If you’re wondering where in the world Nambia is after Trump’s speech to African leaders at the United Nations, you’re not alone.
President Trump praised the vaguely familiar-sounding — but entirely made up — country twice during his speech, focusing on the nonexistent country’s healthcare. “In Guinea and Nigeria, you fought a horrifying Ebola outbreak,” Trump reminded the leaders gathered, adding praise that “Nambia’s health system is increasingly self-sufficient.”
Despite the spark of positivity in the midst of a series comments for which Trump received criticism — including a statement about his willingness to “totally destroy” North Korea if needed — audiences were quick to jump on the gaffe. Many rushed to speculate which actual African country Trump had meant to refer to: was it Gambia or Zambia, which both sound similar to Nambia, or the south African country of Namibia?
Where is Namibia, Zambia and The Gambia?
In case you’re wondering about these, very real, countries, Namibia is in the southern part of Africa on the western coast right above South Africa. You’ll find Zambia to the north-east of Namibia, right above Zimbabwe and Botswana. The Gambia, officially Republic of The Gambia, however, is on the north-western coast of Africa. You’re likely familiar with its more famous northern neighbor, Senegal.
The White House later cleared up everyone’s confusion by weighing in, claiming the president was in fact referring to Namibia, which dodged the Ebola outbreak two years ago that claimed the lives of thousands of people across multiple countries. At the time, in response to the outbreak in other countries, Namibia implemented new healthcare measures to treat infections and ward off an outbreak of their own.
Namibia wasn’t the only country praised by Trump during the speech — even though they technically weren’t given the credit. The president applauded the entire continent’s “tremendous business potential,” telling the African leaders “I have so many friends going to your countries, trying to get rich” and adding that “they’re spending a lot of money.”
