A population of just over two million lives in the 34th largest country in the world, in an area of almost 320,000 square miles.

It has the second lowest population density of any country, behind only Mongolia. 

"We've got a beautiful country," said Marja Woortman, Namibia's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

"We've got something of everything, we've got the desert, we've got the sea. 

"We've got forests, we've got wildlife. 

"We've got a huge country and a very small population.

"Because you've got so much sun in our country, people like the outdoors and they like nature, and they like travelling.

"Sport is doing well."

Namibia is known for the Namib dessert, where sand dunes spectacularly stretch down to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. 

The shipwreck strewn Skeleton Coast and some of the world's most unique and bizarre plant life are other highlights.

Away from its natural blessings, the country is starting to make a name for itself in sport, too, and celebrated a historic medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last year.

Christine Mboma, who turns 19 this month, won silver in the women's 200 metres to become only the second Namibian Olympic medallist after the acclaimed Frankie Fredericks, as well as being the first woman to step foot on a podium. 

The teenager, alongside fellow 19-year-old sprinter Beatrice Masilingi, is due to be a headline name in the country's 25-strong team in Birmingham, which will be bolstered by six or seven Para-competitors.

As well as athletics, the country is hoping to compete in swimming, bowls, boxing, wrestling and possibly gymnastics.

Mboma, who clearly has a bright future due to her young age, was only second to Jamaican great Elaine Thompson-Herah in Tokyo.

She won gold in the 200m at last year's World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, an event which saw Masilingi return home with three silver medals.

The careers of both youngsters have already been hit by controversy, however, as World Athletics testosterone rules mean that, just like South Africa's Caster Semenya, they cannot race over distances between 400m and the mile.

The Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), which described World Athletics' handling of the pair's cases as an "unacceptable invasion" of their privacy, has supported the athletes.

Mboma, who said fans chased her car in celebration after she returned home from Tokyo, was named as the BBC African Sports Personality of the Year.

"She is an example for many athletes," said Woortman, an NNOC Executive Board member.

"She's also a part of an athletics camp, helping kids.

"So she's not keeping it for herself, she's taking it back to the community." 

Fredericks won the world title over 200m in 1993, as well as four Olympic silver medals across the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Games.

At the Commonwealth Games, he won two gold medals in the 200m eight years apart, at Victoria 1994 and Manchester 2002.

He is Namibia's undisputed greatest sporting export, but became embroiled in scandal after moving into sports governance at the end of his competitive career.

In 2017, Fredericks self suspended himself as an International Olympic Committee member after French authorities accused him of bribery - accusations he denies.

Namibia enjoyed its best ever Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast 2018, where the country won two gold medals for the first time.

Both light welterweight boxer Jonas Jonas and women's marathon champion Helalia Johannes should be back to defend their titles, and fans from the country are hoping to lend their support.

"There's a group here in Namibia who want to come over," said Woortman.

"There's one person who has taken up the initiative to get some fans together. 

"And they want to come over and watch Namibians compete.

"It helps with the mood and atmosphere so it's always good to have people like that." 

The Queen's Baton Relay visited Namibia in December and made use of the country's natural beauty.

Olympians from Tokyo 2020 were involved and the baton visited the Dune 7 sand dune, which measures in at more than 383 metres high.

"We had a great event," Woortman said.

"It came into our capital city in Windhoek, we took it to the President and then to the British High Commissioner. 

"We had a reception there and we took it down to the coast, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

"We visited the Topnaar community who stay close to Walvis Bay in the desert."

Woortman will be serving as Chef de Mission for the first time and is in charge of Namibia's Coaching Committee.

This involves holding regional coaching forums.

Her main sport is archery and she travelled with athlete Xander Reddig to both the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing and the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.

"My son started archery and I ended up as a coach," Woortman said.

"I never shot myself.

"But I took all the coaching courses to train others."

Namibia is the only Commonwealth country where German is widely spoken and is home to a number of tribes.

The Birmingham 2022 team will include athletes from many different regions and cultures.

Woortman attended the Birmingham 2022 open day visits in March and was left impressed with preparations.

"It was brilliant, I enjoyed it," she said.

"All the venues, and the accommodation, and the people...

"It looks well organised, people are on time and there are high standards."