The Dunes of Sossusvlei

THE NAMIB DESERT The Namib is virtually uninhabited except for small settlements of Ovahimba and Obatjimba Herero in the north and the Topnaar Nama in the middle. Due to its age, it is home to more species than any other desert. Most of the life in the Namib consists of arthropods and other small animals that can survive with little water. Bigger animals do occur in the north.

The cold ocean is rich in fish life and supports large colonies of fur seals and seabirds.

Further, into the interior, we find the largest national park in Africa — the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which is home to African elephants, mountain zebras, desert lions and other large animals. Although there are large areas without any vegetation, lichen and succulents occur near the coast, while grasses and small, short-lived shrubs flourish along the escarpment.