Source: IE
Context: Prime Minister visited Namibia, the first Indian PM in 27 years, to sign key agreements including the introduction of UPI and to strengthen India’s ties with the Global South.
About Namibia:
- Location: Namibia lies in southwestern Africa, offering access to the Atlantic Ocean and serving as a strategic gateway to the African interior.
- Capital: Windhoek.
- Neighbours: Angola, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Atlantic Ocean.
- Geological Features
- Major Rivers: Kunene, Okavango, Zambezi, and Orange are the main rivers, flowing along borders and vital for irrigation and regional cooperation.
- Namib Desert: Located along the west coast, it is hyper-arid, famous for the Skeleton Coast and rich in minerals like diamonds and uranium.
- Kalahari Desert: A semi-arid sandy region in the east, it merges into savanna grasslands, supporting scattered pastoral activity.
- Mountains: Brandberg, at 2,573 m, is Namibia’s highest peak and part of the western escarpment, known for rock art and
- Central Plateau: This elevated zone is Namibia’s agricultural heartland, housing the Fish River Canyon and saline Etosha Pan.
- Soils: Fertile soils are found in Otavi Highlands and Caprivi Strip, while other areas have infertile sandy or rocky terrain.
- Climate: Characterized by arid to semi-arid conditions, rainfall is <50 mm on the coast and exceeds 600 mm in the Caprivi Strip, with frequent droughts inland.
