The meeting of the desert and the ocean
The 1,400 km-long coastline is hemmed in by the dunes of the Namib Desert, the oldest in the world. This sea of sand spreads its ochre colors over the entire coastal zone, over a width varying between 80 and 120 km. It's from Sesriem, easily accessible by car, that visitors usually set off to discover the beauty of the immense dunes of Namib-Naukflut, Africa's largest park. The best-known dune is Big Daddy, which rises to over 325 m (5 m less than the Eiffel Tower). The country's main tourist attraction, Sossusvlei is a must-see place to discover Deadvlei ("dead swamp" in Afrikaans), an exceptional natural phenomenon: a small whitish basin where dead trees bear witness to life a thousand years ago. This Namib desert ends on the shores of an ocean with very cold temperatures (around 12°C), where only sea lions and other sharks find happiness. The meeting of these two elements is striking, as illustrated by the exceptional landscape represented by the dunes that come to rest on the waves of the Atlantic south of Walvis Bay. To the north, the inhospitable Skeleton Coast preserves forever the debris of ships that have been stranded on the sand for centuries. In the central part, the red sand dunes, among the highest in the world, can reach heights of 300 m. Acacia trees in dry riverbeds stand like ghosts in the vastness of the desert.
From the Damaraland highlands to the Fish River Canyon
In central Namibia, in the still heat-whitened light, a field of dark, rocky faults whose altitude varies between 1,500 m and 2,573 m heralds the high mountain plateau. Its semi-arid vegetation is made up of gigantic pastures, where extensive livestock farming has flourished. The relief of the high plateau offers an extraordinary variety of landscapes: the arid Kaokoland plateau in the north, the Brandberg massif (Montagne brûlée) and its peak at 2,573 m in the heart of Damaraland, the pointed Spitzkoppe mountain (1,728 m), the Erongo mountains (2,320 m) in the center, the Waterberg plateau to the northeast, the Khomas Hochland hills around Windhoek, the Gamsberg Pass to the southwest of the capital, the Tsaris and Tiras mountains and, finally, the astonishing formation of the Fish River canyon in the south of the country.
From the arid plains of the Kalahari to the African savannah
In eastern Namibia, the slopes soften to form the Kalahari semi-desert, an area of dense bush and thorny acacia trees on small reddish sand dunes. The plateau disappears to the north, giving way to a more humid wooded plain, Bushmanland, where the first palm trees, marula trees(Sclerocarya birrea) and immense baobabs appear amid sparse savannah vegetation.
The Caprivi, the other Namibia
The Caprivi, in the north-east of the country, is a veritable paradise of rivers between the mopane and makalani palm(Hyphaene petersiana) forests to the east, the flood plains along the Okavango, the reeds and papyrus on the banks of the Linyanti, and the sparse vegetation and flat, sandy expanses of the Katima Mulilo region further east. It's a different Namibia, far removed from the arid lands of the south and much closer to rain-soaked tropical Africa. The Caprivi stops at the gateway to Victoria Falls, on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
River borders
The Orange River in the south separates Namibia from South African territory; in the north, the Kunene and Okavango rivers mark the border with Angola; in the east, the Zambezi is separated from Zambia by the Zambezi, while the Linyanti (which becomes the Chobe) marks the border with Botswana. Groundwater and dams on temporary watercourses constitute the country's only water reserves... so much so that water is a crucial issue for Namibia, most of whose territory is desert or sub-desert.
Extensive livestock farms, a taste of the Wild West
Stretching as far as the eye can see across the entire high plateau to the Kalahari Desert in the southeast and the border with South Africa, immense grazing lands make up around 40% of the country's surface area. These farms often cover more than 10,000 hectares, most of them still owned by white landowners. Thousands of kilometers are fenced off, allowing wildlife to pass through without injury. In the northern and eastern parts of the country, raising cattle for meat is the main activity, the dairy industry having declined considerably in the early 1970s. Small livestock farming (notably the famous karakul sheep, whose wool is used for carpet weaving and leather for the luxury textile industry) is more common in the south of the country.
Recent years have seen a rapid development of game farms and guest farms for commercial or tourist purposes.
Southern Namib, a forbidden territory
Strictly off-limits (except for private concessions), the diamond territory covers the entire southern part of the Namib Desert. Its borders are marked by simple signs indicating the risks incurred by visitors who do not respect the ban (prosecution, prison, fines). However, the low profitability of diamond mining has led the government to consider rehabilitating the two restricted areas. This south-western coastal fringe, 100 km wide and 500 km long (10% of the national territory), which is off-limits to the public and therefore remarkably unspoiled, lends itself perfectly to the development of ecotourism. Since the late 1990s, a number of concessions have been offered to local tour operators in the Aus and Luderitz regions.
Fish River, the largest canyon in Africa
Located in the very south of the country, not far from the South African border, the Fish River Canyon is Namibia's second most visited tourist site, despite the fact that it is a little far from the country's classic discovery routes. This gigantic and astonishing ravine, which cuts through a rocky and arid plateau, is 160 km long, sometimes 27 km wide and over 550 m deep. A small river sometimes flows through during the rainy season, bringing life to astonishing plants that are highly resistant to this environment. The more adventurous can explore this natural wonder from Hobas on an 88 km hiking trail that takes five days to complete. Please note that a permit is required before setting out to explore the Fish River.
Windhoek, the capital of an empty country
In the center of Namibia lies the small capital of this gigantic country. Windhoek looks more like a South African town with a few German touches. Lying on an arid plateau and surrounded by a few hills, Windhoek exudes a certain tranquility, if only because of the free-flowing traffic so lacking in other African capitals. In the evening, the city becomes a ghost town, with only a few bars and restaurants providing a little entertainment. At weekends, the locals take advantage of the beautiful surrounding hills and, in particular, the few campsites in the Khomas Hochland mountains. The administrative city, with its few monuments, is a reminder of its colonial history and its status as the capital of a country that has been independent for relatively few years.
Namibian National Parks
Today, the Namibian government's Ministry of the Environment, Forestry and Tourism manages the country's entire natural heritage. Protected areas (nature reserves or national parks) cover 15.5% of the country. The most important are Namib-Naukluft Park, Namib Rand Nature Reserve, Daan Viljoen Game Park, Skeleton Coast Park, Cape Cross Seal Reserve, Tsau Khaeb National Park, Dorob National Park, Etosha National Park, Mangetti National Park, Waterberg Plateau Park, Khaudum National Park, Bwabwata National Park (including Mahango Core Area and Buffalo Core Area), Mudumu National Park and Nkasa Rupara National Park.
A distinction is made between public reserves and national parks, community conservancies, private conservancies andprivate game reserves. All these areas are protected to some degree, and the Ministry of the Environment, Forestry and Tourism oversees the entire network.
It is interesting to note that non-governmental protections are developing around national parks, creating important buffer zones for nature conservation between sanctuaries and areas of "high human activity". A logic of income-generating nature development for the local population has developed, following the example of the common Southern African initiative of CBNRM (Community Based Natural Resource Management).
The country faces a number of challenges, despite the exemplary nature of its biodiversity protection in many respects. The three main dangers lie in poaching, the over-exploitation of resources by local populations who have been regrouped in these fragile areas by previous governments (deforestation, fires...), and the damage created by careless tourists in one of the world's most fragile ecosystems (dumping of non-biodegradable waste in the desert, use of off-road vehicles off existing tracks...). The cohabitation of wild animals and local communities, whose crops or livestock are directly threatened, remains difficult at times. Nevertheless, Namibia is one of the most active countries in the world in terms of ecosystem conservation.
