About 90% of the believing population are Christians, mostly Lutherans. The remaining 10% are adherents of traditional local beliefs.
Transport in Namibia
The easiest way to get to Namibia is by plane with transfers in Frankfurt, Athens or Johannesburg. Also, the main cities of Namibia are connected by bus routes with the cities of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, but the move takes a very long time and costs not much less than an airplane flight.
Most major cities in Namibia are connected by regular flights. This is the most convenient and most profitable mode of transport for traveling around the country. Small towns can also be reached by plane with a transfer in Windhoek or on small charter aircraft, which most often carry groups of tourists on reservation.
Most of the domestic transportation is carried out by road. Bus routes connect all the tourist centers of Namibia. Rail transport is cheaper, but slower and less comfortable. The comfortable Desert Express runs between Swakopmund and Windhoek. Travel time – 20 hours, the ticket price includes three meals a day and stops at the main attractions. There is also a Northern Desert Express from Windhoek to Etosha National Park.
The main means of transportation within cities is a taxi. Bus routes are only in the capital of Namibia. In other cities, fixed-route taxi services are offered, which transport passengers to airports.
You can rent a car in all major cities in Namibia. To do this, you must have an international driver’s license and be over 23 years old. In Namibia, in addition to paved highways, there are many gravel roads on which it is quite difficult to travel by car, and wild animals also very often appear on the roads. In this regard, it is not recommended to exceed the indicated speed limits and you should not travel by car at night.
Plant and Animal World in Namibia
Most of the Namib Desert is devoid of vegetation, only on the banks of the rivers are acacias, aloes, spurges and the velvichia tree, and in the inner parts of the desert you can see scattered desert shrubs and semi-shrubs. The western part of the Central Plateau and the Great Ledge are occupied by grass-shrub desert vegetation with areas of acacia shrouds. In the eastern part of the country, on the eastern borders of the Central Plateau and in the Kalahari Desert, semi-desert vegetation and desert savannahs predominate. Subtropical forests extend in the far north of the country.
The northern part of Namibia can “boast” of the greatest biodiversity; various species of antelopes, giraffes, elephants, lions, rare black rhinos, earthwolves, Hartmann’s mountain zebras and honey badgers live here. Antelopes, zebras, hyenas, jackals, rodents and rare insectivores such as aardvark and golden mole can be seen in the central high parts of the country. In the sands of the Namib Desert, lizards, snakes, small rodents and insects are most numerous. The coast of the Atlantic Ocean is home to many birds, and a variety of fish and Cape seals are found in coastal waters.
Minerals in Namibia
Namibia has significant reserves of diamonds (the largest in the world), uranium, copper, lead, zinc, tin, silver, gold, pyrites, manganese, precious and semi-precious stones.
Banks in Namibia
Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 15:30 and on Saturday from 9:00 to 11:00.
Money in Namibia
The official currency of the state is the Namibian dollar. 1 Namibian dollar is equal to 100 cents. In circulation are denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Namibian dollars and coins of 1 and 5 Namibian dollars and 5, 10 and 50 cents. The Namibian dollar is pegged to the South African rand at a ratio of 1:1. The South African rand is freely circulated in the country and is legal tender.
You can exchange foreign currency in exchange offices, which are available in almost every city, and in banks. The reverse exchange of Namibian dollars for foreign currency is most often not carried out. If, after your trip to Namibia, you are planning a trip to other African countries, do not expect to spend Namibian dollars there, as the national currency of Namibia is not circulated in other African countries.
Cashless payment for services is developed in large hotels, shops and restaurants in most cities in Namibia. ATMs are available in almost all cities of the country. Traveler’s checks can be cashed at bank branches, it is best to take travelers checks in US dollars or South African rands when traveling. It is worth noting that you always need to have a small amount of cash in Namibian dollars or South African rands with you.
Rate: 100 Namibian Dollar (NAD) = 6.39 USD (28.05.2022)
Political State in Namibia
According to politicsezine, Namibia is a republic. The head of state is the president, who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. Legislative power is concentrated in the hands of a bicameral parliament, which consists of the National Assembly and the National Council. Executive power is exercised by the Government headed by the Prime Minister.
Administratively, the country is divided into 13 regions.
Population in Namibia
Most of the population of Namibia belongs to the African Bantu family, the most numerous peoples are Ovambo (about 50% of the population), Herero and Okavango. Also, representatives of the Khoisan peoples (Dama, Nama and Bushmen) live in the country. The total proportion of Africans in Namibia is 80%. In addition to the indigenous population, mulattoes (descendants of mixed marriages of Africans and Europeans) live in the country, among which there are “colored” and “basters” (descendants of the Nama peoples and the first German colonists), and the descendants of European colonists are “white”, the vast majority of which are Germans. The Namibian German community is the largest in Africa.
Language:
The official language is English, but in fact it is the main language for only 7% of the population. Most of the locals still use the Bantu languages in everyday life, mainly Oshiwambo. Most whites and non-whites speak Afrikaans. German is also spoken in Namibia.
Cuisine in Namibia
The local cuisine was greatly influenced by the culinary traditions of Europe and South Africa. Meat dishes are the most widespread in the country, vegetable dishes and side dishes are used very rarely. Meat dishes are mainly prepared on the basis of beef, lamb, antelope, zebra, crocodile and poultry. The traditional way of cooking meat is barbecue. Also popular are meat dishes such as druevors and landjager spiced sausages, poikikos spiced stew, boboti lamb pilaf, biltong spiced jerky, rauschflaich smoked meat and couscous curry.. Namibian restaurants offer exotic meat dishes: Wienerschnitzel ostrich steak, sucking game kebab, lion tenderloin or crocodile tail. In Namibia, you can try giant ostrich egg omelettes. Be sure to try seafood dishes: a variety of fish, lobster, squid, mussels and oysters. Those who are not afraid to experiment should try dishes from mopane or omaungu worms, omayowa mushrooms, fried locusts, snails and termite eggs.
Namibia is famous for its beer. Varieties such as “Windhoek Lager” and “Tafel Lager” are considered among the best in Africa. Also from alcoholic beverages in the country produce wine varieties Colamber and Cabernet, wine from watermelons “Mataku”, grappa “Crystal-Kellerai” and palm moonshine “Ualende”.
