Maybe you think that I dreamed about adventures in the endless African expanses? Giraffes and rhinos? Sunrises on the shores of the Atlantic or incendiary dances filled with erotic magnetism by the fire of some local tribes to the exotic music of drums? So nothing like that happened. And the country of Namibia, in southern Africa, appeared in our life quite unexpectedly. And it happened like this ...
Everything is bad?
In January everything was already decided and practically planned - at the end of April we are going to Nepal! The final three clicks have been made, and we are the happy owners of seats on the plane Moscow-Bangkok-Kathmandu and back. But one sunny March day, we were convinced that our volatile world, alas, takes little into account the dreams and plans of people: the national carrier of Thailand, Thai Airlines, announced the cancellation from March 29, 2015 of all flights on the Bangkok - Moscow route. Tickets sold were refundable.
Bliiiiin ... It's all gone! In early April, the money was returned, but what to do with it now? The discount prices are over, the course is completely different ... Bliiiiinnnnn. We are calm, we are calm, we will walk and plant a lawn in the country ...
But we were not calm, we were worried - the plans flew to hell.
The wind of change rushes into our life
Then we went from the other side: and how long can you climb these mountains? Aren't you tired of it? Isn't it time for us to go, say, to the black continent, where the rivers are so wide, and the mountains are so high, and in addition all sorts of crocodiles-hippos? For example, to the south of Africa to the country of Namibia with its vast expanses, amazing wild animals, fantastic landscapes and endless skies? During the day they are incredibly blue, and at night you raise your head, and there ... An abyss strewn with billions of bright and crystal clear stars of the Southern Hemisphere.
To Namibia, where, over hundreds of kilometers of coastal sands, nature has scattered an astronomical amount of gem-like diamonds like these stars? For cutting, stones are exported - 1.6 million carats a year - this is the quota, but the country could give them so much that all the counters in the world would be littered with high-quality and completely discounted diamonds. The magical land of Namibia! And we went there.
And I'll say right away about the trip: it was cool. It was damn cool! Now, when several months have passed since my return and the impressions have settled somewhat, everything seems to be an incredible dream. A dream come to life. An exciting adventure film set in African scenery, which we watched for three weeks.
And on April 25, in the midst of our exciting journey, we learned that the first of a series of terrible earthquakes of 2015 with huge human casualties occurred in Nepal ... That's it. Think, and once again freeze in deeply felt gratitude to all the Thai gods for the financial problems of their air carrier, which forced him to leave the Russian market.
Africa, Namibia and others - what we knew about them
V kindergarten- Thank you, grandfather Chukovsky! - baseline data for Africa was obtained. This is how it stuck in my memory - a truly nightmarish place. Perhaps that is why during our school years my classmates and I so willingly became the best friends of African children - we helped the poor guys as much as we could. Помню, у нас в школе даже макулатуру в пользу негритят собирали.
Objectively speaking, this knowledge of the African continent was not enough for the forthcoming journey. Uncertainty and fear, rooted in childhood, spurred on. And I began vigorously scouring the forums in search of useful information on the countries of southern Africa - Namibia and its neighbors.
To be honest, there were a lot of sighs about nature and the animals living here, and the cat wept for information on the case. And what I learned from what I read, not everything turned out to be true. We will talk more about this along the way.
Republic of Namibia history
- Pre-colonial period
... Everything that happened before the arrival of the first Europeans to this country is poorly known.
But it is well known that when Europe was still barbaric, there were ancient kingdoms in the north of the African continent.
Who can say what was at that time on the territory of Namibia - were there any centers of civilization or primitive tribes lived here in harmony with nature? Most likely, of course, the latter - they hunted, raised livestock, migrated from place to place, then peacefully coexisted with each other, then made cruel raids on each other.
The events of this time have forever remained dark times in Namibian history.
- At the end of the 15th century, the first Europeans appeared in Africa and discovered a lot of interesting and useful things there. There were more and more aliens. From the coast, they slowly began to penetrate deep into the mainland and appropriate territories for themselves.
Colonial period in Namibian history began at the end of the 18th century. This time span is already well documented. First, part of the country was captured by the British, and in 1884 the Germans who competed with them came here.
These took control of the central and southern parts of the country. But the German colonialists did not have peace in the conquered country. From time to time there were conflicts with local tribes, then uprisings among the natives. The unrest was ruthlessly suppressed: during the time from 1890 to 1908, the rebellious Herero tribe was destroyed by two-thirds.
The country remained a colony of Germany until 1915.
- Since 1915, Namibia has been under the patronage of South Africa and fought for its independence for a long time.
- Since 1990, it has become an independent and free state ... The republic is governed by an elected parliament and a president.
Deutschland still uber alles?
The period of occupation of the country by Germany was seemingly very short, but even now in Namibia there are still strong echoes of the German heritage. This is the language that many residents know - 32% of the population! This is the habit of cleanliness, order and tidiness. Even the traditional women's clothing of the Herero tribe echoes the outfits worn by the white Frau a hundred years ago. The level of service, the quality of the roads is the same as in Germany.
And in the towns there are buildings in the German style, it feels like you are in the suburbs of some Munich, only on the road it is more likely to see a baboon instead of a walking cat.
