The Namib is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, extending southward from the Carunjamba River in Angola, through Namibia and to the Olifants River in Western Cape, South Africa. The Namib's northernmost portion, which extends 450 kilometres (280 mi) from the Angola-Namibia border, is known as Moçâmedes Desert, while its southern portion approaches the neighboring Kalahari Desert. From the Atlantic coast eastward, the Namib gradually ascends in elevation, reaching up to 200 kilometres (120 mi) inland to the foot of the Great Escarpment. Annual precipitation ranges from 2 millimetres (0.079 in) in the aridest regions to 200 millimetres (7.9 in) at the escarpment, making the Namib the only true desert in southern Africa. Having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for roughly 55–80 million years, the Namib may be the oldest desert in the world and contains some of the world's driest regions, with only western South America's Atacama Desert to challenge it for age and aridity benchmarks.
The Kuiseb River is an ephemeral river in western-central Namibia. Its source is in the Khomas Highland west of Windhoek. From there it flows westwards through the Namib-Naukluft National Park and the Namib desert to Walvis Bay. Several settlements of the Topnaar people are on the banks of the lower Kuiseb, for instance Homeb, Sandfontein, Rooibank, and Utuseb. Inflows of the Kuiseb are Gomab, Ojab, Chausib, Gaub, Koam, Nausgomab and Goagos.
Kaokoland was an administrative unit and a bantustan in northern South West Africa. Established in 1980 during the apartheid era, it was intended to be a self-governing homeland of the Ovahimba, but an actual government was never established, and the territory was administered by the leaders of Hereroland. Like other homelands in South West Africa, the Kaokoland bantustan was abolished in May 1989, at the beginning of the transition of Namibia towards independence.
The Ugab River is an ephemeral river in north-western Namibia. Its lower section forms the border between Kunene Region and Erongo Region but its catchment area extends well into the Otjozondjupa Region. Ugab's source is near Otavi. From there the riverbed leads westwards past the Paresis Mountains and the Fransfontein Mountains into the Skeleton Coast and the Atlantic Ocean. Inflows of the Ugab are Erundu, Ozongombo, Okomize and Uis.
The Etosha Pan is a large endorheic salt pan, forming part of the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin in the north of Namibia. It is a vast hollow in the ground in which water may collect or in which a deposit of salt remains after water has evaporated. The 120-kilometre-long (75-mile-long) dry lakebed and its surroundings are protected as Etosha National Park, Namibia's second-largest wildlife park, covering 22,270 square kilometres (8,600 sq mi). The pan is mostly dry but after heavy rains it is flooded with a thin layer of water, which is heavily salted by the mineral deposits on the surface.
Outjo is a town of 6,000 inhabitants in the Kunene Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of Outjo Constituency. It is best known as the main gateway to Etosha National Park.
Uis is a settlement located in the Erongo Region, Namibia. It belongs to the Dâures electoral constituency. Located in the former Damaraland, it is known for the local mineral wealth. The settlement was established in 1958 as workers' settlement to exploit local tin deposits. It has approximately 3,600 inhabitants and, before being downgraded from "village" to "settlement" in 2010, owned 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) of land.
The Swakop River is a major river in western central Namibia. Its source is in the Khomas Highland. From there it flows westwards through the town of Okahandja, the historic mission station at Gross Barmen, and the settlement of Otjimbingwe. It then crosses the Namib desert and reaches the Atlantic Ocean at Swakopmund. The Swakop is an ephemeral river; its run-off is roughly 40 million cubic metres per annum.
The Tsauchab is an ephemeral river in the Hardap Region of central Namibia. Its source is in the southern Naukluft Mountains, from where it flows westwards through the Namib-Naukluft National Park into Sossusvlei, an endorheic basin. The lower river has in the past had a slightly different courses and also formed two other basins, the Deadvlei and the Hiddenvlei.
Twyfelfontein, officially known as ǀUi-ǁAis, is a site of ancient rock engravings in the Kunene Region of north-western Namibia. It consists of a spring in a valley flanked by the slopes of a sandstone table mountain that receives very little rainfall and has a wide range of diurnal temperatures.
The river Khan is an ephemeral river crossing the Erongo region of central Namibia. It is the main tributary of the Swakop River and only occasionally carries surface water during the rainy season from November to February/March. Khan's catchment area including its tributaries Slang and Etiro stretches over 8,400 square kilometres (3,200 sq mi).
The Omaruru River is a major river crossing the Erongo Region of western central Namibia from East to West. It originates in the Etjo Mountains, crosses the town of Omaruru and the village of Okombahe, and reaches the sea a few kilometers north of Henties Bay. Inflows of the Omaruru are Otjimakuru, Goab, Spitzkop, Leeu and Okandjou.
The Uniab River is an ephemeral river on Namibia's Skeleton Coast, located between Torra Bay and Terrace Bay. Its origin is in the Grootberg Mountains near Palmwag. Inflows of the Uniab are Kaikams, Kawakab, Aub, Urenindes and Obob. The river once created a large river delta with five main watercourses. Today it continues to flow only in one of the watercourses, but subterranean water surfaces as springs in the other channels. Uniab's catchment area is estimated to be between 3961 and 4,500 km2 (1,700 sq mi).
The Hoanib is one of the 12 ephemeral seasonal rivers in the west of Namibia, where it used to be the border between northern Damaraland and Kaokoland. Its length is 270 km. With the low population density in the area, the oasis character of the river valley and the relatively high wildlife population of the Hoanib, like in the case of the Hoarusib, its valley is one of the last true wilderness areas in Namibia. One of the last settlements of desert elephants, it is characterised by strong wind and water eroded, weathered stone deposits. Inflows of Hoanib are Aap River, Otjitaimo River, Ombonde, Ganamub, Mudorib and Tsuxub.
Desert elephants or desert-adapted elephants are not a distinct species of elephant but are African bush elephants that have made their homes in the Namib and Sahara deserts in Africa. Previously they were classified as a subspecies of the African bush elephant, but this is no longer the case. Desert-dwelling elephants were once more widespread in Africa than they are at present; they are currently found only in Namibia and Mali. They tend to migrate from one waterhole to another following traditional routes which depend on the seasonal availability of food and water. They face being threatened by poaching and from changes in land use by humans.
The Hoarusib River is an ephemeral river in the Kunene Region of north-western Namibia. Its source is near the regional capital Opuwo, and the river flows through the Tonnesen and Giraffe Mountains into the Atlantic Ocean. The Hoarusib occasionally carries surface water during the rainy season from November to February/March. The catchment area of the Hoarusib is 15,237 square kilometres (5,883 sq mi).
The river Khumib is an ephemeral river crossing the Kunene Region of north-western Namibia. It occasionally carries surface water during the rainy seasons in November and February/March. Its catchment area is estimated between 2200 and 2,300 square kilometres (890 sq mi).
The Koigab River is an ephemeral river on Namibia's Skeleton Coast. Its source is in the Grootberg Mountains near Bergsig, where its two inflows, the Gui-Tsawisib and the Springbok are located. Koigab's catchment area is estimated to be between 2320 and 2,400 km2 (930 sq mi).
The Tsondab River is an ephemeral river in the Hardap Region of central Namibia. Its source is in the Remhoogte Mountains. From there it flows westwards through the Namib-Naukluft National Park before evaporating at Tsondabvlei. Inflows of the Tsondab are Diep, Noab and Koireb. Tsondab's catchment area is 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi).
