the Atlantic Ocean, from the south by the Orange River, from the east by 20 m and 21 m degrees east longitude and the Kalahari Desert. The Caprivi Strip and the far north of the country are occupied by jungle.

State

State structure

Namibia is a republic. The head of state is the president. Legislative branch - bicameral parliament: National Council and the National Assembly.

Language

Official language: English, Afrikaans

80% of African Namibians speak Bantu languages. Of these, the most common languages are Ovambo (spoken by 70% of the total Bantu-speaking population), Herero (9%) and Lozi (6%). Afrikaans is spoken in the southern regions.

Religion

Christians make up about 90% of the population (most Protestants (mostly Lutherans), Catholics - 14% of the population), 10% adhere to traditional African beliefs (animalism, fetishism, cult of ancestors, guardians of the hearth, forces of nature, etc.).

Currency

International name: NAD

The Namibian dollar is equal to 100 cents. In circulation are banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 N$, coins in denominations of 1 (out of circulation), 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, as well as 1, 2 and 5 N$.

Currency exchange can be done at exchange offices at the international airport, as well as at banks and their branches throughout almost the entire country. As a rule, Namibian dollars cannot be exchanged back for hard currency.

Credit cards, as well as travel checks, are accepted at most major hotels, stores, restaurants and gas stations. They can also be used to obtain cash through the ATM system operated by First National Bank (“BOB”). One-time withdrawals are limited to N$1,000.

You can cash travel checks at bank offices, but the bank may not have US dollars in cash, so such transactions should be carried out by calling the bank in advance. Preference is given to checks in US dollars and South African rands.

Popular attractions

Tourism in Namibia

Office hours

Banks are open from 9.00-10.00 to 15.30-16.00 from Monday to Friday, on Saturday - from 8.30 to 11.00.

Purchases

Shops are open from Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 17.00 or 17.30, on Saturday from 8.00 to 13.00, on Sunday most shops are closed. Grocery stores are open all week from 8.00 to 19.30 or 20.00. Shops selling alcoholic drinks, open Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 18.30, Saturday from 8.00 to 13.00 and closed on Sunday.

Bargaining, especially in rural areas, is customary always and everywhere; in large stores prices are fixed, but often at the end of the day or week there are significant discounts.

Safety

The Skeleton Coast has been declared a national park, accessible only with a special permit (approximately $40 per person). Some areas adjacent to Angolan territory are recommended to be visited only in large groups that mandatory accompanied by an armed escort of local security forces.

Emergency numbers

Police and rescue services - 10-111.
Ambulance - 211-111 (Windhoek), 405-731 (Swakopmund), 205-443 (Walvis Bay).

NAMIBIA
Republic of Namibia, a state in southwest Africa. In the west it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in the north it borders with Angola and Zambia, in the east - with Botswana, in the southeast and south - with South Africa. In the northeast, the territory of Namibia is wedged between Angola, Botswana and Zambia in the form of a narrow corridor 483 km long and 80 km wide. This is the so-called the Caprivi strip, giving the country access to the Zambezi River. Until 1968 it was called South West Africa. In 1884-1915 - a colony of Germany, from 1915 until the declaration of independence on March 21, 1990, it was under the control of South Africa. Area - 825,112 sq. km, including the Walvis Bay area of 1124 sq. km, which was returned to Namibia in 1994 Republic of South Africa. The population of Namibia is 1870 thousand people (2000 data). The capital is Windhoek (210 thousand inhabitants).