And the Germans just love to come here from Fatherland, they love to spend their Christmas holidays here. These guests are great friends of the stomach. According to tradition, they have breakfast, then at eleven o'clock coffee, at one o'clock - lunch, half past five again coffee and cake, and at seven dinner. Note for future reference, we'll talk more about Namibian food. Although this country is still not for those for whom the main thing in life is to eat regularly.
Where is Namibia on the Africa map
Since we remembered the school, then we will start talking about Namibia, like about any country in a geography lesson: let's see where it is on the map. The huge African continent - its mountains and deserts, steppes and jungles, rivers and waterfalls, elephants and zebras - were divided among 54 states. Each offers endless and enticing travel opportunities ...
The fantastic country of Namibia is located in the southwest of the continent. Here it is, looking like a deep conical dipper with a long handle. The handle - this strange stretch of territory stretching towards the Zambezi River - is called the Caprivi Strip. An interesting story is connected with him.
History with the geography of the German chancellor
In the 19th century, Count Georg Leo von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli, a political opponent of Bismarck, who replaced him as Reich Chancellor in 1890, lived in Germany. Count Caprivi set out to unite the two colonies of the German Empire in Africa - today's Namibia and today's Tanzania, and then - Tanganyika. According to the Chancellor's idea, the implementation of this plan opened the door for the Reich to Indian Ocean across the Zambezi River, passing through Tanganyika.
For this, after tedious negotiations with the British, a territorial exchange was carried out. The United Kingdom was given an island in the North Sea, for which Germany received a narrow strip of African land 450 km long and variable width from 32 to 105 km. After confronting the British, they decided on the eastern border of the German colony, drawing it along the ruler on the map. This is why the countries of Namibia and Botswana have such unnaturally straight border lines.
But neither von Caprivi nor anyone else was destined to realize German interests. It turned out according to the well-known proverb - it was smooth on paper, but they forgot about the ravines. Let's not point a finger, but someone forgot or was simply not aware of the world's greatest Victoria Falls located just downstream of the Zambezi. And he, by the fact of his existence, put a fat end to the imperial dreams of a navigable route to the ocean.
Narrow Bar of Abundant Grace
Be that as it may, the Caprivi strip is a very remarkable place:
- First, the borders of the countries fit to this narrow strip of Namibian land: Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
- Secondly, this is a very special area of the country. Namibia is famous for many things, but not for the amount of water and lush green forests. Caprivi is the opposite of stereotypical desert Namibia: fertile lands, exotic nature, lush forests, four deep rivers - Okavango, Kwando, Chobe and Zambezi, crossing it in different places... Vast floodplains, flooded during the rainy season, and an abundance of reed bogs ... Herds of elephants, five-meter crocodiles, hippos and other animals, thousands different types birds are a real paradise for naturalists and hunters.
What color are the rivers
But back to the map. A peculiarity of the country is that only a small part of its state borders runs along natural boundaries; for Namibia, such natural objects are rivers. In the north, the Namibian state border with the countries passes:
- From Angola - along the Cunene and Okovango rivers.
- With Zambia it goes along the Zambezi River.
- With Botswana, it is the Gwando River.
- In the south, the flow of the famous Orange River serves as the natural border between Namibia and South Africa.
And tell me, friends, does not its name really intrigue you? Orange! Don't you think the water is orange fortified? And what - after all, the land in Africa is almost everywhere red. I will disappoint you. No, the color of the water in Orange is the most ordinary.
And the little secret with the name is simple. The river was discovered in the 18th century by the Scotsman Robert Jacob Gordon, an artist, linguist, naturalist and serviceman who commanded the garrison of the Dutch East India Company fort at the Cape of Good Hope. He gave the unknown river its name in honor of the dynasty of princes of Orange, who ruled the Netherlands for generations. Cape Town now stands on the site of the fort.
And a few numbers:
| Capital | Country area in km² | Population | Population density p./km² | |
| Namibia | Windhoek | 825.418 | 2.358.163 | 2,2 |
| Angola | Luanda | 1.246.700 | 24.383.301 | 14,8 |
| Zambia | Lusaka | 752.614 | 14.222.233 | 17,2 |
| Zimbabwe | Harare | 390.757 | 13.182.908 | 26 |
| Botswana | Gaborone | 581.730 | 2.112.049 | 3,4 |
| South africa | Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein | 1.219.912 | 48.601.098 | 41,0 |
The area of Namibia is equal to the territory of France and England taken together, and the concentration of the population in the country is very low - only in Mongolia there are fewer people. And people live here not only blacks, but also many whites - the legacy of apartheid and the offspring of those very colonizers.
Russians do not need a visa here.
Welcome to Namibia - that's what she is
Acquaintances and employees, hearing where we were going, raised their eyebrows and widened their eyes in bewilderment. One of our friends with the straightforwardness of a Roman hacked that he thought: "Some f * ck of the world, there would be no in a decent country!" But even this destructive remark did not sober us up. Sania's mother, how calm she is about our trips, and she tried to dissuade us. We fought back, referring to the experience of our compatriots who had been there, in whose reports the thought persistently sounded that Namibia was a civilized country.
