Namibia

American  

[nuh-mib-ee-uh] / nəˈmɪb i ə /

noun

1. a republic in southwestern Africa: a former German protectorate; a mandate of South Africa 1920–66; gained independence 1990. 318,261 sq. mi. (824,296 sq. km). Windhoek.

---

Namibia British  

/ nɑːˈmɪbɪə, nə- /

noun

1. Former name (1885–1919): German Southwest Africa.  Also called: South West Africa.  a country in southern Africa bordering on South Africa: annexed by Germany in 1884 and mandated by the League of Nations to South Africa in 1920. The mandate was terminated by the UN in 1966 but this was ignored by South Africa, as was the 1971 ruling by the International Court of Justice that the territory be surrendered. Independence was achieved in 1990 and Namibia became a member of the Commonwealth; Walvis Bay remained a South African enclave until 1994, when it was returned to Namibia. Official language: English; Afrikaans and German also spoken. Religion: mostly animist, with some Christians. Currency: dollar. Capital: Windhoek. Pop: 2 182 852 (2013 est). Area: 823 328 sq km (317 887 sq miles)

---

Namibia Cultural  

1. Country in southwestern Africa, bordered by Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; formerly called South West Africa.

---

Discover More

In 1920, South Africa began administering South West Africa under authority of the League of Nations, and in 1971, it rejected the demands of the General Assembly of the United Nations that it withdraw. A nationalist group, the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), waged guerrilla warfare in an attempt to force South Africa out of Namibia. A U.S.-mediated settlement ended the civil war in 1988. In 1990, Namibia became an independent nation.

Other Word Forms

• Namibian adjective

Example Sentences

The rerouting of ships around Cape of Good Hope could benefit ports in Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

At a sanctuary in Walvis Bay, Namibia, a group of lesser flamingos gather beneath a stretch of power lines at sunset.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Namibia has rejected an application by Elon Musk-owned Starlink for a licence to provide satellite internet services in the country, dealing the company a second setback in southern Africa.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Namibia said Monday it had rejected a request for billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink to operate its satellite internet services in the country, dealing the company a second setback in southern Africa.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Could such geniuses have equally well been born in Tasmania or Namibia?

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond