Namib Desert

The Namib Desert is located in Namibia and southwest Angola, which forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin.

The desert occupies an area of around 80 900 km² (31 200 square miles), stretching about 1,600 km (1000 miles) along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia. Its east-west width varies from 50-160 km (30 to 100 miles). The Namib Desert also reaches into southwest Angola. It is one of the 500 distinct physiographic provinces of the South African Platform physiographic division.

The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for at least 55 million years after the Atacama Desert. Its aridity is caused by the descent of dry air of the Hadley Cell, cooled by the cold Benguela current along the coast. It has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.

A number of unusual species of plants and animals are found only in this desert. One of these is Welwitschia mirabilis, one of the most unusual species. Welwitschia is a shrub-like plant, but grows just two long strap-shaped leaves continuously throughout its lifetime. These leaves may be several meters long, gnarled and twisted from the desert winds. The taproot of the plant develops into a flat, concave disc in age. Welwitschia is notable for its survival in the extremely arid conditions in the Namib, sometimes deriving moisture from the coastal sea fogs.

Although the desert is largely unpopulated and inaccessible, there are year-round settlements at Sesriem, close to the famous Sossusvlei and a huge group of sand dunes, which at more than 300 meters high are among the tallest sand dunes in the world. The regularity and complexity of dune patterns in its dune sea have attracted the attention of geologists for decades. They still remain poorly understood.

The interaction between the dry air of the desert water and the laden air coming from the sea via southerly winds, some of the strongest of any coastal desert, causes immense fogs and strong currents. This has caused many sailors to lose their way.

It is notorious as the site of many shipwrecks, along with the Skeleton Coast further north. Some of these wrecked ships can be found as much as 50 metres inland, as the desert slowly moves westwards into the sea, reclaiming land over a period of many years.

The Namib desert is an important location for the mining of diamonds, tungsten, and salt.

Access to the area is by light aircraft from Windhoek, which is the capital of Namibia. - this is about 480 km north-east of the centre of the desert - Also from Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, at the north end of the desert, or overland on gravel roads.


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