Namibia
Namibia – country facts
Namibia is a country in southern Africa lined in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. Namibia gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence . The country has a stable multi-party parliamentary democracy.
Agriculture, herding, tourism and the mining industry - including mining for gem diamonds, uranium, gold, and silver - form the basis of its economy. The country's expansive landscapes and wildlife are world famous.
Namibia – comparison with Switzerland
The large, arid Namib Desert has resulted in Namibia being overall one of the least densly populated countries in the world: it has a total population of 2.567 million (less than a third of the population of Switzerland: 8.776 million) (source: World Bank 2021); at the same time, it is 20 times larger than Switzerland (824'000 km2 versus 41'284 km2).
The gross national income (GNI) per capita in Namibia, belonging to the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is 18-times lower than in Switzerland, a high-income country (HIC), (US$ 4'880 and US$ 86'537, respectively. In 2022, Switzerland ranked number 1/189 and Namibia number 105/109 (source: gapminder.org)..
Namibia
| Official name: Republic of Namibia |
| Capital: Windhoek |
| Official languages: English |
| Population: 2.567 Mio (2022) |
| Total area: 824'000 km2 |
| Density: 3.1 persons/km2 |
| GNI per capita: 4'880 US$ |
| Life expectany at birth male: 64.5 years |
| Life expectancy at birth female: 68.5 years |
| Fertility rate: 3.30/Woman |
Switzerland
| Official name: Swiss Confederation |
| Capital: Bern |
| Official language: German, French, Italian, Romansch |
| Population: 8.776 Mio (2022) |
| Total area: 41'284 km2 |
| Density: 221.6 persons/km2 |
| GNI per capita: 86'537 US$ |
| Life expectancy at birth male: 81.6 years |
| Life expectancy at birth female: 85.4 years |
| Fertility rate: 1.52/woman |
Namibia – where we work
Since 2015, the founders and mission teams of NEO FOR NAMIBIA - Helping Babies Survive have visited several neonatology units in government hospitals in Namibia, including referral centers in Windhoek (Windhoek Central Hospital, Katutura Hospital), as well as State Hospitals in Rundu, Katima, Onandjokwe (near Ondangwa), Oshakati, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Rehoboth, and Mariental.
Currently, the programs are ongoing in the poor Kavango East and Zambezi regions in the north (Rundu, Katima) and in the Erongo region on the Atlantic coast (Swakopmund, Walvis Bay).
