Bright, wild, juicy Namibia! If you want to see the real Africa, you definitely need to visit this country. Here, hot desert expanses, the cool coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the richest fauna and flora, rare lunar landscapes and the famous Skeleton Coast merge into a single picture of distant African exoticism, which simply has no equal.
Geography of Namibia
According to best-medical-schools, Namibia is located in South Africa and shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the southeast and south. The western part of Namibia is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The main part of the country, with a total area of 824.3 thousand km², is occupied by highlands. The highest point is Mount Königstein-Brandberg with a height of 2606 meters above sea level. The central plateau is surrounded by the Namib Desert in the west of Namibia, the Orange River in the east and the Kalahari Desert in the east. The northern part of the country is rich in jungle.
Capital
Windhoek
Area
The area of Namibia is 824,300 km. sq., occupies the 33rd place in the world by area.
Population
2 358 163
Currency
The national currency is the Namibian dollar.
Language
The official language is English (German, Afrikaans, Herero and Oshiwambo are adopted as national languages)
Visa to Namibia
Citizens of the Russian Federation and CIS countries do not need a visa to visit Namibia for tourism purposes. The maximum allowable visa-free stay in Namibia is 90 days. To obtain an entry permit, you only need a “reserve” of a passport validity of six months, as well as two free pages in it, although one is often enough.
Weather in Namibia
Namibia is actually a semi-desert; it is characterized by a dry, hot climate with sharp temperature changes during the day. Due to the strong influence of the Bengal current, precipitation in Namibia is critically low. Formally, the climatic seasons are divided here into two: dry hot summers from October to April and mild winters from May to September. Daytime summer temperatures can impress a Russian tourist; in the shade, a thermometer can rise to 40-45°C, and at night it can drop to 20°C and even -1°C in deserts. In winter, weather conditions in Namibia are more forgiving, with temperatures of 25°C during the day and 5°C at night. In the period from January to April, rare precipitation falls on the coast, in winter they never happen. Due to the peculiarities of the local climate, you can visit Namibia at any time of the year, depending on your personal preferences.
Currency exchange in Namibia
In Namibia, only the local currency, the South African rand (ZAR), is accepted; it is unlikely that you can pay in dollars or euros here. You can exchange foreign currency for local currency at airport exchange offices, banks and hotels throughout the country. Most bank branches operate from Friday to Saturday, on Monday-Friday they work from 10:00 to 16:00, and on Saturday from 8:30 to 11:00. In Namibia, you can easily cash a bank card belonging to the world’s major payment systems, and you can also cash travelers checks. Cards are accepted in large hotels, shops and restaurants.
Electricity
Voltage 220-240V, 50Hz. Type D sockets (two thin and one thick round pin) and M (three thick round pins). Adapters can be provided by most major hotels.
Religion
During the European expansion, 90% of the local residents of Namibia became believing Christians. Most of them consider themselves to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Namibia, the smaller part – to the Catholic Church. 3% of the inhabitants of Namibia profess Islam, less common are religions such as Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Security
Namibia is the safest country in South Africa as far as it goes in this region. In order for your vacation to be cloudless, do not leave things unattended in public places, and keep money, passport and other valuables in the safes that are in most hotels.
Health
In Namibia, there is no high risk of getting malaria, but it is still worth drinking preventive medicines before the trip. Several cases of malaria have been reported in the area north of Etosha National Park to the border with Angola. As in most countries in Africa and the world, it is safer to drink bottled water. For washing and brushing your teeth, tap water is also quite suitable. In most establishments designed for foreigners, the ice is made from filtered water and is safe.
