Namibia - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Namibia, it was named for the coastal Namib Desert; the name "namib" means "vast place" in the Nama/Damara language. The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 14 regions; Erongo, Hardap, //Karas, Kavango East, Kavango West, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Zambezi; note - the Karas Region was renamed //Karas in September 2013 to include the alveolar lateral click of the Khoekhoegowab language
National symbols
Oryx (antelope); national colors: blue, red, green, white, yellow.
The flag
The National flag of Namibia has a wide red stripe edged by narrow white stripes divides the flag diagonally from lower hoist corner to upper fly corner; the upper hoist-side triangle is blue and charged with a golden-yellow, 12-rayed sunburst; the lower fly-side triangle is green; red signifies the heroism of the people and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all; white stands for peace, unity, tranquility, and harmony; blue represents the Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain; the golden-yellow sun denotes power and existence; green symbolizes vegetation and agricultural resources.
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The National Anthem
| Title | "Namibia, Land of the Brave" |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Axali DOESEB |
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note: adopted 1991
More about the government of Namibia
| Date of Independence | 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 21 March (1990) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of uncodified civil law based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Adopted 9 February 1990, entered into force 21 March 1990 |
| Amendments | Passage requires majority vote of the National Assembly membership and of the National Council of Parliament and assent of the president of the republic; if the National Council fails to pass an amendment, the president can call for a referendum; passage by referendum requires two-thirds majority of votes cast; amendments that detract from or repeal constitutional articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended, and the requisite majorities needed by Parliament to amend the constitution cannot be changed; amended 1998, 2010, 2014 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Namibia |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | Acting President Nangolo MBUMBA (since 4 February 2024) |
| Head of government | Acting President Nangolo MBUMBA (since 4 February 2024) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly |
| Elections/appointments | president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 November 2019 (next to be held in November 2024) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; note- President Hage GEINGOB died on 4 February 2024, and Vice President MBUMBA was sworn in to run the government until the next presidential election in November 2024 |
| Election results | 2019: Hage GEINGOB reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 56.3%, Panduleni ITULA (independent) 29.4%, McHenry VENAANI (PDM) 5.3%, other .9% 2014: Hage GEINGOB elected president in the first round; percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 86.7%, McHenry VENAANI (DTA) 5%, Hidipo HAMUTENYA (RDP) 3.4%, Asser MBAI (NUDO)1.9%, Henk MUDGE (RP) 1%, other 2% |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Bicameral Parliament consists of: National Council (42 seats); members indirectly elected 3 each by the 14 regional councils to serve 5-year terms); note - the Council primarily reviews legislation passed and referred by the National Assembly National Assembly (104 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed list, proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 8 nonvoting members appointed by the president) |
| Elections | National Council - elections for regional councils to determine members of the National Council held on 25 November 2020 (next to be held on 25 November 2025) National Assembly - last held on 27 November 2019 (next to be held in November 2024) |
| Election results | Nstional Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SWAPO 28, LPM 6, IPC 2, PDM 2, UDF 2, NUDO 1, independent 1; composition - men 36, women 6, percentage women 14.3% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 65.5%, PDM 16.6%, LPM 4.7%, NUDO 1.9%, APP 1.8%, UDF 1.8%, RP 1.8%, NEFF 1.7%, RDP 1.1%, CDV .7%, SWANU .6%, other 1.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 63, PDM 16, LPM 4, NUDO 2, APP 2, UDF 2, RP 2, NEFF 2, RDP 1, CDV 1, SWANU 1; composition - men 58, women 46, percentage women 44.2%; total Parliament percentage women 35.6% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges in quorum sessions) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Judges appointed by the president of Namibia upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission; judges serve until age 65, but terms can be extended by the president until age 70 |
| Subordinate courts | High Court; Electoral Court, Labor Court; regional and district magistrates' courts; community courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Margareth Natalie MENSAH-WILLIAMS (since 18 January 2021) |
| Chancery | 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 986-0540 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 986-0443 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://namibiaembassyusa.org/ |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Randy William BERRY (since 9 February 2023) |
| Embassy | 38 Metje Street, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek |
| Mailing address | 2540 Windhoek Place, Washington DC 20521-2540 |
| Telephone | [264] (61) 202-5000 |
| FAX | [264] (61) 202-5219 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://na.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes (c); Namib Sand Sea (n) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Namibia
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Namibia
Want to know more about Namibia? Check all different factbooks for Namibia below.