However, even we ourselves somehow had little faith in this. But the thesis turned out to be true. Mysterious Namibia, filled with one hundred percent African exoticism, is a European civilized country, quite comfortable and quite comfortable. The level of comfort received is limited only by the financial capabilities of the traveler, and the one that is provided at a minimum is quite satisfactory.
But all this became clear after my arrival, but for now I was mentally preparing for life in Spartan conditions. They took their place among the things of towels and toilet paper... A significant shock was the widespread availability of the latter among Namibian washroom accessories. Everywhere - even in the heart of the desert - light, cold and hot water, convenience. Almost everywhere there is the Internet - it is not good with it only in national parks. What else does a person need to rest on the way!
Only the campsites didn't have towels. But even where we slept in a tent, there is a small utility block with a sink, shower and toilet near each machine place.
The most popular attractions in Namibia
Our plans did not impress with their grandeur and originality. We were going to see:
- The capital of the country, a small, clean city with colonial architecture and excellent cuisine.
- with its amazing alien landscapes.
- German species, to breathe fresh air from the ocean, which, they say, stirs up the blood.
- Huge is one of the largest national parks in the country.
- Peek in with its national parks. From here, if possible, to neighboring countries.
Every day is not Sunday
Where did we stop there? Let's refresh our memory! Oh yes, we have already talked a lot about the beautiful country of Namibia ... So ... There are different incidents along the way, sometimes, returning from a trip, you will still think whether to write about it or not. I don’t know about you, but I think we should write about everything - good and bad. It is easy and pleasant to write about good things, but bad things ... As you start, everything will stir up again. But - for your sake, friends!
Our today's conversation will be about the worst dream of any tourist. Do you have this before the trip? Suddenly you dream that one was stolen from you on your trip, then another was stolen? I have it every time before a long journey. Wake up - and you are still at home and have not had time to go anywhere. Here is joy, eyes immediately shine, a smile is happy from ear to ear.
There is crime in every country in the world. Tourists are tasty prey for him. Everywhere they are, the heart is robbed, everywhere they are stolen from them, everywhere they strive to deceive swindlers of all stripes. Here is the Europen Travel Monitor magazine compiled an interesting table of the leading countries, where most often a foreigner can be robbed and robbed:
| Theft v %% |
Robberies v %% |
|||||
| 1 | Czech | 8,7 | 1 | Hungary | 5,9 | |
| 2 | Gambia | 8,3 | 2 | Poland | 5,3 | |
| 3 | Poland | 7,9 | 3 | South Africa | 5,1 | |
| 4 | India | 6,2 | 4 | Morocco | 3,0 | |
| 5 | Morocco | 6,1 | 5 | Gambia | 2,8 | |
| 6 | Tunisia | 5,1 | 6 | Israel | 2,6 | |
| 7 | Kenya | 4,9 | 7 | Italy | 2,2 | |
| 8 | Italy | 4,1 | 8 | CIS | 4,3 |
Countries where tourists are not in danger of pickpocketing can be counted on one hand, one of these exemplary - shake your mustache! - Finland.
Compared to others, Namibia is considered a very safe country. The people there are very nice, friendly and smiling. Just do not relax in emotion and think that the aborigines only lack a halo over their curly head. From our own experience, we were convinced that you cannot lose your vigilance! The ingenuity of the Namibian crook can only be envied. And besides, the thieves, as a rule, go unpunished, and the vacation for tourists is hopelessly spoiled.
How we were made stronger
We drove and sang songs played by my iPhone. The mood was the most rosy: here is Namibia - a country, so a country! And there is plenty of everything in it! And if anyone wants to move from our homeland, then the only way is here, or to Botswana. Cross over and own the many kilometers of savannah with your leopards and cheetahs ...
Windhoek greeted us with empty streets and sun. We stayed in a cozy German hotel with friendly hosts. We phoned the company from which we rented a car and made an appointment. The rest of the time they decided to devote to the famous local handicraft market, and lunch.
All the excess was unloaded in the hotel room. They took with them only a backpack, in which dangled a compact rain jacket, documents, a reader, the girl's constant travel kit and the last hundred dollars. They burned a pocket and in the near future we were going to strum them.
They laid a navigator in the car and began to taxi along the narrow streets, making our way to the gallery of folk crafts. Turn, turn, and here is a gallery in front of us and the only patch of parking lot that has remained unoccupied. Piglet is very tiny, in front and behind the car. Sanya gets nervous, tries to fit neatly, again drives out, turns around again. Cars honking, interfering with our maneuvers.
Suddenly a negro rushes to the car. He starts yelling at something furiously, tearing at himself the door from the sleigh side. Sanya pulls the door towards him, the black man does not let go, shouts and gestures, cars honk. We're doing something wrong! I'm scared: maybe we hooked on someone?
Sanya, finally, slams the door, backs up, the car fits into place. The Negro is already gone. We sit for a minute in silence, recovering from shock. Then I turn back to grab the backpack from the back. But he is not!
Sanya is still on his nerves. He screams that I just forgot him! And then it dawns on us that the loudmouth aborigine did not just rip the door open. We fly out of the car and rush in the direction of the escaped negro. Of course it is not. But there is a hope that taking what he needed, he threw the backpack into the gateway.
