Namib Sand Sea

The Namib Sand Sea is a desert of vast sand dunes spread across the western coast of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. It is described as the world’s oldest desert, and its sand dunes—some of which stand 980 feet and span 20 miles—are among the largest on the planet. Due to scorching days, freezing nights and limited water, few plant and animal species can survive in the sand sea. A fog belt that forms offshore, however, frequently envelopes the desert, providing moisture for the small animals and arthropods that survive there. Several settlements of indigenous groups—including the Ovahimba, Obatjimba Herero and Topnaar Nama peoples—still make the desert their home.

—Prepared by the World Tribune staff

May 10, 2024, World Tribune, p. 12