Things to know about Namibia

The oldest desert of the world

One of the oldest deserts around the world, the Namib Desert, is based in Namibia. It is said to be between 55 million and 80 million years old.

The second-largest canyon of the world

You can find the second-largest canyon in Namibia - the Fish River Canyon. Travelling to the south of the country, you will be able to explore this beautiful monument.

A giant coast of death

The whale and seal bones once to be found on the shore have led to the scary name “Skeleton Coast”. In addition the countless shipwrecks, caused by invisible rocks and fog, assured the region stretching from Swakopmund to the Angolan border to be correctly named.

Free-roaming black rhinos

Namibia has a high level of biodiversity and is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Even though they are highly endangered, you can still find the largest free-roaming population of black rhinos.

A salt pan visible from space

If you travel to space you can see one of Namibia’s famous places: the salt pan located in the Etosha National Park. It is one of Africa's major wildlife sanctuaries, famous for its gigantic salt pan.

About 250 specimens of Aloe dichotoma at one spot

The Quiver Tree Forest near Keetmanshoop consists of about 250 specimens of Aloe dichotoma, a type of aloe that is endemic to the southern African region.

Fascinating mountain scenery

If you like bald granite peaks or inselbergs, a must visit place is Spitzkoppe. It sometimes is even referred to as the "Matterhorn of Namibia”, located in the Namib Desert.

From the desert to rich water landscapes

The Caprivi Strip, a narrow extension of land in the northeast of Namibia, provides vital access to the Zambezi River and several of Africa's national parks across neighboring countries.

Red hair and skin - a tradition kept for centuries

You will find a very special indigenous group of semi-nomadic herders, The Himba. They apply a red ochre and fat mixture (otjize) to their hair and skin. This makes their culture absolutely unique in the world.

A piece of colonial history, still living today

If travelling from Germany to Namibia, you might be happy to realize German being widely spoken. Being called German South West Africa  during its past as a German colony from 1884 until the end of World War I, Namibia has kept the language.

6000 year old engravings

Namibia is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site: the Twyfelfontein area. Here you will encounter some of the largest concentrations of rock engravings in Africa. It is identified that some of the carvings date back to 6,000 years.

The southern boundary of the tropics

The Tropic of Capricorn crosses through Namibia, making it one of the countries situated on this imaginary line that marks the southern boundary of the tropics.

Withe Lady at the highest mountain

With around 2000 years of age, the famous “White Lady” rock painting is a very special place to explore. You will find it at the Brandberg Mountain, Namibia's highest peak.

An independent country since 1990

On March 21, 1990, Namibia gained its independence from South Africa. Thus making it one of the last African countries to gain independence.

Only 2.2 inhabitants per km²

With only about 2,5 million people living across the country, Namibia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.

Conservancy by constitution

Protecting the environment and wildlife conservation is so important to Namibia that they included it in their constitution. Thus Namibia is the first country to do so!

See the capital - Windhoek

Namibia's biggest city and capital is Windhoek. To visit it you need to travel to the country's central highlands. 

Best quality beef

Who would have thought that a country as Namibia was able to meet the very strict quality standards to convince the American market of their beef production? Namibia is the first African country to export beef to the United States.

Namibian Dollar or South African Rand?

In Namibia you can pay with The Namibian dollar (NAD) as well as the South African rand (ZAR). Both currencies are equal in value.

Namibia as a cruise ship destination!

Throughout Africa you will only find a few deep-water harbours. One to be found on the coast at Walvis Bay, serving as a well used maritime trading point.