I have tears, snot all over my face ... I run and howl ... Tomorrow morning we had to fly away. Together with the thief, our tickets, passports, money, my credit card, driver's license, mobile phone, my favorite reader - everything in my backpack disappeared. And there are also almost unworn wondrous earrings bought in Tae! And my raincoat?
A crowd gathers around me - apparently, I roar well. Questions, exclamations, but I just can't stop. Sanya talks to two white Namibians. They call the police, give their mobile phone so that he can call the embassy and Russia - block the card. Do not shine for bastards to cash in!
Surprisingly helpful people, not one passed by. Maybe they didn’t help much, but they didn’t pass indifferently. And this was not an idle curiosity, but ardent sympathy. The valet came running and said that he noticed how the thief jumped into the taxi.
The police arrived. It turned out that nothing original happened to us, we fell for a typical reception of a local crook. One distracts, the other from an unblocked door drags everything that is badly behind. We were also lucky that it happened on the last day of the trip, but if on the first ...
Embassy staff in Windhoek are true friends of Russian travelers in trouble. See for yourself: it was Sunday, evening - almost 5 o'clock when we called them. They meekly waited for us while we wrote a statement at the police station, while the Namibians took us to a photo studio to be photographed for exit documents, while we went to the hotel for a flash drive with scanned documents. For another two hours from their day off, they filled out the paperwork for us. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart - thank you very much, dear compatriots working at the embassy!
Tourist, watch out!
Whoever you are - a tourist or a traveler - regardless of your approach to vacation, the conclusions for all will be the same:
- Never put documents and money in one place. It is generally better to keep documents in bags on the body. Be sure to scan them.
- Do not leave your bags visible in either the back or front seat. Breaking a window doesn't cost anything either. Get out of the car - take everything with you.
- Always, no matter what a wonderful country it is, you get into the car - block entrance doors! If they were blocked with us, then the negro would at least beat his head. All conversations with passers-by - only through a slightly open window.
But friends, I will tell you again: Namibia is a beautiful country. And I will try to convince you of this with my further stories. Wait, we'll continue soon!
Massmo Relsig / flickr.com
about country
Bright, wild, juicy Namibia! If you want to see real Africa, you should definitely visit this country. Here, the hot desert expanses, the cool coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the richest fauna and flora, rare lunar landscapes and the famous Skeleton Coast merge into a single picture of distant African exoticism, which simply has no equal.
Geography of Namibia
Namibia is located in South Africa, has a land border with Angola and Zambia in the north, with Botswana in the east and with South Africa in the southeast and south. The western part of Namibia is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The main part of the country, the total area of which is 824.3 thousand km², is occupied by hills. The highest point is Mount Königstein-Brandberg 2606 meters above sea level. The central plateau is surrounded by the Namib Desert in the west of Namibia, the Orange River in the east and the Kalahari Desert in the east. The northern part of the country is rich in jungle.
The area of Namibia is 824,300 km2. sq., occupies the 33rd place in the world in terms of area.
Population
The state currency is the Namibian dollar.
The official language is English (German, Afrikaans, Herero and Oshivambo are adopted as national languages)
Visa for Namibia
For visiting Namibia for tourist purposes citizens Russian Federation and the CIS countries do not require a visa. The maximum allowable period for a visa-free stay in Namibia is 90 days. To obtain an entry permit, you only need a “reserve” of passport validity of six months, as well as two free pages in it, although often one is enough.
Weather in Namibia
Namibia is actually a semi-desert; it is characterized by a dry, hot climate with sharp temperature changes during the day. Due to the strong influence of the Bengal Current, precipitation in Namibia is critically small. Formally climatic seasons are divided here into two: dry hot summers from October to April and mild winters from May to September. Daytime summer temperatures can impress a Russian tourist; in the shade, a thermometer's thermometer can rise to 40-45 ° C, and at night it can drop to 20 ° C and even -1 ° C in deserts. In winter, the weather conditions in Namibia are milder, with temperatures of 25 ° C during the day and 5 ° C at night. In the period from January to April, rare precipitations fall on the coast, they never happen in winter. Due to the peculiarities of the local climate, you can visit Namibia at any time of the year, depending on your personal preferences.
