Namibia 

Introduction

The Republic of Namibia is a unitary state located in south-western Africa. It borders Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its area is 825,418 sq km and population 2,055,080. The capital city is Windhoek. 

Namibia is divided into 13 regions: Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa. There are 48 local authorities made up of municipal, town and village councils. 

Local government’s contribution to GDP in 2003 was 0.5 per cent. 

Summary

Namibia is a small state due to the size of its population. The dispersed nature of its population makes it unique. This is reflected in its local government arrangements, which are relatively complex with the size of local councils ranging from a population of 800 for the smallest village to 234,000 for the largest city. There is an ongoing reform and decentralisation programme that is being modified to ensure that implementation takes place in accordance with needs. 

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