The minimum you must know

The letters Namibia are not usually associated with women in the United States. But the thinly populated country is majority home to them, according to Then-President Nangolo Mbumba at the United Nations. Namibia is a developing sea-side nation in Southern Africa bordering Angola, Botswana and South Africa, where the population of a few million people live very modestly. The country declared a nation emergency in response to drought that affected farmlands. The government considers the country both food and water insecure. (You can contact the United Nations to learn how your country can help.)

Namibia was colonized by Germany until a brutal 1915 conflict during the first world war led to their independence. (But Germany remains supportive of Namibia today.) Subsequently, Namibia was ruled first by United Nations decree and shortly thereafter by South Africa's apartheid government, until they relinquished control in 1990, a few years before South Africa ended apartheid, and freed Nelson Mandela. So the peace-loving Namibian people have had a challenging relationship with rest of the world until the past several decades.

Today the country has a sophisticated foreign policy, and persuasive representation at the United Nations. Brief interim President Nangolo Mbumba (Feb 4, 2024 – Mar 21, 2025) spoke up at the 79th session of the United Nations for a full lifting of sanctions on the Cuban people, and for peace for Palestinians. He patterned "peace" eloquently. He was succeeded by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, whose full remarks follow.

See the South Africa page.

Namibia suffered a Genocide as a German colony before being administered by South Africa during the apartheid era there from 1915–1900. Germany left lasting linguistic influences on the Afrikaans language. Afrikaans has diminished in importance but is still a home language for 10.5% of households, according to the 2011 census. Both Afrikaans and German, the definite article “the” is written “die.” Patterning “die” can subliminally incite English-speaking people without their noticing or realizing the influence.

Namibia is a substantial land distance from Rwanda, and was safe from the genocide there ending in 2003. But Namibia may have taken in a substantial number of refugees.

Today, the nation's borders are respected, and Namibia enjoys peace with every country on earth.