Namibia landmarks
Who has not heard about the mysterious Skeleton Coast from movies and books? Yes, yes, it is located in Namibia and is perhaps the most popular attraction in the country. According to ancient legends, under the colored sands of the Skeleton Coast, numerous chests of gold and diamonds are buried, in search of which more than a dozen ships have crashed here. Surrounded by numerous canyons, painted in all sorts of colors due to the abundance of volcanic rocks, the remains of ancient sailing ships look especially impressive. When visiting the Skeleton Coast, do not miss the opportunity to see the legendary desert elephants, as well as dwarf trees with a trunk thickness of 150 centimeters and a height of only 20-30 centimeters. “The land created by God in anger” - this is how the locals call the Skeleton Coast. The Namib Desert is another one at least interesting place Namibia. It is one of the oldest on Earth; according to some estimates, the age of the desert ranges from 60 to 80 million years. Namib impresses not only with a variety of landscapes from moving dunes and dry rivers to steep canyons, but also with a wealth of flora and fauna. It is home to numerous elephants, lions, giraffes and rhinos, as well as a rare plant, a symbol of the country - a desert rose, some of which are more than 2000 years old! In the center of the desert is the world's largest Namib-Naukluft National Park, other attractions include the Naukluft Mountains, Sesrif Canyon, Welwichia Plains, and Sandwich Harbor Lagoon, called a bird's paradise. You can fully experience the explosive mixture of German and African culture in the capital, the city of Winduch, which is inevitably visited by any foreigner who comes to Namibia. The African flavor is combined here with the austere Fort Alte Feste, the National Museum and other reminders that in the old days Namibia was a German colony. The second largest, but not for its spectacular beauty, is the Etosha National Park. It is both an impressively dull and fantastic place, including the lifeless expanses of a salt lake, white clay deposits, sands and thickets of bizarre moringa trees growing with their roots up. Periodically, the silent silence of the park is broken by the motley herds of animals, surprisingly surviving in these inhospitable and completely unearthly conditions. National park Etosha boasts the largest fauna in Namibia, with 114 mammal species, 340 bird species and 110 reptile species. If you're lucky, you can also meet the rarest animals on the planet: black rhinos or black-faced impala antelopes. The Waterberg Plateau is another Namibian destination not to be overlooked. Since 1972, here, on a plateau remote from civilization, they began to collect rare species of animals for growth and increase their population away from predators. The Wtherberg Plateau, with an area of more than 200 km2 and more than 850 million years old, now contains the largest number of rare animals in all of Africa.
National cuisine of Namibia
Special attention in the cuisine of Namibia is paid to meat, most often antelope, ostrich, crocodile and zebra are cooked here, which are as familiar to local residents as pork and beef are for us. In poor regions of the country, you can often find eggs of all kinds of birds and even insects on the table. Most of all dishes in Namibia are fried, ignoring stews or cooks. Among local residents, and foreign tourists, local beer is famous, which is prepared in the breweries of the capital, the city of Winduch. Especially popular beers include Windhoek Lager, Das (Pilsner), Tafel Lager, as well as Windhoek Export, Windhoek Special and Windhoek Light. Most restaurants in major Namibian cities offer a choice of both local African and European cuisine. There are also many specialized restaurants in the country. different cuisines the world, including Indian, Arab and many others. Namibia has strict anti-alcohol laws, with rare exceptions alcohol is sold only in specialized stores until 17:00 on weekdays and until 13:00 on Saturday. Sunday in Namibia is a day of sobriety, and the sale of alcohol is completely prohibited.
Transport
There are no direct flights to Namibia from Russia; you can only get here by connecting flight. For example, you can fly through Frankfurt with Lufthansa or through South Africa, such flights are served by carriers Emirates, British Airways, Qatar Airways. Intercity communication in Namibia is represented by railways and buses, which connect all the main settlements of the country with each other. A popular tourist transport and entertainment at the same time is the tourist Desert Express, which runs between Swakopmund and Windhoek and makes several stops along the way for foreign visitors to admire the sights and take memorable photos. The local air carrier is Air Namibia, but there are only two airports in the country, both in the capital, Winduh. The main airport is Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport and a separate airport for the local airlines Windhoek Eros Airport. Taxis are the main urban transport in Namibia, prices for trips are not high, but they are quite common. Occasionally on the streets you can see city buses that run only on a small number of routes.
Currency exchange in Namibia
In Namibia, only the local currency, the South African rand (ZAR), is accepted; it is unlikely that it will be possible to pay in dollars or euros here. You can exchange foreign currency for local currency at exchange offices at the airport, in banks and hotels throughout the country. Most bank branches are open from Friday to Saturday, Monday to Friday they are open from 10:00 to 16:00, and on Saturday from 8:30 to 11:00. In Namibia, you can easily cash out a bank card belonging to the world's major payment systems, and you can also cash traveler's checks. Cards are accepted in major hotels, shops and restaurants.
Electricity
Voltage 220-240V, 50Hz. Sockets type D (two thin and one thick round prong) and M (three thick round prongs). Most large hotels can provide you with adapters.
Religion
In the course of European expansion, 90% of the local inhabitants of Namibia became believing Christians. Most of them consider themselves to be the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Namibia, a smaller part - to the Catholic Church. 3% of the inhabitants of Namibia profess Islam, less often there are religions such as Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Security
NAMIBIA
Republic of Namibia, a state in the southwest of Africa. In the west it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in the north it borders with Angola and Zambia, in the east - with Botswana, in the southeast and south - with South Africa. In the northeast, the territory of Namibia is wedged between Angola, Botswana and Zambia in the form narrow corridor 483 km long and 80 km wide. This is the so-called. the Caprivi strip, giving the country access to the Zambezi River. Until 1968 it was called South West Africa. In 1884-1915 - a colony of Germany, from 1915 until the proclamation of independence on March 21, 1990 was under the control of South Africa. Area - 825 112 sq. km, including the Walvis Bay area of 1,124 sq. km, which in 1994 was returned to Namibia by the Republic of South Africa. The population of Namibia is 1,870 thousand people (2000 data). The capital is Windhoek (210 thousand inhabitants).
