GEOGRAPHY
At 318,696 mi² (825,418 km²), Namibia is the world’s thirty-fourth largest country (after Venezuela). It is comparable in size to Pakistan and is about half the size of the US state of Alaska. After Mongolia, Namibia is the least densely populated country in the world (2.5 persons per km²).
The Namibian landscape consists generally of five geographical areas, each with characteristic abiotic conditions and vegetation with some variation within and overlap between them: the Central Plateau, the Namib Desert, the Escarpment, the Bushveld, and the Kalahari Desert. Although the climate is generally extremely dry, there are a few exceptions. The cold, north-flowing Benguela current accounts for some of the low precipitation.
The Central Plateau
The Central Plateau runs from north to south, bordered by the Skeleton Coast to the northwest, the Namib Desert and its coastal plains to the southwest, the Orange River to the south, and the Kalahari Desert to the east. The Central Plateau is home to the highest point in Namibia at Königstein (elevation 2,606 metres or 8,411 feet). Within the wide, flat Central Plateau is the majority of Namibia’s population and economic activity. Windhoek, the nation’s capital, is located here, as well as most of the arable land. Although arable land accounts for only 1% of Namibia, nearly half of the population is employed in agriculture.
The abiotic conditions here are similar to those found along the Escarpment; however, the topographic complexity is reduced. Summer temperatures in the area can reach 40°C, and in the winter, frosts are common.
The Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is a broad expanse of hyper-arid gravel plains and dunes that stretches along the entire coastline, varying in width from 100 to several hundred kilometers. Areas within the Namib include the Skeleton Coast and the Kaokoveld in the north, and the extensive Namib Sand Sea along the central coast. The sands that make up the sand sea are a consequence of erosional processes within the Orange River valley and areas further south. As sand-laden waters drop their loads into the Atlantic, onshore currents deposit them along the shore. The prevailing southwest winds then pick up and redeposit the sand in the form of massive dunes. Where the sand supply is limited, winds scour the land to form large gravel plains. In many areas within the Namib Desert, there is little vegetation except for lichens in the gravel plains and plants in dry riverbeds where they can access underground water.
The Great Escarpment
The Great Escarpment swiftly rises to over 2,000 meters. Average temperatures and temperature ranges increase as you move inland from the cold Atlantic waters, while the coastal fogs slowly diminish. Although rocky with poorly developed soils, the Escarpment is more productive than the Namib Desert. As summer winds are forced over the Escarpment, moisture is extracted as precipitation, creating microhabitats that support a wide range of organisms, many of them endemic. Vegetation here varies from dense woodlands to more scattered shrubs, including many Acacia species and grasses.
The Bushveld
The Bushveld is found in northeastern Namibia along the Angolan border and in the Caprivi Strip, which was originally designated to give Germany access to the Zambezi River. The area receives more precipitation than the rest of the country, averaging around 400 millimeters per year. Temperatures are cooler and more moderate, ranging between 10°C and 30°C. The area is generally flat with sandy soils that limit water retention. Adjacent to the Bushveld in north-central Namibia is the Etosha Pan—a dry, saline wasteland most of the year that becomes a shallow lake during the wet season. It is a vital ecological area, attracting birds and animals from the surrounding savannah to its waterholes.
The Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is perhaps Namibia’s most famous feature. Shared with South Africa and Botswana, it encompasses environments from hyper-arid sandy desert to areas that defy the common desert definition. One such area, the Succulent Karoo, is home to over 5,000 plant species—nearly half of them endemic, including a third of the world’s succulents.
This high productivity and endemism are due to relatively stable precipitation. The Karoo rarely experiences drought, so even though it’s technically a desert, regular winter rains support its unique plant communities. Another feature of the Kalahari—and many parts of Namibia—is the presence of inselbergs, isolated mountains that create microclimates and habitat for species not adapted to the surrounding desert.
Major Towns
Besides the capital Windhoek, other important towns include Walvis Bay and Swakopmund (ports), as well as Oshakati and Grootfontein.
Location
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa
Geographic coordinates
22°00’S, 17°00’E
Area
Total: 825,418 km²
Land: 825,418 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land boundaries
Total: 3,824 km
Border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 855 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline
1,572 km
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nautical miles
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles
Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles
Climate
Desert; hot, dry; sparse and erratic rainfall
Terrain
Mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Elevation extremes
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Königstein 2,606 m
Natural resources
Diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
Note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 46%
Forests and woodland: 22%
Other: 31%
Irrigated land
70 km²
Natural hazards
Prolonged periods of drought
Environment – current issues
Very limited natural freshwater resources; desertification
Environment – international agreements
Party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
Signed but not ratified: None of the selected agreements
Sources
Namibian government