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NATURE
Coastline with a total length of approx. 1500 km leveled. There are only two convenient bays - Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, although approaches to them are complicated due to strong winds, sea swell, surf and constant fog. In the northern and southern regions the coast is composed of crushed stone and pebbles, and in the central regions it is sandy. In the area of Walvis Bay, there is sometimes a dull rumble, the water boils and turns almost red, and masses of dead fish wash up on the shore. A column of fetid smoke mixed with hydrogen sulfide rises above the waves, and islands of sulfur form in shallow areas, which last only a few days and then disappear.
There were often shipwrecks off the coast of Namibia, which was reflected in local toponymy. Particularly notorious is the area north of Cape Cross, called the Skeleton Coast. Here, the reefs contain wrecks of sunken ships and bleached human skeletons.
The Namib Desert stretches along the coast, reaching a width of 50 to 130 km and occupying approx. 20% of the country's territory. The wind moves coastal sands from south to north and forms white-yellow dunes up to 40 m high. Behind the coastal dunes stretches a chain of long narrow lagoons. There are also salt marsh depressions of round or oval shape.
With distance from the coast, the color of the dunes gradually turns red due to an increase in the content of iron oxides. This feature is a good guide for pilots. The dunes in the interior of the Namib Desert rise up to 300 m and are the highest in the world.
In the east, the surface of the Namib rises in steps to the Great Escarpment. Numerous remnant plateaus and mountains rise here in places. One of them, Mount Brandberg (2579 m), composed of granites, is the highest point of the country. It is surrounded by lower mountains, which are called the "Twelve Apostles". In the caves and on the slopes of the Brandberg, rock paintings of primitive people have been preserved.
The Great Escarpment serves as the western boundary of a plateau composed of crystalline rocks, mainly granites and gneisses, which are in places overlain by quartzites, sandstones and limestones. The plateau slopes gently into the interior of the continent and is divided into separate massifs (Kaoko, Ovambo, Damara, Nama, etc.) by tectonic depressions. The largest of them - Kalahari - is located at an altitude of approx. 900 m above sea level It is made of red and white sands covering crystalline basement rocks. The sands form dunes up to 100 m high.
Namibia is rich in mineral resources. The most important of them are diamonds, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, tin, silver, gold, pyrites, manganese, etc. Diamond placers are concentrated on the Atlantic coast, especially in the area from Lüderitz to the mouth of the Orange River, as well as in the adjacent area shelf. The Orange Mouth diamond mines (north of the mouth of the Orange River) are the largest in the world. The total diamond reserves exceed 35 million carats, of which 98% are high-quality jewelry. In a number of areas (Karibiba, Omaruru, Swakopmund) there are deposits of precious and semi-precious stones- tourmaline, aquamarine, agate, topaz. Gold was discovered in the Rehoboth and Swakopmund areas.
In terms of uranium reserves, Namibia is one of the first places in the world. They are estimated at 136 thousand tons. The largest uranium mine, Rossing, is located north of Swakopmund.
Almost 90% of explored reserves of non-ferrous metals are concentrated in the northeast of the country (Tsumey, Grootfontein, Otavi). Local ores are different high content lead, zinc, copper, cadmium and germanium. Here, rhinerite, tsumebite and stottite, which have semiconductor properties, were first discovered as accompanying minerals.
In the Abenab area, north of Grootfontein, there is one of the world's largest deposits of vanadium ore with reserves of 16 thousand tons. In the Karibiba area and near the southern border of the country there are deposits of beryllium and lithium ores, and in Kaoko - iron ores ( total reserves 400 million tons), and in Otjiwarongo - manganese (5 million tons).
The climate of Namibia is very dry, tropical. There are wet summers (September - March) and dry winters. Their alternation is most pronounced in the northeast of the country and least of all in the coastal strip, where the entire annual amount of precipitation (from 25 to 100 mm) falls within a month, and 50-70% of the moisture immediately evaporates or seeps into the sand layer. Thick cold fogs constantly hang here.
The average temperatures of the warmest month (January) are 18°C on the ocean coast and 27°C inland, the coldest month (July) is 12°C in the south and 16°C in the north. Precipitation falls mainly in summer, reaching a maximum in the extreme northeast (500-700 mm). The further you go south, the hotter and drier the summers and colder the winters.
Agriculture relies heavily on irrigation. Of great importance are the northern rivers of the Kunene and Zambezi basins, the Ovamboland canal system and individual wells, reservoirs in the beds of temporary rivers and reservoirs. The waters of the Orange River are difficult to use because it flows in a canyon 120 m deep. Navigation on constantly flowing rivers is hampered by rapids, sediment at the mouths and floating accumulations of plant debris.
The Cunene River is famous for the Ruacana waterfalls, where the water cascades from a height of 70 m, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. A large hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 320 MW was built here, but it operates no more than six months a year due to the strong shallowing of the river in summer.
In the north of Namibia, in a drainless basin, there is the Etosha salt marsh with an area of approx. 5 thousand sq. km, the largest in Africa. When its flat bottom, covered with a lime-clay crust, is filled with water every few years, a temporary lake up to 1.5 m deep is formed. Salt has been mined here for a long time.
The coastal strip of the Namib Desert is devoid of vegetation. Only in the valleys of temporary watercourses do xerophytes and succulents grow (acacia, aloe, euphorbia and Welwitschia, typical of these places, living for more than 100 years). In the interior of the Namib Desert, only succulent shrubs and subshrubs grow, but after the rains short term a carpet of flowering plants appears. Towards the east, the succulent desert gives way to cereal-shrub desert, which is characteristic of the Great Escarpment and part of the plateau. In the most humidified places of Damara and Kaoko, areas of park savannah with white acacia appear. Park savannas are also characteristic of the eastern part of Ovambo and the Caprivi strip. Here, the species composition of trees is more diverse (acacias, palm trees, baobabs, etc.), and the grass stand is dominated by grasses up to 5 m high. A significant part of the territory of Namibia is occupied by semi-desert and deserted savannas of the Kalahari.
The islands and bays along the Atlantic coast are home to many birds and seals, and the coastal waters are rich in fish. The dunes on the coast are home to lizards, snakes, small rodents and insects. Large animals include hyenas and jackals.
On the Namibian plateau, some species of antelope (kudu, springbok, duiker) and zebra have been preserved. Predators (hyenas, jackals), rodents (tree and mountain dormouse), as well as some exotic insectivores (aardvark, golden mole) lead a nocturnal lifestyle. The richest fauna of Etosha National Park in the north of the country, where the largest lion population in Africa is preserved, as well as a very rare species mammals - black rhinoceros and aardwolf. Nature conservation in Namibia is given great attention, as evidenced by extensive network national parks and reserves.
POPULATION
Demography. According to the 1991 census, the population of Namibia was 1.4 million people, with approx. 6% of the population were white, the rest were African or of mixed descent. In the 1990s, the annual population growth rate was estimated at approximately 3.2%. The age structure of the population has a high proportion of youth, with about half of Namibians under 18 years of age and 42% under 15 years of age. The fertility rate is 5.1-5.4. The birth rate is 42 per 1000 inhabitants, and the mortality rate is 10.5 per 1000. Infant mortality is 57-61 per 1000 births. Average life expectancy is 61 years.
According to some estimates, in 1998, approximately 1,000 people were infected with AIDS in Namibia. 25% of the country's adult population (the first case of AIDS was registered in 1986). According to 1997 data, AIDS was main reason death (12.4%), every fifth child under the age of 13 died from it. Diseases such as tuberculosis, childhood diarrhea, and, in the northern regions, malaria and malnutrition, which are also often fatal, are also common.
The territorial distribution of the population is extremely uneven, with an average population density of approx. 2 people per 1 sq. km. The exception is some mining and industrial areas Ovambo plateau, where it reaches 15-26 people per 1 sq. km. In the 1990s, between 27% and 38% of Namibians lived in cities and surrounding areas. In the 1980-1990s, the influx of population into cities grew steadily. After 1990, when Namibia gained independence, the urban population increased by 5-8% annually due to migrants. Particularly high rates of migration were observed from the northern regions to other parts of the country, especially to the capital Windhoek and its suburbs, since it was easier to find work there. The remaining cities of Namibia are small in size and represent commercial, transport and administrative centers located far from each other.