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NATURE
The coastline with a total length of approx. 1500 km leveled. There are only two convenient bays - Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, although approaches to them are difficult due to strong winds, sea swell, surf and constant fog. In the northern and southern regions the coast is composed of gravelly-pebble material, and in the central ones - sandy. In the Walvis Bay area, sometimes there is a dull rumble, the water boils and becomes almost red, while a mass is thrown onto the shore dead fish... A column of fetid smoke rises above the waves with an admixture of hydrogen sulfide, and in shallow areas, islands of sulfur form that last only a few days and then disappear.
There were frequent shipwrecks off the coast of Namibia, which was reflected in the local toponymy. Particularly notorious is the area north of Cape Cross, called Skeleton Coast. Wrecks of sunken ships and whitewashed human skeletons have been preserved on the reefs here.
The Namib Desert stretches along the coast, reaching a width of 50 to 130 km and occupying approx. 20% of the country's territory. The wind moves the coastal sands from south to north and forms white and yellow dunes up to 40 m high. Behind the coastal dunes, there is a chain of long narrow lagoons. There are also rounded or oval saline depressions.
With distance from the coast, the color of the dunes gradually turns red due to an increase in the content of iron oxides. This feature is a good reference point for pilots. The dunes in the interior of the Namib Desert rise up to 300 m and are the highest in the world.
In the east, the surface of the Namib rises in steps to the Great Ledge. Numerous remnant plateaus and mountains rise in places here. One of them is Mount Brandberg (2579 m), made of granites - the highest point of the country. It is surrounded by lower mountains, which are called the "Twelve Apostles". In the caves and on the slopes of Brandberg, rock paintings of primitive people have been preserved.
The Great Ledge serves as the western boundary of the plateau, composed of crystalline rocks, mainly granites and gneisses, which are in places overlain by quartzites, sandstones and limestones. The plateau slopes gently into the interior of the continent and is dissected into separate massifs (Kaoko, Ovambo, Damara, Nama, etc.) by tectonic depressions. The largest of them - Kalahari - is located at an altitude of approx. 900 m above sea level It is made of red and white sands covering crystalline basement rocks. Sands form dunes up to 100 m high.
Namibia is rich in minerals. The most important of them are diamonds, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, tin, silver, gold, pyrites, manganese, etc. Placers of diamonds are concentrated on the Atlantic coast, especially in the area from Luderitsa to the mouth of the Orange River, as well as in the adjacent zone shelf. The Orange Maut diamond mines (north of the mouth of the Orange River) are the largest in the world. The total diamond reserves exceed 35 million carats, of which 98% are high-quality jewelry. In a number of regions (Karibiba, Omaruru, Swakopmund) there are deposits of precious and semi-precious stones - tourmaline, aquamarine, agate, topaz. Gold has been found in the regions of Rehoboth and Swakopmund.
In terms of uranium reserves, Namibia is in one of the first places in the world. They are estimated at 136 thousand tons. The largest uranium mine Rossing is located to the north of Swakopmund.
Almost 90% of the explored reserves of non-ferrous metals are concentrated in the northeast of the country (Tsumei, Khrutfontein, Otavi). Local ores are rich in lead, zinc, copper, cadmium and germanium. Reinerite, tsumebite and shtottite, which have semiconducting properties, were first found here as accompanying minerals.
In the Abenaba region, north of Grootfontein, there is one of the world's largest deposits of vanadium ores with reserves of 16 thousand tons.In the Karibib region and at the southern border of the country there are deposits of beryllium and lithium ores, in Kaoko - iron ores (total reserves of 400 million tons ), and in Ochivarongo - manganese (5 million tons).
The climate of Namibia is very dry and tropical. Distinguish between wet summers (September - March) and dry winters. Their alternation is most pronounced in the north-east of the country and least of all in the coastal strip, where the entire annual precipitation (from 25 to 100 mm) falls within a month, and 50-70% of moisture immediately evaporates or seeps into the sandy mass. Thick cold fogs constantly hang here.
Average temperatures for the warmest month (January) are 18 ° C on the ocean coast and 27 ° C in the interior, while the coldest month (July) is 12 ° C in the south and 16 ° C in the north. Precipitation falls mainly in summer, reaching a maximum in the extreme northeast (500-700 mm). The further south you go, the hotter and drier the summer and colder the winter.
Agriculture is heavily dependent on irrigation. The northern rivers of the Kunene and Zambezi basins, the Ovamboland canal system and individual wells, reservoirs in the beds of temporarily flowing rivers and reservoirs are of great importance. The waters of the Orange River are difficult to use, since it flows in a canyon 120 m deep. Navigation on constantly flowing rivers is impeded by rapids, sediment in the estuaries and floating accumulations of plant debris.
The Kunene River is famous for the Ruacana waterfalls, where the water rushes down from a height of 70 m, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. Built here large hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 320 MW, but it works no more than six months a year due to the strong shallowing of the river in summer.
In the north of Namibia, in an endless basin, there is the Etosha salt marsh with an area of approx. 5 thousand sq. km, the largest in Africa. When its flat bottom, covered with a lime-clay crust, is flooded with water every few years, a temporary lake up to 1.5 m deep is formed. Salt has been mined here for a long time.
