那米比亚(Namibia)

正式名称那米比亚共和国（Republic of Namibia）

旧称西南非（South-West Africa, 1915～1968）

非洲西南沿海国家。面积825,118平方公里。人口约1,798,000（2001）。首都︰文豪克。境内一半以上人口为奥万博人（Ovambo），其余为纳马人（Nama）、卡万戈人（Kavango）、赫雷罗人（Herero）和桑人（San）。语言︰英语（官方语）、阿非利堪斯语、班图语和德语。宗教：基督教，信仰万物有灵。货币︰那米比亚元（N$）。全境可分为三大地理区︰那米比沙漠、中部高原和喀拉哈里沙漠。经济主要以农业和钻石生产与出口为基础。政府形式为共和国，两院制。国家元首暨政府首脑为总统。

由当地居民长期居住，15世纪後期被葡萄牙人发现。1885年被德国兼并为德属西南非。第一次世界大战中被南非占领，1918年南非接受国际联盟委任，管理该地。第二次世界大战後，南非拒绝交出委任统治权。1966年联合国决议结束委任统治，1970年代和1980年代遭到南非挑战。经长期谈判，并牵涉到许多派系斗争和利害关系，终在1990年获得独立。

English version：

Namibia

formerly (1915-68)South-West AfricaNation, southwestern coast of Africa. Area: 318,580 sq mi (825,118 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 1,727,000. Capital: Windhoek. More than half the people are Ovambo. Others include Nama, Kavango, Herero, and San. Languages: English, (official), Afrikaans, Bantu, German. Religions: Christianity, animism. Currency: Namibian dollar. Namibia may be divided into three broad regions: the Namib Desert, the Central Plateau, and the Kalahari Desert. The economy is based largely on agriculture and on the production and export of diamonds. It is a republic with two legislative houses; its head of state and government is the president. Long inhabited by indigenous peoples, it was explored by the Portuguese in the late 15th century. In 1885 it was annexed by Germany as German Southwest Africa. It was captured in World War I by South Africa, which received it as a mandate from the League of Nations in 1918 and refused to give it up after World War II. A U.N. resolution in 1966 ending the mandate was challenged by South Africa in the 1970s and '80s. Through long negotiations involving many factions and interests, it achieved independence in 1990.