friendly people ... warm atmosphere ... good food
Namibia Holiday & Travel, 2001
Namibia
is a country of vast extremes, both cultural and geographical. From the
vast expanses of dunes in the Namib Desert in the south, to the game filled
plains of Etosha National Park, and on to the lush green waterways of
the Kavango River and Zambezi River in the North East, this is truly a
world in one country. Add to this the rich diversity of local cultures
and a cosmopolitan capital city (Windhoek), and you have a travel destination
that offers all the comforts of home, with a wilderness to explore on
your doorstep. 
An extremely vast and
arid country, Namibia is 2/3 the size
of South Africa and is larger than the
British Isles, France and the Netherlands
combined. It has a multitude of landscapes
and attractions. The contrast in landscapes
is phenomenal, and this makes Namibia
a photographers’ paradise! Generally
the main topography can be divided into
4 main areas:
- Namib Desert
This is defined by vast areas of dunes, gravel plains and the coastal plains, stretching from the south, along the coast up to Swakopmund. This area includes the Fish River Canyon, Sesriem Canyon, Kuiseb Canyon, and the world renowned Sossusvlei.
- Central Plateau
With a higher elevation inland, the plateau slopes away to the east. The capital city, Windhoek, is located on this plateau.
- Kalahari Desert
The famous “red sands” are found along the borders with South Africa and Botswana in the south-east. It is also a very arid region.
- Mopane Woodland
This is the densely wooded bush veld in the Kavango and Caprivi regions in the North and East. This type of topography extends into the Caprivi Strip, between Botswana and Zambia.
With 300 days of sunshine on average per year, Namibia is truly a sunny place. On the other hand, this also makes it a very dry place. Only during the summer months from November to February does rainfall occur, mostly as heavy thunderstorms. During this, the usually dry riverbeds, called riviere, become saturated with torrents of muddy water in a very short time. It is during this time that the sun-scorched land comes to life, and is often transformed into a colourful floral carpet within a few days.
There are many interesting geographical features to visit, including the granite insulbergs of Spitzkoppe, Namibia’s highest mountain Brandberg (2573m), the Hoba Meteorite, Doros and Messum Craters, Twyfelfontein’s Rock Engravings, the Petrified Forest, and the Skeleton Coast.
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Most visitors to Namibia are interested
in the spectacular scenery and landscapes,
as well as excellent game-viewing on offer
in the game parks and wildlife reserves
(Etosha National Park, Waterberg Plateau
Reserve, Mohembo National Park, Namib-Naukluft
Park and Kaudom Game Reserve). Namibia is also a very popular destination for hiking, with excellent hikes in the Naukluft Park, the famous Fish River Canyon hike, as well as walking safaris in Waterberg Plateau Reserve. Permits to do multi-day walks at the Waterberg Plateau, Naukluft Mountains, the Ugab River and the Fish River Canyon are strictly limited and you should book as far in advance as possible through Namibia Wildlife Resorts.
Travellers can enjoy camping in a variety of well laid out camp sites throughout the country. Numerous vehicle hire companies make self-drive safaris affordable and possible, and this is a popular choice among many travelers, who enjoy the freedom of being able to explore the countryside at their leisure.
Another popular choice is to explore Namibia and its neighbouring countries on an organized Overland Safari with a professional company. This is the best option to pick out the highlights of the country in a time efficient way, with the benefit of knowledgeable, trained guides.
There are opportunities to go river rafting and canoeing on the Orange River, Horse riding is popular and multi-day horse treks are offered from various venues.
Swakopmund is undoubtedly Namibia’s playground, with a quaint German atmosphere and a multitude of adventure activities on offer. Here it is possible to quad bike in the Namib dunes, sky dive over the desert, sand board in the dunes, explore the sea life along the coast on a dolphin cruise, or take a scenic flight over the desert. Click here for more information on these activities.
Due to its barren coastline, Namibia was generally passed over by European explorers en-route to the Cape of Good Hope. The 15th century Portuguese mariners are thought to be the first westerners to have set foot on Namibian soil, when Captain Diego Cao landed at Cape Cross, where he erected a limestone cross to commemorate the event. A cross is still visible today, where it stands as a monument at Cape Cross.
The mid 18th century saw considerable development and settlement of the south and central regions of Namibia, where towns such as Bethanie, Keetmanshoop, Rehoboth, and Windhoek were established by the early 19th century. At the same time, the ports of Walvis Bay and Angra Pequena were established.
Next followed a period of German governing in the late 19th century, during which Namibia was known as German South-West Africa. This period involved an influx of German settlers, in particular farmers who settled and developed the central plateau. Friction developed between these settlers and the tribal leaders of the Nama, Owambo and Baster people, and bitter fighting erupted. This war ended in 1908, and contributed largely to the tribal isolation of tribes such as the Owambo, Nama, and Herero people.
Diamonds were discovered in the Luderitz area, and after an initial rush of prospectors, the government declared the area the “Sperrgebiet” (closed area), which exists to this day as a highly productive diamond mining area between Luderitz and the Orange River in the South.
The start of the 20th Century saw a movement away from German colonial reign, under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to surrender South West Africa, and it was placed under formal administration by South Africa in 1921.
During South African occupation, tension developed, culminating in fighting and guerilla warfare between SWAPO (South West African Peoples’ Organisation) and South African forces. This later spilled over the northern border into Angola, where UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) and the MPLA (Movement for the Liberation of Angola) became involved. This long and bitter war, as well as pressure from the United Nations, forced South Africa to the negotiating table, where they agreed to surrender Namibia, and on the 21 March 1990, Independence was granted to South West Africa. The name was subsequently changed to Namibia.
In deciding on government, an election was held, and in 1994 SWAPO swept the elections, with their leader, Sam Nujoma, becoming president. President Nujoma was re-elected in 1999, and SWAPO remains in power to this day.
