Namib" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Namibia or Namibian (disambiguation).

Namib Desert
Desert

An image of the Namib Desert by the

MODIS instrument
Countries Namibia, Angola
Namib-Naukluft National Park,
Naukluft Mountains, Skeleton
Landmarks
Coast, Spitzkoppe, Sossusvlei,
Deadvlei, Sperrgebiet
Swakop River, Kuiseb River,
Rivers Cunene River, Orange River,
Olifants River, Tsauchab
Highest Brandberg Mountain 2,606 m
point
(8,550 ft)
- location Erongo, Namibia
- coordinates 2107S 1433E
Lowest
Atlantic Ocean 0 m (0 ft)
point
Length 2,000 km (1,243 mi), N/S
Width 200 km (124 mi), E/W
Area
81,000 km2 (31,274 sq mi)
Biome Desert

Approximate boundaries of the Namib

Desert

The Namib is a coastal desert in southern Africa. The name Namib is of Nama origin and
means "vast place". According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than
2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa,
extending southward from the Carunjamba River in Angola, through Namibia and to the
Olifants River in Western Cape, South Africa.[1][2] The Namib's northernmost portion, which
extends 450 kilometres (280 mi) from the Angola-Namibia border, is known as Momedes
Desert, while its southern portion approaches the neighboring Kalahari Desert. From the
Atlantic coast eastward, the Namib gradually ascends in elevation, reaching up to 200
kilometres (120 mi) inland to the foot of the Great Escarpment.[1] Annual precipitation ranges
from 2 millimetres (0.079 in) in the most arid regions to 200 millimetres (7.9 in) at the
escarpment, making the Namib the only true desert in southern Africa.[1][2][3] Having endured
arid or semi-arid conditions for roughly 5580 million years, the Namib may be the oldest
desert in the world.[1][3]
The desert geology consists of sand seas near the coast, while gravel plains and scattered
mountain outcrops occur further inland. The sand dunes, some of which are 300 metres
(980 ft) high and span 32 kilometres (20 mi) long, are the second largest in the world after the
Badain Jaran Desert dunes in China.[1] Temperatures along the coast are stable and generally
range between 920 C (4868 F) annually, while temperatures further inland are variable
summer daytime temperatures can exceed 45 C (113 F) while nights can be freezing.[4] Fogs
that originate offshore from the collision of the cold Benguela Current and warm air from the
Hadley Cell create a fog belt that frequently envelops parts of the desert. Coastal regions can
experience more than 180 days of thick fog a year.[1][3] While this has proved a major hazard
to shipsmore than a thousand wrecks litter the Skeleton Coastit is a vital source of
moisture for desert life.
The Namib is almost completely uninhabited by humans except for several small settlements
and indigenous pastoral groups, including the Ovahimba and Obatjimba Herero in the north,
and the Topnaar Nama in the central region.[2] Owing to its antiquity, the Namib may be home
to more endemic species than any other desert in the world.[4] Most of the desert wildlife is
arthropods and other small animals that live on little water, although larger animals inhabit
the northern regions. Near the coast, the cold ocean water is rich in fishery resources and
supports populations of brown fur seals and shorebirds, which serve as prey for the Skeleton
Coast's lions.[4] Further inland, the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game park in
Africa, supports populations of African Bush Elephants, Mountain Zebras, and other large
mammals. Although the outer Namib is largely barren of vegetation, lichens and succulents
are found in coastal areas, while grasses, shrubs, and ephemeral plants thrive near the
escarpment. A few types of trees are also able to survive the extremely arid climate.[4]

Contents

1 Geography and geology

2 Climate

3 Animals and plants

4 Population

5 Namib-Naukluft National Park

6 Notable places

7 Gallery

8 See also

9 References

10 External links

Geography and geology

Sossusvlei, one of the Namib's major tourist attractions, is a salt and clay pan surrounded by
large dunes. The flats pictured here were caused by the Tsauchab stream after summer rains

An area known as the "Moon Landscape"

The Welwitschia plant is considered a living fossil, and is found only in the Namib Desert

The "Long Wall" is a prominent coastal area of the Namib that runs along the Sperrgebiet in
southwestern Namibia

Thick morning fog rolls in from the ocean, near Sossusvlei; moisture from the fog allows the
native flora to survive the aridity

Gemsboks (Oryx gazella) are the biggest antelopes found in the Namib
The Namib Desert is one of the 500 distinct physiographic provinces of the South African
Platform physiographic division. It occupies an area of around 80,950 km[5] (31,200 square
miles), stretching from the Usiab River (north) to the town of Lderitz (south) and from the
Atlantic Ocean (west) to the Namib Escarpment (east). It is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
long from north to south and its east-west width varies from 30 to 100 miles (48 to 161
kilometres). To the north, the desert leads into the Kaokoveld; the dividing line between these
two regions is roughly at the latitude of the city of Walvis Bay, and it consists in a narrow
strip of land (about 50 km wide) that is the driest place in Southern Africa. To the south, the
Namib borders on the S