Namibia

South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.

Economical characteristics

 * Currency: Namibian dollar (ISO code: NAD)
 * Central bank discount rate: 7% (31 December 2009)
 * Commercial banks lending rate: 11.12% (31 December 2009 )
 * Stock of money (M1): $1.983 billion (31 December 2008)
 * Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $1.158 billion (31 December 2008)

Links

 * Namibia on Wikipedia
 * Central bank of Namibia
 * Country profile (pdf) from the Enterprise Studies page (part of the The World Bank Group)
 * BBC country profile