Ten fun facts about Namibia for a fun Namibian safari.jpg
Fact number 1 - Namibia is home to the world’s oldest desert
Namib Desert Namibia Safari
Shifting sand dunes, gravel plains, and rugged mountains make up this extremely arid ecoregion. The Namib Desert, the world's oldest desert, has been around for at least 55 million years, devoid of surface water but bisected by many dry riverbeds. A few ungulates, such as Hartmann's zebras, live in these vegetated riverbeds.
Scenic photo of dunes in the Namib Desert, Namibia
The south of the desert is very dry, with no dry riverbeds; the gemsbok is the only large mammal that can survive in this harsh climate. An interesting fact about Namibia is that the thick fogs are common along the coast, and they are the desert's lifeblood, providing enough moisture for a variety of interesting, well-adapted animal species to thrive.
Fact number 2 - Namibia has 30 languages that are spoken in the country
Himba culture of namibia
Another fact about Namibia is that it has a remarkable diversity of spoken languages: about 30 overall. More than 11 languages are native to Namibia, but with its cosmopolitan culture, languages from all across the world are spoken in Namibia.
In fact, English is the official language, but Namibia's comparatively small population is actually extremely diverse in language and culture.
Traditional Herero Woman in Namiba
Namibia has a population of close to 2.4 million, and the citizens speak up to 30 languages. The most popular of these is Oshiwambo. English is the recognized official language of Namibia. In fact, Portuguese was spoken by 4–5 percent of the total population. The most common spoken languages used in households are Oshiwambo dialects, 49 per cent of the population are Khoekhoegowab 11 per cent, Afrikaans 10 per cent, RuKwangali 9 per cent and Otjiherero 9 per cent.
Fact number 3 - Namibia has some of the highest sand dunes in the world
Sossusvlei Climbing Namibia Adventure
Big Daddy is the highest dune in the area of Sossusvlei. This colossal dune is found between Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, and the other dunes dwarf at 325 meters. If you want the ultimate bragging rights, take a lot of water and hike to the top of Big Daddy where you can look down onto Deadvlei.
Dunes in Namibia
Big Daddy may be the highest dune in the Sossusvlei region at 325 meters, but it is not the highest in the Namib Desert. In fact, This honour is bestowed on Dune 7, which was measured at 388m. Dune 7 received its name by being the 7th dune on the Tsauchab River.
Fact number 4 - World’s most extensive meteorite shower
The Gibeon meteorite shower is the largest known meteorite shower on Earth, covering a wide elliptical area of some 275 by 100 kilometres, centred on Brukkaros south of Mariental.
Namibia Capital City Windhoek
Most of the pieces fell just southeast of Gibeon. To date, some 120 specimens with a weight of almost 25 tons have been recorded. In fact in Namibia, an unknown number have been collected but never recorded.
The Gibeon meteorite shower occurred in prehistoric times in central Namibia. Remains from this meteorite shower are exhibited at Windhoek, Namibia's capital city.
Fact number 5 - Namibia has one of the largest concentrations of rock art in Africa
San Rock art in namibia
The first known inhabitants of Namibia are the San (Bushmen) who belong to the Khoesan people.
These hunter-gatherers – like the Ju/'Hoansi, Kxoe and the Kung – have travelled across the vast plains of Southern Africa for thousands of years until migrants armed with arms looking for new land to graze their animals and plant their food, driving them further and further east into the Kalahari Desert.
The San have resided in Namibia for more than 6,000 years, and there is more than enough rock art to confirm this.
Fact number 6 - Namibia has the largest population of free-roaming cheetahs in the world
Cheetah Conservation in Namibia
At the Cheetah Conservation in Namibia, you can run across one of the 3,000 or so free-roaming cheetahs in the country.
Fact number 7 - Namibia is also home to the second-largest canyon in the world
Fish river canyon Namibia adventure | Credit: Getaway Magazine
The Fish River Canyon
, located close to the border with South Africa, is also the oldest in the world.
Researchers have determined that the canyon was formed at least 500 million years ago through water and wind erosion, coupled with the collapse of the valley floor.
Fact number 8 - The most fascinating Namibia Tribes
Himba Woman in Kunene Namibia
The Himba tribe in the Kunene region of the country have strongly clung to their traditional ways and beliefs.
They wear traditional clothes, eat traditional foods and even practice traditional religions. The women wear skirts and leave their upper body bare. Basically, they have been unaffected by modernism in any way.
Fact number 9 - The Skeleton Coast is the world’s biggest gravesite for sailors and ships
Skeleton Coast Namibia Travel
A large number of sailors have died at this coast in Namibia, given the dense fog and the violent storms in the area.
In the 1940s, a slate was discovered along with human skeletons. The slate was written by a survivor and directed anyone who found it north. Unfortunately, the wreck had happened close to a century earlier.
Fact number 10 - The Namibian dollar is used interchangeably with the South African Rand
Added: 2022-08-03 18:59