The main religion in Namibia is Christianity. Approximately they consider themselves Christians. 90% Namibians. The first place in number is occupied by Lutherans, followed by Catholics, supporters of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Anglican and Methodist churches. Through the Namibia Council of Churches, religion plays an active role in the country's public life. The activities of religious communities and organizations are most noticeable in such areas of secular life as assistance to refugees and those affected by drought, public education, the fight against the legalization of abortion and an investigation into allegations of human rights violations brought against the ruling party, the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO). The majority of the population of the agricultural north remains committed to local traditional beliefs.
Languages. About 80% of Namibians speak Bantu languages, 12% speak Khoisan languages, and the rest use Afrikaans (the language of South African settlers) or European languages. Various dialects of the Ovambo language, including the rather unique Kwangali, are spoken by 70% of the total Bantu-speaking population, Herero by 9%, and Lozi by 6%. Among the speakers of the Khoisan group of languages, the San people (Bushmen) deserve mention. Among the population of European descent, the most common language is German (speaking 4%), followed by English and Portuguese to a lesser extent. According to the 1990 constitution, official language became English, although at that time no more than 10% of the population spoke it fluently.
Namibians who speak dialects of the Ovambo language live in the central plateau in the north of the country and in the Okavango Valley, where they or their ancestors came in colonial times in search of work. The Herero-speaking population predominates in the northwestern and central regions plateaus. Basic ethnic groups, speaking Khoisan languages: San, living in the Kalahari semi-desert, Nama - in the southern part of the plateau and mountain Damara - in the upper reaches of the Ugab and Omaruru rivers. Small Bantu-speaking groups are represented by the Subia and Yeen living in the eastern Caprivi Strip, the Tswana near the central border with Botswana, and several groups of newcomers and refugees settled along the border with Angola. Several communities that have long settled in the south of the country, primarily Rehoboth ("Rehoboth bastards", Euro-Hottentot mestizos), as well as non-white emigrants from South Africa, have Afrikaans as their main language.
POLITICAL SYSTEM
State structure. Namibia declared independence in 1990, following 106 years of colonial rule. According to the constitution adopted in 1990, the head of state and executive power is the president, and legislative power is exercised by a bicameral parliament and regional legislatures. The president is elected in general elections for a term of five years. Any Namibian citizen over 35 years of age can run for the presidency, and any registered political party or group of voters, no matter how small, can nominate a candidate. To be elected, a presidential candidate must receive more than half the votes in the final round of elections; The president can hold office for no more than two terms. To ensure that Namibia's first president, Sam Nujoma, had legitimate grounds to run for a third term, SWAPO initiated a constitutional amendment in 1998. Despite the unpopularity of this step, parliament, in which the ruling party holds a majority of seats, readily accepted the amendment.
Parliament consists of the National Assembly (72 deputies elected by party lists on a proportional basis by secret ballot by all residents over 18 years of age) and the National Council, to which each of the thirteen newly created regional councils elects two of its representatives. Elections to the National Assembly are held every five years, and the number of deputies from each party is set in direct proportion to the percentage of votes it receives. Elections to regional councils are held in single-member constituencies every six years. Local authorities are elected for a period of five years. In June 1998, a chiefs' advisory council was created.
The President has the power to appoint ministers, judges, senior judicial officials, as well as the chairman of the central bank, the commander of the armed forces, the chief of police and the penitentiary system. In addition, he exercises control over the armed forces, declares a state of emergency and martial law, presides over cabinet meetings and, at the initiative of the government, dissolves the National Assembly.
The leader of the national liberation movement, anti-apartheid fighter and founder of the new state, President Sam Nujoma, has actually been granted additional powers. In 1994, Nujoma was re-elected to the presidency with the support of more than 74% of voters.
The judicial system of Namibia is based on Roman-Dutch law, inherited from the times of administration of this territory by South Africa and enshrined in the country's constitution. The justice system includes the Supreme and High Courts, magistrates' courts, the Ministry of Justice, and the prosecutor's office. Due to a shortage of qualified lawyers, the process of reviewing apartheid laws, which continue to apply after independence, has been extremely slow. The government pays great attention judicial reform, primarily changing legislation on issues such as racial equality, gender equality and the punishment of criminal offenses. The Namibian Constitution includes many of the fundamental provisions of the Bill of Rights (freedom of the press, personal freedoms of citizens and the right to property), as well as the prohibition death penalty. The international community highly appreciated the inclusion of such provisions in Namibian legislation and their implementation in practice.
Political parties. The main political force and ruling party of Namibia is the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), created in 1960. Until 1989, it was banned and persecuted by the apartheid regime. SWAPO professes the orthodox ideology of African national liberation. In 1990, its main tasks included the transition to a mixed economy with a predominance of market elements and the holding of democratic elections. Nevertheless, SWAPO remains committed to the ideas of a strong state and fair distribution of public goods.
In the 1989 elections, SWAPO won an absolute majority, receiving 57% of the popular vote and 41 seats in parliament, and formed the first government of independent Namibia. SWAPO enjoys popular support, but its position is particularly strong in the cities and in the far north of the country, especially in Ovamboland. Having failed to achieve a two-thirds parliamentary majority in the first elections, SWAPO was forced to enter into a coalition with other parties to prepare a new constitution and its subsequent revision. This circumstance subsequently determined the party’s commitment to finding political compromises. In 1989, more than 40 political parties were registered in the country. The logic of the first elections forced most parties and politicians to form alliances. The main opposition force, which received 29% of the vote and 21 seats in parliament in the elections, is the Democratic Alliance of Turnhalle (DAT), a coalition of a dozen parties created on an ethnic basis. In the 1980s, DAT had a majority of seats in the transitional government. The remaining 10 seats in parliament were divided among five small parties.
The results of subsequent elections demonstrated the decline in the influence of opposition parties and the strengthening of the positions of those parties that advocated true independence. In the mid-1990s, SWAPO won a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, allowing it to pursue more decisive policies. During the independent period of the country's development, almost all parties weakened their positions. In addition to the two main parties supported by the majority of the population, six more political parties managed to get their candidates into parliament. There has been a decline in voter turnout, partly due to large number unopposed candidates (40 in local elections in 1998) where SWAPO is particularly strong, partly due to public disappointment with the activities of political parties and the government. During the 1998 regional elections, many DAT supporters in the Caprivi did not participate in the elections due to tensions due to separatist sentiments in the region.
In the 1994 parliamentary elections, SWAPO strengthened its position, winning 53 parliamentary seats, while DAT and other parties lost (compared to 1989) the support of some of their voters and received 15 and 4 seats, respectively.
Foreign policy. Active diplomatic activity helped SWAPO achieve the independence of Namibia. In the new conditions, the country's leadership continues to actively interact in the international arena with old and new allies. In addition to success in negotiations on the return of Walvis Bay, Namibia managed to achieve the elimination of South Africa's debt and significant financial and economic assistance from a number of countries. Namibia is a member of the UN, the British-led Commonwealth, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the IMF, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the African Development Bank, the South African customs union, World Trade Organization. Since 1999, Namibia has held a seat allocated to African states on the Security Council. The decision of the Namibian government to send several hundred Namibian soldiers to the DRC to assist President Laurent Kabila cost the state treasury 30 million Namibian dollars and did not meet with understanding either in the country itself or abroad.
See below

