Impalila (sometimes spelt Mpalila) is an island at the far eastern tip of

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

, bounded on the north by the waters of the

Zambezi river The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...

and on the south by the

Chobe River The Cuando River (or Kwando in the non-colonial spelling) is a river in south-central Africa flowing through Angola and Namibia's Caprivi Strip and into the Linyanti Swamp on the northern border of Botswana. Below the swamp, the river is called ...

. It is home to some 2500-3000 people in 25 small villages, including Tswanas (from

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kal ...

) and Subia people (from

). Impalila is usually accessed from

Kasane Kasane is a town in Botswana, close to Africa's 'Four Corners', where four countries almost meet: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is at the far north-eastern corner of Botswana where it serves as the administrative center of the Chob ...

in Botswana, on the other bank of the Chobe River. There is a Namibian customs and immigration post on the island. There is also an airport with a 1,300 metre runway, used for charter flights to bring tourists to the various

lodge Lodge is originally a term for a relatively small building, often associated with a larger one. Lodge or The Lodge may refer to: Buildings and structures Specific * The Lodge (Australia), the official Canberra residence of the Prime Minist ...

s on the island. The airport is a relic of a military base used in the 1980s by the South African Defence Forces, strategically positioned within sight of Botswana,

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...

and

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

. The Namibian Navy has refurbished the Naval Base Impalila and is now operated by

Namibian Marine Corps The Namibian Marines Corps is the Naval Infantry of Namibia and is part of the Namibian Navy and the Namibian Defence Force. History The Marine Corps are a recent addition to the Namibian Defence Force due to the gradual establishment of the ...

References

Islands of Namibia Botswana–Namibia border crossings River islands of Africa Zambezi River Geography of Zambezi Region {{Namibia-geo-stub