Namibia is a country in Southern Africa. One of the world's driest areas, the Namib Desert, runs down the coast of Namibia and the Kalahari Desert extends into eastern Namibia. In between lie high, grassy plains. For its size, Namibia has only a few people. Apart from the Kalahari Bushmen, most people live in central Namibia, where they rear cattle, sheep and goats. But the most valuable products are minerals, especially diamonds, uranium and copper. White people make up ten per cent of the population, but they control most industries. There are several groups of blacks, the largest of which, the Ovambos, fought a guerrilla war for Namibia's independence from 1966 to 1989.

Namibia has one of the most productive fishing grounds in the world. The fishing industry is an important source of foreign exchange and a significant employer. The tourism industry in Namibia is similar in size to that in Botswana and is the country's third-largest foreign exchange earner. Namibia is one of the largest producers of gem quality diamonds in the world. It is estimated that 98 percent of its mined diamonds are gem quality. In 2006, almost half of total production was recovered from offshore sources. Namibia is the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa, with deserts occupying much of the country. It has no perennial rivers or any other permanent water bodies. Due to the low and erratic rainfall and scarce ground and surface water, less than five percent of the country is arable, including through irrigation.