Republic of Namibia

The name of the country comes from the Namib Desert, which in the Hotten language means “that which is bypassed steeply.”

Capital

Square

Population

1798 thousand people

Namibia- a state in southwest Africa. In the north it borders with Angola and Zambia, in the east with Botswana and South Africa, in the south - with South Africa. In the west it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Administrative division

The state is divided into 13 districts.

Form of government

Republic.

Head of State

President, elected for a term of 5 years.

Supreme legislative body

Parliament (two chambers: National Assembly, National Council).

Supreme executive body

Government.

Big cities

Swakompund, Rundu, Rehoboth.

Official language

Portuguese.

Religion

80% are Christians, pagans.

Ethnic composition

50% - Ovambo, 10% - Kavango, 7% - Herero, 7% - Damara.

Currency

Namibian dollar = 100 cents.

Climate

The climate of Namibia is tropical, hot and very dry. The average annual temperature is + 17 °C on the coast and + 21 °C in the central part of the country. Precipitation in the form of rain mainly falls from October to March: on the ocean coast 10-50 mm per year, in the northeast 500-700 mm.

The vegetation on the territory of the state is shrubby and desert. Often the dunes are covered with sparse grass only after rains. A landmark of Namibia is Welwitschia - a tree with a very thick trunk (up to 1 m in diameter), rising to a height of 10-15 cm, and Nara melon, which bears fruit once every 10 years.

The fauna of Namibia is very diverse - among its representatives are elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, giraffes, zebras, and hares. There are many seabirds on the coast (cormorants, pelicans, gulls, spectacled penguins), as well as seals.

Rivers and lakes

The largest rivers are the Orange and Kunene.

Attractions

In Windhoek - National Museum with a rich collection of natural history exhibits.

Useful information for tourists

Namibia is called the "land of fire" and is a real treasure trove for photographers. Movement around the country is free, with the exception of private properties, two diamond mining areas of De Beers (here it is strictly forbidden to pick up anything from the ground), as well as some nature reserves. The Skeleton Coast has been declared a national park, accessible only with a special permit (approximately $40 per person).
Hotel employees are entitled to about $1 per day, in restaurants - up to 5% of the bill, if tips are not included in the cost of service.
There are no mandatory vaccinations before visiting Namibia, with the exception of a yellow fever vaccination if you have previously been to a country where the disease is common.

Geography of Namibia

The state of Namibia is located in southwestern Africa. Western borders The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, Namibia borders on Zambia and Angola to the north, South Africa to the south, and Botswana to the east.

Geographically, Namibia is divided into 5 regions: the Central Plateau, Namib Desert, Great Highlands, Kalahari Desert and Bushveld. Most high point The country is Mount Königstein with a height of 2,606 m. The main waterway of Namibia is the Orange River.

Government of Namibia

The country is a presidential democratic republic, where the position of the president is elective, and his term of office is 5 years. The country's Constitution provides for a clear division of the branches of government into executive, legislative and judicial. Executive branch is represented by the president and the cabinet of ministers, the legislative branch is represented by a bicameral parliament (People's Assembly and National Council), and the judicial branch is represented by a system of courts.

Weather in Namibia

Namibia has more than 300 sunny days a year. Winters in the country (from June to August) are dry. One of the rainy seasons here occurs in the summer (from September to November), and the second, stronger one, lasts from February to April. Humidity is 600 mm, and the country's climate is characterized by droughts.

The climate of the coastal zone is greatly influenced by the cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean, and fogs often accumulate here. IN winter time Sandstorms and dry winds blow quite often in this area.

The average daily temperature of the Central Plateau and Kalahari is +30 C°.

Floods are common in the northern part of the country, caused by downpours in neighboring Angola, from where water flows into Namibia.

Language of Namibia

The official language of the country is English. Until 1990, German and Afrikaans were also recognized and are still widely used by the local population. Afrikaans is spoken by 60% of residents, German is spoken by 32%, and English is spoken by only 7%, despite it being recognized as the only official language.

Religion of Namibia

80-90% of the country's population belongs to Christian denominations (50% of them are Lutherans, 14% are Catholics), 10-20% are followers of local pagan beliefs.

Currency of Namibia

The Namibian dollar (NAD) is the official currency of the country. 1 NAD=100 cents. Coins in circulation are in denominations of 5, 10 and 50 cents, as well as 5 dollars. Banknotes in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 dollars.

Currency exchange transactions can be carried out at banks, airports and large hotels. When exchanging, you need to remember that Namibian dollars cannot be exchanged back. Most large supermarkets, restaurants and hotels accept international payments. bank cards. Using ATMs of the First National Bank of Namibia, you can withdraw a maximum amount of NAD 1,000 in one transaction. Travel checks can be cashed after calling the bank in advance.

Customs restrictions

You can bring into the country duty free:

alcohol (1 l of strong alcohol/2 l of wine)
tobacco products (cigarettes 400 pcs/cigars - 50 pcs/tobacco - 350 g)
perfumery products (50 ml perfume / 250 ml eau de toilette).

There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign currency. The only restrictions apply to the export of national currency (up to 50,000 NAD).

In Namibia, hunting without the appropriate permits is prohibited, and the export of diamonds is strictly controlled.

It is prohibited to bring weapons and drugs into the country.

Tips

In some restaurants in the country, tips are already included in the bill, but if not, then the tourist can leave up to 5% of the bill amount at his own discretion. It is customary to leave 1 dollar for maids and employees in hotels. It is prohibited to give tips to employees of national parks and nature reserves.

Purchases

Namibia is famous throughout the world for the production of sheep's wool products. Travelers buy ostrich eggs here as souvenirs. There are a lot of street markets in the country where it is customary to bargain.

Store opening hours in Namibia are from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. On weekends they are open until lunchtime. Tourists should remember that alcohol in the country is sold only in special stores which are closed on weekends.

Office hours

Banking institutions in the country are open on weekdays from 9 to 4 pm, on Saturdays banks are open from 8:30 to 11:00.

Safety

Be careful when walking in cities at night and do not leave valuables in plain sight in cars. Be careful in camping areas and national parks. Authorities recommend visiting them in large groups.

Mains voltage:

220V

Code of the country:

+264

Geographic first level domain name:

.na

Maybe you think that I dreamed of adventures in the vast expanses of Africa? Giraffes and rhinoceroses? Sunrises on the shores of the Atlantic or fiery dances filled with erotic magnetism around the fire of some local tribes to the exotic music of drums? So nothing like that happened. And the country of Namibia, in southern Africa, appeared in our lives completely unexpectedly. And it happened like this...

Everything is bad?

In January, everything was already decided and practically planned - we are going to Nepal at the end of April! The final three mouse clicks have been made, and we are the happy owners of seats on the Moscow-Bangkok-Kathmandu plane and back. But one sunny March day we became convinced that our changing world, alas, takes little account of people’s dreams and plans: the national carrier of Thailand, Thai Airlines, announced the cancellation of all flights on the Bangkok - Moscow route from March 29, 2015. Tickets sold were subject to refund.

Damn... Everything is gone! In early April the money was returned, but what to do with it now? The discount prices have passed, the course is completely different... Damn it. We are calm, we are calm, we will walk and plant a lawn at the dacha...

But we were not calm, we were worried - our plans went to hell.

