Namibia is bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Angola in southwestern Africa. Some 12 small uninhabited islands lie off the coast between Walvis Bay and the Orange River. Predominantly an arid country, its topography can be divided into four general areas: the Namib Dessert and coastal plains in the west; the eastward-sloping Central Plateau; the Kalahari Desert along the Botswana and South African borders; and the densely wooded bushveld of the northern Kavango and Caprivi regions. Namibia has been an independent republic since 21 March 1990.