The coastal strip of the Namib Desert is devoid of vegetation. Only along the valleys of temporary streams grow xerophytes and succulents (acacia, aloe, milkweed and the typical for these places velvichia, which lives for more than 100 years). In the interior of the Namib Desert, only succulent shrubs and semi-shrubs grow, but after the rains, a carpet appears for a short time. flowering plants... Towards the east, the succulent desert is replaced by the gramineous and shrub desert, which is characteristic of the Great Ledge and part of the plateau. In the most humid places of Damara and Kaoko, there are areas of park savannah with white acacia. Park savannas are also characteristic of the eastern part of Ovambo and the Caprivi strip. Here, the species composition of trees is more diverse (acacias, palms, baobabs, etc.), and grasses up to 5 m high prevail in the herbage. A significant part of the territory of Namibia is occupied by the semi-desert and deserted savannas of the Kalahari.
The islands and bays along the Atlantic coast are rich in birds and seals, and the coastal waters are rich in fish. Lizards, snakes, small rodents and insects are found in the dunes along the coast. Of large animals, there are hyenas and jackals.
On the highlands of Namibia, some species of antelope (kudu, springbok, dukers) and zebras have survived. Nocturnal predators (hyenas, jackals), rodents (tree and mountain dormouse), as well as some exotic insectivores (aardvark, golden mole). The fauna of the Etosha National Park is the richest in the north of the country, where the largest population of lions in Africa has survived, as well as very rare species of mammals - the black rhino and the earthen wolf. Great attention is paid to nature conservation in Namibia, as evidenced by the extensive network of national parks and reserves.
POPULATION
Demography. According to the 1991 census, the population of Namibia was 1.4 million, with approx. 6% of the population was white, with the remainder African or mixed. In the 1990s, the annual population growth rate was estimated at approximately 3.2%. The age structure of the population has a high proportion of young people, with about half of Namibians under 18 and 42% under 15. The fertility rate is 5.1-5.4. The birth rate is 42 per 1000 inhabitants, and the mortality rate is 10.5 per 1000. Infant mortality is 57-61 per 1000 newborns. Average life expectancy is 61 years.
According to some reports, in 1998, approx. 25% of the adult population of the country (the first case of AIDS was registered in 1986). According to 1997 data, AIDS was the main reason death (12.4%), every fifth child under the age of 13 died from it. Diseases such as tuberculosis and childhood diarrhea are also common, and malaria and malnutrition, which are also often fatal, are common in the northern regions.
The territorial distribution of the population is extremely uneven, the average population density is approx. 2 people per 1 sq. km. The exception is some mining and industrial areas of the Ovambo plateau, where it reaches 15-26 people per 1 sq. km. In the 1990s, between 27% and 38% of Namibians lived in cities and surrounding areas. In the 1980s and 1990s, the influx of population to the cities grew steadily. After 1990, when Namibia gained independence, due to migrants, the urban population increased by 5-8% annually. Particularly high rates of migration were observed from the northern regions to other parts of the country, primarily to the capital Windhoek and its suburbs, since it was easier to find work there. The rest of the cities of Namibia are small in size and are located far from each other trade, transport and administrative centers.
The main religion in Namibia is Christianity. Christians consider themselves approx. 90% are Namibians. The first place in terms of numbers is occupied by Lutherans, followed by Catholics, supporters of the Netherlands Reformed Church, Anglican and Methodist churches. Through the Council of Churches of Namibia, religion plays an active role in the public life of the country. The activities of religious communities and organizations are most visible in such spheres of secular life as assistance to refugees and victims of drought, public education, the fight against the legalization of abortion and the investigation of allegations of human rights violations brought against the ruling party - the People's Organization of South West Africa (SWAPO) ... The majority of the population of the agricultural north remains committed to local traditional beliefs.
Languages. About 80% of Namibians speak Bantu languages, 12% - click Khoisan languages, the rest use Afrikaans (the language of South African settlers) or European languages in communication. Various dialects of the Ovambo language, including the rather peculiar one - Kwangali, are spoken by 70% of the entire Bantu-speaking population, Herero - 9%, Lozi - 6%. Of the speakers of the languages of the Khoisan group, the San people (Bushmen) deserve mention. Among the population of European descent, the most common language is German (spoken by 4%) and to a lesser extent English and Portuguese. According to the 1990 constitution, official language became English, although at that time no more than 10% of the population was fluent in it.
Namibians speaking Ovambo dialects live in the central part of the plateau in the north of the country and in the valley of the Okavango River, where they themselves or their ancestors came in colonial times in search of work. The Herero-speaking population predominates in the northwestern and central regions of the plateau. The main ethnic groups that speak the Khoisan languages are San, living in the Kalahari semi-desert, Nama in the southern part of the plateau, and mountain Damara in the upper reaches of the Ugab and Omaruru rivers. Small Bantu-speaking groups of the population are subia and yeen, who live in the eastern part of the Caprivi strip, tswana - near the central section of the border with Botswana, and several groups of newcomers and refugees who have settled along the border with Angola. For several communities that have long settled in the south of the country, primarily Rehobot ("Rehobot bastards", Euro-Hottentot mestizos), as well as colored immigrants from South Africa, the main language is Afrikaans.
