Namibia is known for the world’s highest dunes in the stunning Namibian desert. In addition to kilometers of stretches of gold-colored sandbanks, the African country is rich in national parks that house countless animal species, a coast surrounded by mystery and interesting architectural remains from Germany’s colonial era.
See trips to Namibia
Population: 2.2 million
Capital: Windhoek
Language: English
Namibia is the world’s second least densely populated country? Only Mongolia is less densely populated. Namibia, on the other hand, has the most wild cheetahs in the world.
80% of the country consists of desert?
Namibia’s history and nature
Namibia is located on the Atlantic Ocean, bordering Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south. The country has a good infrastructure, which makes it easy to get around, even to neighboring countries. After World War II, Namibia liberated itself from the Germans, only to be annexed by South Africa shortly thereafter. It would not be until 1990 that the first free elections were held. From an architectural perspective, the historical remains from the German colonial era characterize the capital Windhoek, which is located in the middle of the country, and houses around 160,000 of the country’s only two million inhabitants. The city is also known for its rich flora. In contrast to most of the country’s cities, Windhoek is exposed to varying temperatures and abundant rainfall in a country that has radiant sun 300 days a year.
Namibian ethnic groups
Namibia’s population includes at least 11 different ethnic groups. The members of the Himba people perform their daily chores only wearing a loincloth. The Himba people have stuck to their nude culture, even though the German missionaries brutally tried to curb this “unfamiliarity”. The Himba villages in the Namibian desert are living proof that globalization has still not reached everywhere. Their desert brothers, the Herero, have shown their resistance in a completely different exaggerated, almost caricature-like, way, by imitating the German farmers. If you come across a person with layer-on-layer shirts and big hats with cow horns, it is probably a greeting from the herereo tribe to the former cattle-breeding dictators.
Namibia’s attractions
In addition to a meeting with the world’s largest sandbanks, a holiday in Namibia can be spiced up with an excursion to one of the many national parks. In the over 22,000 km2 large Tosha National Park, you can see a varied range of wildlife such as elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras and leopards. During the winter months, May to September, you have the greatest opportunity to see flamingos around the park’s watering holes, and this period is generally the most pleasant for a visit to the park. Between December and March, it is often so hot in Namibia that it is hardly possible to be in the desert area, which occupies most of the country’s surface. Anyone who has had enough of the desert can continue the journey to the coast with the ominous name Skeleton Coast. The coast is known for the many shipwrecks that have been washed ashore and they are a contributing factor to the area being shrouded in mystery and ancient legends. It is possible to visit several of the shipwrecks. You can easily be seduced by the bush people of the Kalahari Desert, the fur seals and dolphins in the Bay of Benguela, or by Fish River Canyon, Namibia’s response to the Grand Canyon in the United States. Visit cellphoneexplorer for Namibia Botswana Victoria Falls.
Climate Namibia
Read about climate and weather in Namibia. See for example temperatures for Windhoek and Keetmanshoop.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | CHRISTMAS | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | |
| Windhoek | ||||||||||||
| Daytime temperature | 30 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
| Night temperature | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| Precipitation (mm) | 77 | 73 | 81 | 38 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 33 | 47 |
| Walvis Bay | ||||||||||||
| Daytime temperature | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 |
| Night temperature | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| Precipitation (mm) | 0 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Source: World Weather Information Service
Namibia consists predominantly of desert areas and is also relatively flat. Namibia is also mainly a dry country, which often suffers from drought and therefore has a shortage of water. The exception is the northeastern parts of the country, which are close to the Okavango Delta. It rains a lot here from time to time, but apart from that, the capital Windhoek is the place in the country that gets the most precipitation – about 340 mm annually.
