This article deals with the system of transport in Namibia, both public and private.
The beginnings of organised travel and transport routes in the territory of South West Africa, today Namibia, have not yet been established. This is due to the lack of any written records relating to roads prior to the twilight of the 19th century. [1] Archaeological work has dated one stretch of road in the south-western Brandberg Massif to c. 1250 AD. Although no other such early examples have been found, it is certain that this road was not the only one of its kind. [2]
The first permanent road, established for ox wagons, was built at the initiative of Heinrich Schmelen, Rhenish missionary in Bethanie in the early 19th century. It led from Bethanie to Angra Pequeña, today the town of Lüderitz, and was intended to serve the natural harbour there in order to become independent of the Cape Colony. [2]
Namibia's road network is regarded as one of the best on the continent; road construction and maintenance adheres to international standards. [3] The country's 48,875.27 km roads (2017) are administered by the Roads Authority, a state-owned enterprise established by Act 17 of 1999. Due to low traffic volumes the majority of roads are not tarred. The distribution of road surfaces is: [4]
Region | Bitumen (km) | Gravel (km) | Salt (km) | Earth (km) | Others (km) | Total (km) | Kilometers per 1000 km2 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erongo | 466.9 | 1748.3 | 269.9 | 1025.7 | 14.2 | 3524.98 | 55.5 |
Hardap | 654.7 | 4566.4 | 0,0 | 1358.9 | 0.0 | 6597.95 | 59.9 |
Karas | 1314.7 | 4989.0 | 5.0 | 1347.9 | 2.1 | 7658.62 | 47.6 |
Kavango East | 344.4 | 465.9 | 0.0 | 673.2 | 82.5 | 1656.95 | 64.7 |
Kavango West | 428.0 | 218.8 | 0.0 | 629.3 | 24.3 | 1300.41 | 56.0 |
Khomas | 361.8 | 1729.0 | 0.0 | 666.2 | 70.9 | 2827.85 | 76.8 |
Kunene | 515.5 | 2644.1 | 25.0 | 1524.5 | 186.6 | 4895.68 | 33.9 |
Ohangwena | 359.2 | 316.9 | 0.0 | 350.2 | 303.5 | 1329.71 | 125.4 |
Omaheke | 445.4 | 2974.1 | 0.0 | 2055.0 | 33.6 | 5508.09 | 73.8 |
Omusati | 726.4 | 486.8 | 0.0 | 750.6 | 261.8 | 2225.58 | 163.2 |
Oshana | 129.2 | 261.7 | 0.0 | 178.2 | 182.6 | 751.78 | 141.8 |
Oshikoto | 513.3 | 934.2 | 0.0 | 328.9 | 12.6 | 1789.06 | 67.3 |
Otjozondjupa | 1137.6 | 4454.0 | 0.0 | 1702.6 | 66.1 | 7360.35 | 69.9 |
Zambezi | 504.7 | 257.4 | 0.0 | 697.4 | 79.8 | 1539.26 | 78.8 |
The major highways in Namibia are as follows:
In 2018, there were about 393,062 cars registered in Namibia (169,911 in the capital Windhoek). [5] Namibia has a relatively high prevalence of road accidents, compared to its sparse population. In 2011, 491 people died in 2,846 crashes. [6] Causes are often speeding and reckless driving, as well as general non-observance of traffic rules. [7] Stray animals are also a major cause of accidents, particularly in the Kavango Region. [8]
Rail transport in Namibia is operated on a 2,687-kilometre network by TransNamib.
none (2002, 1999 est.)
Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport is the main international airport in the country. Two others international airports are Walvis Bay Airport and Eros Airport in Windhoek.
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Transportation in Botswana is provided by an extensive network of railways, highways, ferry services and air routes that criss-cross the country. The transport sector in Botswana played an important role in economic growth following its independence in 1966. The country discovered natural resources which allowed it to finance the development of infrastructure, and policy ensured that the transport sector grew at an affordable pace commensurate with demands for services.
At 824,292 km2 (318,261 sq mi), Namibia is the world's thirty-fourth largest country. After Mongolia, Namibia is the second least densely populated country in the world. Namibia got its name from the Namib desert that stretches along the coast of the Atlantic. It is also known for its wildlife.
This article is about the Transport in Zambia.
