20 interesting facts about Namibia

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We share the most interesting facts about Namibia, which we have collected on our self-driver safari through this fascinating country

Namibia is a huge country full of fascinating landscapes, fascinating wild animals and a confusing variety of natural wounders. From desert levels and high -towering sand dunes to lush wetlands and deep, winding gorges, Namibia is the home of almost all iconic African landscapes that can be imagined.

From its turbulent colonial past, Namibia has developed into a promising and advanced independent country with an increasingly brilliant future. Known as "Africa for beginners" and with so much to offer, it is no wonder that Namibia is on so many wishlists.

We explored the country on a self-drivers with Wild Dog Safaris for 17 days and learned a lot of interesting facts about Namibia. Here we share the best of you.

interesting facts about Namibia

  1. The Namib Desert-according to which the country is named-is the oldest desert in the world. It is believed that it has existed for at least 55 million years. (Source: WWF)

    2. alt = "Interesting facts about Namibia"> Atlas & Boots Namibia has its name from the Namib desert

    1. Namibia's modern international borders were determined when Germany annexed the area in 1890 as Southwest Africa. South Africa took control of the area in 1915 during the First World War. Namibia finally became independent in 1990 after 25 years of armed fight. (Source: BBC)

      2. In 2014
    2. Namibia was the first African country to set the electronic voting in his presidential elections. (Source: Reuters)

    3. Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Twyfelfontein, has the largest known concentration of engravings in Africa. Over 5,000 individual figures between 2,000 and 6,000 years are recorded here. (Source: UNESCO)

      4. alt = "Interesting facts about Namibia Twyfelfontein"> Atlas & Boots rock engravings at Twyfelfontein

        During its colonial occupation, Germany committed a genocide in today's Namibia and killed 65,000 Herero between 1904 and 1907. In 2004 Germany finally offered a formal apology for the murders in colonial. (Source: The Guardian)

      1. Namibia is the most second -thin land in the world. It has a population of 2.6 million that live on an area of ​​825,615 km2, with only 3.2 inhabitants per km2. Only the Mongolia is populated thinner. (Source: Cia World Factbook)

      2. Namibia has some of the highest sand dunes in the world. Due to its naturally changing pattern, the dune measurement is notoriously inaccurate. At 383 m, however, the Dune 7 near Walvis Bay is the highest in Namibia and one of the highest in the world. At 325 m, the sand dune Big Daddy is smaller but much more famous in the Sossusvlei and is regularly climbed by tourists. (Source: Telegraph)

        3. alt = "Interesting facts about Namibia"> Atlas & Boots The sand dune big daddy in Sossusvlei is 325 m high

        1. The largest (non-subglacial) underground lake on earth is hidden under the Kalahari desert in the Dragon’s Breath Cave in Namibia. The lake is at least 100 m (330 ft) below the surface. (Source: National Science Foundation)

        2. The film Mad Max: Fury Road from 2015 with Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy in the leading roles was shot in the Dorob National Park in the Namib desert. At that time there were complaints that the filming caused some environmental damage in the surrounding desert. (Source: The Guardian)

        3. Near Sossusvlei is the scary scene of Deadvlei, a white clay pan, in the dozens of dead camel ornamental trees. The dry trees are probably 600-700 years old, but have not rotted due to the too dry climate. (Source: The Guardian)

          4. alt = “Interesting facts about Namibia Sossusvlei”> Atlas & Boots Deadvlei is another surreal Namibian landscape

          1. The hoba meteorite discovered in 1920 near Grootfontein is the largest in the world. It weighs 54,000 kg and is said to have fallen to Earth about 80,000 years ago. (Source: Lonely Planet)

          2. Almost 20 % of the country are protected by national parks like Etosha. If you include the municipal and ownership areas, 46.8 % of Namibia is currently subject to formal nature management in any form. (Source: nacso)

          3. Namibia has Africa's largest free -range population of pointed -on -headers and the largest pavement in the world. (Source: WWF)

            4. alt = “Interesting facts about Namibia-Garde”> Atlas & Boots Namibia has the greatest popping in the world

            1. Namibia was the first country in Africa and one of the few worldwide that has included environmental protection in its constitution. (Source: Lonely Planet)

            2. Namibia is one of only two countries (Mali is the other) that has the desert -adapted elephant. Although they are not different from savanna elephants, they have adapted to the desert environment. (Source: WWF)

            3. The ghost town of Kolmanskop in Namibia was once one of the richest places in the world. The former diamond mines had the first X -ray device in the southern hemisphere. However, after the diamonds had dried out, the city of the desert was left to them. (Source: BBC Future)

              4. alt = "Ghoststadt Kolmanskop"> Atlas & Boots The ghost town of Kolmanskop was once rich in diamonds

              1. The northern part of the Atlantic coast of Namibia is called skeletal coast. The coast, which was originally named after the whale and seal skeletons from the former whaling industry, which littered their coasts, today houses several shipping wrecks that fell victim to the notorious sea fog of the region. Portuguese seafarer called the area the "gates of hell" and Namibia's Buschmänner describe it as "the country that God created in anger". (Source: CNN)

              2. Namibia's current Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa is the first female leader and is currently the only female leader in Africa. (Source: The Telegraph)

              3. Africa's greatest gorge, the Fish River Canyon, is located in Namibia. With a length of 160 km, up to 27 km wide and 550 m (1804 feet) depth he is Africa's longest canyon and after the Grand Canyon in the USA the second largest in the world. (Source: BBC Travel)

                4. Alt = "Fish River Gorge"> Atlas & Boots The Fish River Canyon is Africa's largest gorge

                1. One of the strange interesting facts about Namibia is that US President Donald Trump cannot say Namibia. The President described Namibia twice as "Nambia", which caused a lot of ridicule on the Internet. (Source: BBC)

                  2. Lonely Planet Botswana & Namibia is a comprehensive travel guide for Namibia and contains some useful tips for a visit to Swakopmund.

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