The wind of change is blowing into our lives

Then we came from the other side: how long can you climb these mountains? Aren't you tired of it? Isn’t it time for us to go, say, to the dark continent, where the rivers are this wide, and the mountains are this high, and, in addition, all sorts of hippopotamus crocodiles? For example, to the south of Africa to the country of Namibia with its vast expanses, amazing wild animals, fantastic landscapes and endless skies? During the day they are incredibly blue, and at night you raise your head, and there... An abyss strewn with billions of bright and crystal clear stars of the Southern Hemisphere.

To Namibia, where over hundreds of kilometers of coastal sands, nature has scattered an astronomical amount of jewelry diamonds similar to these stars? Stones are exported for cutting - 1.6 million carats per year - this is the quota, but the country could supply so many of them that all the counters in the world would be filled with high-quality and completely worthless diamonds. The magical country of Namibia! And we went there.

And I’ll say right away about the trip: it was cool. It was damn cool! Now, when several months have passed since our return and the impressions have settled somewhat, everything seems like an incredible dream. A dream come true. An exciting adventure film in the scenery of African nature, which we watched for three weeks.

And on April 25, in the midst of our exciting journey, we learned that the first of a series of terrible earthquakes in 2015 with huge loss of life occurred in Nepal... That's it. You’ll think about it and once again freeze in heartfelt gratitude to all the Thai gods for the financial problems of their air carrier, which forced it to leave the Russian market.

Africa, Namibia and others - what we knew about them

IN kindergarten– thank you, grandfather Chukovsky! - basic data about Africa was obtained. That’s how it stuck in my memory – a truly terrible place. Perhaps that is why during our school years my classmates and I so willingly became the best friends of African children - we helped the poor as much as we could. I remember that at our school we even collected waste paper for the benefit of black children.

Objectively speaking, this knowledge about the African continent was not enough for the upcoming trip. The unknown and fear, rooted in childhood, spurred me on. And I began to vigorously search the forums in search of useful information for the countries of southern Africa - Namibia and its neighbors.

To be honest, there were a lot of gasps and sighs about nature and the animals living here, but the information on the case made the cat cry. And what I learned from what I read, not everything turned out to correspond to reality. We'll talk about this more along the way.

Republic of Namibia history

Pre-colonial period . Everything that happened before the arrival of the first Europeans in this country is poorly known.
But it is well known that when Europe was still barbaric, ancient kingdoms existed in the north of the African continent.
Who can say what happened on the territory of Namibia at that time - were there any centers of civilization there or did primitive tribes live here in harmony with nature? More likely, of course, the latter - they hunted, raised livestock, migrated from place to place, either peacefully coexisted with each other, or carried out brutal raids on each other.
The events of this time will forever remain a dark time in Namibian history.

At the end of the 15th century, the first Europeans appeared in Africa and discovered a lot of interesting and useful things there. There were more and more aliens. From the coast, they slowly began to penetrate deep into the mainland and appropriate territories for themselves.
Colonial period of Namibian history began at the end of the 18th century. This period of time is already well documented. First, part of the country was captured by the British, and in 1884 the Germans came here to compete with them.
These took control of the central and southern part countries. But the German colonialists had no peace in the conquered country. Periodically, conflicts arose with local tribes and uprisings among the natives. The unrest was mercilessly suppressed: from 1890 to 1908, two-thirds of the rebellious Herero tribe was destroyed.
The country remained a German colony until 1915.

Since 1915, Namibia has been under the patronage of South Africa and fought for a long time for her independence.

Since 1990 it has become an independent and free state . The republic is governed by an elected parliament and a president.

Is Deutschland still Hubert Alles?

The period of occupation of the country by Germany seemed to be very short, but even now the echoes of the German heritage are still strong in Namibia. This is also a language that many residents know - 32% of the population! This is a habit of cleanliness, order and neatness. Even the traditional women's clothing of the Herero tribe echoes the outfits worn by white Frau a hundred years ago. The level of service and quality of roads are also the same as in Germany.

And in the towns there are buildings in the German style, it feels like you are in the suburbs of some Munich, only on the road you are more likely to see a baboon instead of a walking cat.

And the Germans simply love to come here from Vaterland, they love to spend the Christmas holidays here. These guests are great friends of the stomach. According to tradition, they have breakfast, then coffee at eleven o’clock, lunch at one o’clock, coffee and cake at half past four, and dinner at seven. Make a note for the future, we will talk about Namibian food later. Although this country is still not for those for whom the main thing in life is to eat regularly.

Where is Namibia on the map of Africa

Since we remembered about school, we’ll start talking about Namibia, like any country in a geography lesson: let’s see where it is on the map. The huge African continent - its mountains and deserts, steppes and jungles, rivers and waterfalls, elephants and zebras - was divided among 54 states. Each offers endless and enticing travel opportunities...

The fantastic country of Namibia is located in the southwest of the continent. Here it is, looking like a deep conical ladle with a long handle. The pen, this strange piece of territory stretching towards the Zambezi River, is called the Caprivi Strip. There is an interesting story connected with it.

History with the geography of the German Chancellor

In the 19th century, Count Georg Leo von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli, a political opponent of Bismarck, who replaced him as Reich Chancellor in 1890, lived in Germany. Count Caprivi set out to unite the two colonies of the German Empire in Africa - today's Namibia and present-day Tanzania, and then Tanganyika. According to the chancellor's idea, the implementation of this plan would open the way for the Reich to Indian Ocean across the Zambezi River, which runs through Tanganyika.