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek, which was 486,169 in 2023, is constantly growing due to a continued migration from other regions in Namibia.
The Namib is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and northwest South Africa, extending southward from the Carunjamba River in Angola, through Namibia and to the Olifants River in Western Cape, South Africa. The Namib's northernmost portion, which extends 450 kilometres (280 mi) from the Angola-Namibia border, is known as Moçâmedes Desert, while its southern portion approaches the neighboring Kalahari Desert. From the Atlantic coast eastward, the Namib gradually ascends in elevation, reaching up to 200 kilometres (120 mi) inland to the foot of the Great Escarpment. Annual precipitation ranges from 2 millimetres (0.079 in) in the aridest regions to 200 millimetres (7.9 in) at the escarpment, making the Namib the only true desert in southern Africa. Having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for roughly 55–80 million years, the Namib may be the oldest desert in the world and contains some of the world's driest regions, with only western South America's Atacama Desert to challenge it for age and aridity benchmarks.
The Caprivi Strip, also known simply as Caprivi, is a geographic salient protruding from the northeastern corner of Namibia. It is bordered by Botswana to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north. Namibia, Botswana and Zambia meet at a single point at the eastern tip of the Strip, which also comes within 150 m (490 ft) of Zimbabwe thus nearly forming a quadripoint.
The Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Road runs from Walvis Bay, through Rundu in north eastern Namibia, along the Caprivi Strip to Katima Mulilo on the Zambezi River, which forms the border between Namibia and Zambia. The Katima Mulilo Bridge spans the river to the Zambian town of Sesheke from where a road runs to Livingstone, joining the main north–south highway to Lusaka, connecting onwards to the Copperbelt.
The Trans-Kalahari Corridor is a paved highway corridor that provides a direct route from the port of Walvis Bay and Windhoek in central Namibia, through Botswana, to Pretoria in Gauteng province in South Africa. It initially cost approximately 850 million Namibian dollars and was officially opened in 1998.
TransNamib Holdings Limited, commonly referred to as TransNamib, is a state-owned railway company in Namibia. Organised as a holding company, it provides both rail and road freight services, as well as passenger rail services. Its headquarters are in the country’s capital Windhoek.
Articles related to Namibia include:
Windhoek railway station is a railway station serving the city of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It is an important station in the Namibian rail network, and it is run by TransNamib.
The B1 is a national highway of Namibia, and is the country's longest and most significant road, running the length of the country from south to north. It connects Noordoewer in the south on the South African border with Oshikango in the north on the Angolan border via Namibia's capital city Windhoek.
B6 is a national highway of eastern-central Namibia. It is 318 kilometres (198 mi) long and connects the capital Windhoek with the Buitepos border crossing to Botswana. Gobabis, the capital of Omaheke Region, lies on the B6, as do the villages of Seeis, Omitara and Witvlei. Hosea Kutako International Airport is also located on the B6, east of Windhoek.
Okahandja railway station is a railway station serving the town of Okahandja in Namibia. It is part of the TransNamib Railway.
Prostitution in Namibia is legal and a highly prevalent common practice. Related activities such as solicitation, procuring and being involved in the running of a brothel are illegal. A World Bank study estimated there were about 11,000 prostitutes in Namibia.
The rail service in Namibia is provided by TransNamib. The Namibian rail network consists of 2,687 km of tracks (2017).
The history of rail transport in Namibia began with a small mining rail line at Cape Cross in 1895. The first major railway project was started in 1897 when the German Colonial Authority built the 600 mm gauge Staatsbahn from Swakopmund to Windhoek. By 1902 the line was completed.
Usakos railway station is a railway station in Namibia serving the city of Usakos. It is part of the TransNamib railway network. The station building is dilapidated but passenger trains still stop at Usakos.
The Swakopmund–Windhoek line was a main 600 mm narrow-gauge railway line in Namibia. It was built in 1897 and operated until 1990 when the route name was changed.
The A1 is a national highway in Namibia. The 76 kilometres (47 mi) stretch of road between Windhoek and Okahandja is the only A-rated road in Namibia. Consisting of freeway for its entire length, it came into existence in 2017 when freeway sections of the B1 were redesignated A1 in accordance with new standards of the Roads Authority Namibia. The entirety of the A1 forms part of the Trans-Kalahari Corridor and, together with the B1, also forms part of the Tripoli-Cape Town Highway.