The Namib Desert is often refered to as the world's oldest desert. Namibia,
gets it's name from the Namib so it should come as no suprise to
discover that the entire western section of the country is comprised of
the Namib. Of course the Namib spreads beyond the borders of Namibia and
flows into southern Angola and the northern Cape Province of South
Africa.
A section of the central Namib Desert incorporates The
Namib Naukluft Park, one of the largest national parks in Africa, as
well as the Naukluft Mountains. The park is a combination of the Namib Desert Park and the Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park as well as sections of the Diamond Area. The combined area is just under 50,000km² and main attractions are Sossusvlei, Sandwich Harbour and the Naukluft hiking and four wheel drive trails.
Sossusvlei
is the one attraction that should not be missed while you are in
Namibia; the dunes are amazing and even though this is a popular tourist
destination it is still easy to gain a sense of solitude while climbing
one of the dunes or walking to dead or hidden vlei. The Namib Desert
section of the Namib-Naukluft Park also includes the Swakop and Kuiseb River Canyons.
The
Namib Desert has a fascinating array of bizarre plant (and animal)
adaptations, surviving in sand dunes of all shapes and sizes and vast
gravel plains stretching for as far as the eye can see. With ephemeral
rivers flowing unexpectedly, dunes, plains and rivers have all become
vital components of the oldest desert on the planet, in existence for at
least 43 million years.
Vegetation and wildlife are seemingly
scarce in any desert and this is one of the most harshest environments
in Namibia. Plant life in the Namib Desert can be defined as growing in
the following areas:
For any desert exploring tours visit www.mufasabackpackers.com
Jana :)
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