The Namib Desert is best known as one of the oldest deserts in the world, and has been in existence for over 50 million years! It is also one of the largest ones, stretching along the Atlantic coasts of Namibia, Angola, and South Africa.
The term ‘Namib’ is said to have originated from the Nama language, in which it means ‘vast area’.
There are many reasons why this coastal desert remains a wonderful sight. It has beautiful sand dunes and rugged mountains. It is also an important location for the mining of materials like diamonds, and tungsten.
Apart from these, the Namib is also home to a number of strange plants and animals that can be found nowhere else in the world. An example for this is the shrub like plant named Welwitschia mirabilis that grows just two leaves, but lives for over 1000 years. Then, there are animals like the mountain zebra, gemsbok etc.