Internationally renowned for its Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant, the world’s first plant to convert domestic sewage into drinkable water, Windhoek serves as the capital city for the Republic of Namibia.

Located 5,600 feet (1,700 meters) above sea level, Windhoek is the 12th highest capital city on the planet.

Windhoek means windy corner in the Afrikkaans language. Nicknames for Namibia include the Land of Many Faces and Land of the Brave.

Geographically Windhoek is near the center of Namibia but is also close to the Kalahari Desert. Windhoek has a very dry winter season and is sunny almost year-round (about 300 out of 365 days).

Research website numbeo ranks Windhoek in the top 49% compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Windhoek scored relatively well on index factors such as traffic commute time (fastest 6%), property price to income ratio (lowest 21%) cost of living (least expensive 26%) and climate (upper 38%). On the negative side, Windhoek rates relatively poorly for safety (worst 5%) and health care (bottom 33%).

Namibia was recognized by the Guinness World Records for the wonder plant found in the Namib Desert. The wonder plant produces the longest leaves of any other desert plant, measuring up to 13.1 feet (4 meters).

Another Guinness World Record recognized Namibia as the site of the world’s largest meteorite. The block weighed an estimated 132,277 pounds (60,000 kilograms) and measured 9 feet (2.7 meters) long and 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide.

From an international trade perspective, Namibia exports an estimated US$6.4 worth of goods around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include unmounted diamonds (20.8% of Namibia’s global total), unmounted diamonds (17.6%), uranium or thorium ores and concentrates (11.7%), gold (5%), fresh or chilled fish fillets (also 5%), frozen fish excluding fillets (4.8%), refined copper and related alloys (3.5%), unwrought tin (2.9%), live cattle (1.7%), malt beer (1.4%), and refined petroleum oils (also 1.4%) according to the International Trade Centre.

Capital Facts for Windhoek, Namibia: Quick Reference

 

Namibia won its independence via South African mandate on March 21, 1990. Fittingly named Namibia’s Independence Day, each March 21 is celebrated as a national holiday.

Windhoek’s area measures 1,982 square miles (5,133 square kilometers) with an estimated population of 431,171 residents at August 24, 2020.

At the country level, Namibia’s national population count was 2.5 million inhabitants at August 2020, living over a land territory encompassing 317,874 square miles (823,290 square kilometers).

Population density is more concentrated within Namibia’s capital city Windhoek averaging 218 dweller per square mile (84 per square kilometer).

Zooming out to Namibia’s overall land boundaries, population density drops to an average 8 people per square mile (3 per square kilometer). Namibia has the second-lowest population density of any sovereign country behind only Mongolia.