Namib desert description and photos - Angola (Topic)

Namib desert description and photos - Angola. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Namib desert.

Photo and description

One of the oldest and largest deserts, Namib stretches inland from the Atlantic Ocean and covers large swathes of Namibia, Angola and South Africa. This arid place is home to a surprisingly diverse number of plants and animals, some of which are not found anywhere else in the world.

Although much of this desert is protected, it still faces threats from unsustainable land use, mining and illegal plant harvesting.

Fauna can be found in a vast area in a bleak landscape and flora perfectly adapted to life here, including mountain zebra, oryx, short-eared hopper, Grant's golden mole, Karoo bustard and Peringuey viper. An extraordinary variety of succulent plants is presented here, as well as a one-of-a-kind mirabilis velvithia shrub that has only two leaves and can live for over 1000 years.

The desert arid climate of the Namib is home to a unique population of elephants that have adapted to difficult and inhospitable conditions. These 'desert' elephants can go several days without drinking water, feeding on moisture obtained from the plants they eat. They are not distinguished as a separate subspecies of other African elephants, but they have larger legs, which help to walk on the sand, and live in small herds.

Near the Atlantic coast of the desert, you can still see the remains of shipwrecked ships. Frequent disasters are associated with the changeable seabed next to the desert, in fact, these are the same dunes that change their configuration. There is evidence that a ship, anchored in the evening, was cut off from the sea by a strip of land in the morning.

The Namib Desert in Angola is an amazing land. Its total area is about 80,000 sq. km, which is approximately equal to the whole of Austria. This is one of the largest arid places on the planet, as well as one of the largest nature reserves in the world. A famous attraction is the famous Sossusflei district, where bright orange sand dunes surround sparkling white salt lakes, creating a mesmerizing landscape.

Access to the park is possible only on gravel and dirt roads.

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Topic: Namib desert description and photos - Angola.