Republic of Namibia

3.7

A country in southwest Africa on the Atlantic coast that became independent from South Africa in 1990

proper noun

: República de Namibia

The Republic of Namibia became independent in 1990 after years of struggle against South African rule.

Examples

Mining is a major industry in the Republic of Namibia, especially the extraction of diamonds and uranium.
The Republic of Namibia is known for its stunning landscapes.
The president of the Republic of Namibia addressed the United Nations General Assembly.
Have you ever visited the Republic of Namibia?
The Republic of Namibia became independent in 1990 after years of struggle against South African rule.
Mining is a major industry in the Republic of Namibia, especially the extraction of diamonds and uranium.
The Republic of Namibia is known for its stunning landscapes.

Synonyms

Namibia

vsRepublic of Namibia

13 3.0

A country in southwest Africa on the Atlantic coast that gained independence from South Africa in 1990

includes the country's former name in its description rather than just the modern name

South West Africa

vsRepublic of Namibia

6.1

An old name for Namibia used before it became independent in 1990

is the current name used after independence rather than the older name

Surface Forms

Republic of Namibia main

Morphology

republic + of + Namibia

The phrase simply names the political form and country: combining 'republic' (a form of government) with the preposition 'of' and the proper noun 'Namibia' yields the meaning directly. This noun + of + proper-name pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Republic of Namibia comes from the long coastal desert called the Namib, a name from the local Nama people that means 'vast place'. The word Republic shows it is an 'independent' state, so the full name tells us this is the country of Namibia, free to govern itself since 1990.