To this end, after tedious negotiations with the British, a territorial exchange was made. The United Kingdom was given an island in the North Sea, for which Germany received a narrow strip of African land 450 km long and varying in width from 32 to 105 km. Having collided with the British, they decided on eastern border German colony by drawing it along the ruler on the map. This is why the countries of Namibia and Botswana have such unnaturally straight border lines.

But neither von Caprivi nor anyone else was destined to realize German interests. It turned out according to the well-known proverb - it was smooth on paper, but they forgot about the ravines. We won’t point fingers, but someone forgot or was simply unaware of the world’s greatest Victoria Falls, located just downstream of the Zambezi. And he, by the fact of his existence, put an end to imperial dreams of a shipping route to the ocean.

A narrow strip of abundant grace

Be that as it may, the Caprivi Strip is a very remarkable place:

Firstly, the borders of countries approach this narrow strip of Namibian land: Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Secondly, this is a very special region of the country. Namibia is famous for many things, but not for the amount of water or lush green forests. Caprivi is the opposite of the stereotypical desert Namibia: fertile lands, exotic nature, lush forests, four deep rivers - Okavango, Kwando, Chobe and Zambezi, crossing it in different places. Vast floodplains, flooded during the rainy season, and an abundance of reed swamps... Herds of elephants, five-meter crocodiles, hippopotamuses and other animals, thousands different types birds - a real paradise for naturalists and hunters.

What color are the rivers?

But let's return to the map. The peculiarity of the country is that only a small part of its state borders runs along natural boundaries, for Namibia such natural objects are rivers. In the north, the Namibian state border with the countries passes:

With Angola - along the Cunene and Okovango rivers.
It travels with Zambia along the Zambezi River.
With Botswana it is the Kwando River.
In the south, the course of the famous Orange River serves as a natural border between Namibia and South Africa.

Tell me, friends, don’t its name really intrigue you? Orange! Don't you think that the water is the color of orange Fanta? But what - after all, the earth in Africa is almost everywhere red. I'll disappoint you. No, the color of water in Orange is the most ordinary.

A little secret with a simple name. The river was discovered in the 18th century by the Scotsman Robert Jacob Gordon - an artist, linguist, naturalist and serviceman who commanded the garrison of Fort Holland East India Company at the Cape of Good Hope. He gave the name to the unknown river in honor of the dynasty of the Princes of Orange, who ruled the Netherlands for generations. And on the site of the fort now stands Cape Town.

And some numbers:

	Capital	Country area in km²	Population	Population density people/km²
Namibia	Windhoek	825.418	2.358.163	2,2
Angola	Luanda	1.246.700	24.383.301	14,8
Zambia	Lusaka	752.614	14.222.233	17,2
Zimbabwe	Harare	390.757	13.182.908	26
Botswana	Gaborone	581.730	2.112.049	3,4
South Africa	Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein	1.219.912	48.601.098	41,0

The area of Namibia is equal to the territory of France and England taken together, and the population concentration in the country is very low - only Mongolia lives less people. And the people living here are not only blacks, but also many whites - the legacy of apartheid and the descendants of those same colonialists.

Russians do not need a visa here.

Welcome to Namibia - that's what it is like

Friends and co-workers, hearing where we were going, raised their eyebrows and rolled their eyes in bewilderment. One of our friends, with the directness of a Roman, said that he thought: “Some kind of asshole in the world, why not go to a decent country!” But this devastating remark did not sober us up. Sanya’s mother, she’s so calm about our trips, and she tried to dissuade us. We fought back, citing the experience of our compatriots who had been there, whose reports persistently conveyed the idea that Namibia is a civilized country.

However, even we ourselves somehow had little faith in it. But the thesis turned out to be pure truth. Mysterious Namibia, filled with 100% African exoticism, is a European-style civilized country, quite comfortable and quite comfortable. The level of comfort received is limited only by the financial capabilities of the traveler, and what is provided at the minimum is quite satisfactory.

But all this became clear after my arrival, and in the meantime I was mentally preparing for life in Spartan conditions. Towels and toilet paper took their place among the things. A significant shock was the ubiquitous presence of the latter item among the accessories of Namibian bathrooms. Everywhere - even in the heart of the desert - light, cold and hot water, amenities. There is internet almost everywhere - it’s only bad in national parks. What else does a person need to relax on the road?

There were no towels only in the campsites. But even where we slept in a tent, near each machine place there was a small utility room with a sink, shower and toilet.

The most popular attractions in Namibia

Our plans were not striking in their grandeur and originality. We were going to see:

The capital of the country, a small, clean city, with colonial architecture and wonderful cuisine.
with its amazing alien landscapes.
German looking, inhale Fresh air from the ocean, which they say stirs the blood.
Huge - one of the largest national parks in the country.
Take a look at its national parks. From here, if possible, to neighboring countries.

Every day is not Sunday

Where did we stop there? Let's refresh our memory! Oh yes, we have already talked a lot about the beautiful country of Namibia... So... There are different incidents along the way, sometimes when returning from a trip you still think about whether to write about it or not. I don’t know about you, but I think we need to write about everything – good and bad. It’s easy and pleasant to write about good things, but bad things... As soon as you start, everything will stir up again. But - for your sake, friends!

Our conversation today will be about nightmare any tourist. Does this happen to you before a trip? Do you suddenly dream that one thing was stolen from you while you were traveling? I do this every time before a long trip. You wake up and you’re still at home and haven’t had time to go anywhere. This is joy, the eyes immediately shine, the smile is happy from ear to ear.

