Namibia

[ nuh-mib-ee-uh ]

noun

1. a republic in southwestern Africa: a former German protectorate; a mandate of South Africa 1920–66; gained independence 1990. 318,261 sq. mi. (824,296 sq. km). : Windhoek.

Namibia

/ nɑːˈmɪbɪə; nə- /

noun

1. a country in southern Africa bordering on South Africa: annexed by Germany in 1884 and mandated by the League of Nations to South Africa in 1920. The mandate was terminated by the UN in 1966 but this was ignored by South Africa, as was the 1971 ruling by the International Court of Justice that the territory be surrendered. Independence was achieved in 1990 and Namibia became a member of the Commonwealth; Walvis Bay remained a South African enclave until 1994, when it was returned to Namibia. Official language: English; Afrikaans and German also spoken. Religion: mostly animist, with some Christians. Currency: dollar. Capital: Windhoek. Pop: 2 182 852 (2013 est). Area: 823 328 sq km (317 887 sq miles) Also calledSouth West Africa Former name (1885–1919)German Southwest Africa

Namibia

1. Country in southwestern Africa , bordered by Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; formerly called South West Africa.

Notes

In 1920, South Africa began administering South West Africa under authority of the League of Nations , and in 1971, it rejected the demands of the General Assembly of the United Nations that it withdraw. A nationalist group, the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), waged guerrilla warfare in an attempt to force South Africa out of Namibia. A U.S.-mediated settlement ended the civil war in 1988. In 1990, Namibia became an independent nation.

Other Words From

• Na·mib·i·an adjective noun

Example Sentences

The brewing industry is today regarded as a source of national pride in Namibia.

From Quartz

One example of such a holistic approach comes from Namibia, home to iconic animals like rhinos and giraffes, where conservation is not a top-down effort guided by governments or organizations with offices on the other side of the planet.

From Science News

Through detailed scrutiny, Nijhuis shows that Namibia’s model is proving successful.

From Science News

Donate this season in someone’s name to fund projects, such as protecting Namibia’s desert lions.

From Outside Online

We have studied the function of termite mounds in both India and Namibia, and most recently have begun to understand the principles of how they are built.

From Quanta Magazine

And that conglomerate also owns nearly 70 percent of the Rossing uranium mine in Namibia.

From The Daily Beast

Workers came from all over Africa, including Malawi, Mozambique, and Namibia.

From The Daily Beast

There are only 5,000 black rhino and 20,000 white rhino left, the vast majority of which are in South Africa and Namibia.

From The Daily Beast

During his trip to Namibia, though, the menu takes a definite turn for the gross.

From The Daily Beast

HIV-positive women he met in Namibia fueled his AIDS activism.

From The Daily Beast

The focus of our efforts in pursuit of majority rule in southern Africa has now turned to Namibia.

From Project Gutenberg