There is crime in every country in the world. Tourists are a tasty prey for him. Everywhere their dear ones are robbed, they are stolen from them everywhere, scammers of all stripes try to deceive them everywhere. Here, the European Travel Monitor magazine compiled an interesting table of the leading countries where a foreigner is most likely to be robbed and robbed:

		Theft V %%			Robbery V %%
1	Czech	8,7	1	Hungary	5,9
2	Gambia	8,3	2	Poland	5,3
3	Poland	7,9	3	South Africa	5,1
4	India	6,2	4	Morocco	3,0
5	Morocco	6,1	5	Gambia	2,8
6	Tunisia	5,1	6	Israel	2,6
7	Kenya	4,9	7	Italy	2,2
8	Italy	4,1	8	CIS	4,3

Countries where tourists are not at risk of pickpocketing can be counted on one hand, one of these exemplary ones - take a look! - Finland.

Compared to others, Namibia is considered a quite safe country. The people there are very nice, friendly and smiling. Just don’t relax in emotion and think that the only thing the natives lack is a halo over their curly heads. We have seen from our own experience that we must not lose our vigilance! One can only envy the ingenuity of the Namibian crook. And besides, thieves, as a rule, go unpunished, and tourists' vacations are hopelessly ruined.

How they made us stronger

We drove along and sang songs playing on my iPhone. The mood was the most rosy: Namibia is a country, it’s a country! And there’s plenty of everything in it! And if anyone wants to move from our homeland, the only way is here, or to Botswana. Cross and own many kilometers of savannah with your leopards and cheetahs...

Windhoek greeted us with empty streets and sunshine. We stayed in a cozy German hotel with friendly hosts. We called the company from which we rented the car and arranged a meeting. We decided to devote the remaining time to the famous local handicraft market and lunch.

Everything unnecessary was unloaded in the hotel room. They only took with them a backpack, in which dangled a compact rain jacket, documents, an e-reader, the girl’s constant travel kit and the last hundred dollars. They were burning our pocket and we were going to crack them in the near future.

They installed a navigator in the car and began to taxi through the narrow streets, making their way to the gallery of folk crafts. A turn, a turn, and here in front of us is a gallery and the only remaining unoccupied parking spot. The patch is very tiny, in front and behind the car. Sanya is nervous, tries to fit in neatly, taxis again, turns around again. Cars honk, obstructing our maneuvers.

Suddenly a black man rushes towards the car. He starts yelling something furiously and tears at himself the door on the sunny's side. Sanya pulls the door towards him, the black man does not let go, shouts and gesticulates, cars honk. We are doing something wrong! I'm scared: maybe we've caught someone?

Sanya finally slams the door, backs up, and the car fits into place. The black man is already gone. We sit in silence for a minute, recovering from the shock. Then I turn back to grab the backpack lying behind me. But he’s not there!

Sanya is still all on edge. He screams that I just forgot him! And then it dawns on us that the loud-mouthed aborigine was not just tearing down the door. We fly out of the car and rush in the direction of the runaway black man. Of course he isn't. But there is hope that, having taken what he needed, he threw the backpack into the gateway.

I have tears, snot all over my face... I’m running and howling... We were supposed to fly away tomorrow morning. Along with the thief, our tickets, passports, money, my credit card, driver's license, mobile phone, favorite e-reader - everything that was in the backpack disappeared. And there were also almost unworn wonderful earrings bought in Thailand! What about my raincoat?

A crowd gathers around me - apparently I’m roaring well. Questions, exclamations, but I just can’t stop. Sanya talks to two white Namibians. They call the police and give their mobile phone so that he can call the embassy and Russia to block the card. There is no chance for the bastards to make money!

Surprisingly responsive people, not a single one passed by. Maybe they didn’t help much, but they didn’t pass by indifferently. And this was not idle curiosity, but ardent sympathy. The parking attendant came running and said that he had noticed the thief jump into the taxi.

The police arrived. It turned out that nothing original happened to us; we fell for a typical trick of a local crook. One distracts, the other from the unlocked door drags everything that is lying behind. We were lucky that this happened on the last day of the trip, but if it had been on the first...

The embassy staff in Windhoek are true friends of Russian travelers in trouble. See for yourself: it was Sunday evening - almost 5 o'clock when we called them. They waited for us resignedly while we wrote a statement at the police station, while the Namibians took us to a photo studio to take photographs for exit documents, while we went to the hotel to get a flash drive with scans of documents. They spent another two hours on their day off filling out paperwork for us. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart - thank you very much, dear compatriots working at the embassy!

Tourist, beware!

Whoever you are - a tourist or a traveler - regardless of your approach to relaxation, the conclusions for everyone will be the same:

Never put documents and money in the same place. In general, it is better to keep documents in bags on your body. Be sure to scan them.
Do not leave bags in plain sight in either the back or front seat. Breaking a window doesn't cost anything either. Get out of the car and take everything with you.
Always, no matter what wonderful country it is, you get into the car - block entrance doors! If they were blocked here, then the black man would at least hit his head. All conversations with passers-by are only through a slightly open window.

But, friends, I will tell you again: Namibia is a beautiful country. And I will try to convince you of this with my further stories. Wait, we will continue soon!