POLITICAL SYSTEM
State structure. Namibia declared independence in 1990, preceded by 106 years of colonial rule. Under the constitution, adopted in 1990, the president is the head of state and executive power, while the legislature is exercised by a bicameral parliament and regional legislatures. The president is elected by general election for a five-year term. Any citizen of Namibia over 35 years old can apply for the presidency, and any registered political party or group of voters, even a small one, can nominate a candidate. To be elected, a presidential candidate must receive more than half of the votes in the last round of elections; the president can hold office for no more than two terms. In order for the first President of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, to have legitimate grounds to run for a third term, in 1998 SWAPO initiated a corresponding amendment to the constitution. Despite the unpopularity of the move, the parliament, in which the ruling party holds the majority of seats, readily accepted the amendment.
Parliament consists of the National Assembly (72 deputies, elected by party lists on a proportional basis by secret ballot by all residents over the age of 18) and the National Council, to which each of the thirteen newly created regional councils elects two representatives. Elections to the National Assembly are held every five years, and the number of deputies from each party is set in direct proportion to the percentage of votes it receives. Regional council elections are held in single-member constituencies every six years. Local governments are elected for a term of five years. In June 1998, a Chiefs Advisory Council was established.
The President is empowered to appoint ministers, judges, senior judicial officials, as well as the chairman of the central bank, the commander of the armed forces, the chief of police and the penitentiary system. In addition, he exercises control over the armed forces, introduces a state of emergency and martial law, presides over cabinet meetings and, at the initiative of the government, dissolves the National Assembly.
The leader of the national liberation movement, the fighter against apartheid and the founder of the new state, President Sam Nujoma, has actually been given additional powers. In 1994 Nujoma was re-elected to the presidency with the support of over 74% of voters.
The judicial system of Namibia is based on Roman-Dutch law, inherited from the times of the administration of this territory of South Africa and is enshrined in the country's constitution. The justice system includes the Supreme and High Courts, Magistrates' Courts, the Ministry of Justice, and the Prosecutor's Office. Due to a shortage of qualified lawyers, the process of revising apartheid laws, which continues to operate after independence, is proceeding extremely slowly. The government pays great attention to judicial reform, above all, changes in legislation on issues such as racial equality, gender equality and the punishment of criminal offenses. Namibia's constitution includes many of the fundamental provisions of the Bill of Rights (freedom of the press, personal freedoms of citizens and the right to property), as well as the prohibition of the death penalty. The international community highly appreciated the inclusion of such provisions in the legislation of Namibia and their implementation in practice.
Political parties. The main political force and ruling party in Namibia is the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), created in 1960. Until 1989 it was banned and persecuted by the apartheid regime. SWAPO professes the orthodox ideology of African national liberation. In 1990, its main tasks included the transition to a mixed economy with a predominance of market elements and the holding of democratic elections. Nevertheless, SWAPO remains committed to the ideas of a strong state and an equitable distribution of public goods.
In the 1989 elections, SWAPO won an absolute majority, receiving 57% of the popular vote and 41 seats in parliament, and formed the first government of independent Namibia. SWAPO enjoys popular support, but its position is especially strong in the cities and in the far north of the country, especially in Ovamboland. Unable to achieve a parliamentary majority of two-thirds of the votes in the first elections, SWAPO was forced to come out in coalition with other parties to prepare a new constitution and its subsequent revision. This circumstance further conditioned the party's commitment to the search for political compromises. In 1989, more than 40 political parties were registered in the country. The logic of the first elections forced most parties and politicians to form alliances. The main opposition force, which received 29% of the vote and 21 seats in parliament in the elections, is the Turnhalle Democratic Alliance (DAT), a coalition of ten parties created on an ethnic basis. In the 1980s, DAT held the majority of the seats in the transitional government. The remaining 10 seats in parliament were shared by five small parties.
The results of the subsequent elections demonstrated the decline in the influence of opposition parties and the strengthening of the positions of those parties that advocated true independence. In the mid-1990s, SWAPO won a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, allowing it to pursue more decisive policies. During the independent period of the country's development, almost all parties have weakened their positions. In addition to the two main parties supported by the majority of the population, six more political parties managed to get their candidates for parliamentary elections. There has been a decrease in voter turnout, in part due to a large number uncontested candidates (40 in the local elections in 1998) where the positions of SWAPO are especially strong, partly due to the population's disappointment with the activities of political parties and the government. During the 1998 regional elections, many DAT supporters in Caprivi did not participate in the elections, as the situation was tense due to separatist sentiments in the region.
In the 1994 parliamentary elections, SWAPO strengthened its position, winning 53 deputy mandates, while DAT and other parties lost (compared to 1989) the support of some of their voters and received 15 and 4 seats, respectively.
Foreign policy. Active diplomatic activity helped SWAPO achieve the independence of Namibia. Under the new conditions, the country's leadership continues to actively interact in the international arena with old and new allies. In addition to the success in negotiations on the return of Walvis Bay, Namibia was able to achieve the elimination of South Africa's debt and significant financial and economic assistance from a number of countries. Namibia is a member of the UN, the Commonwealth led by Great Britain, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the IMF, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the African Development Bank, the South African Customs Union, and the World Trade Organization. Since 1999, Namibia has occupied the seat of the member of the Security Council allocated to the African states. The decision of the Namibian government to send several hundred Namibian soldiers to the DRC to assist President Laurent Kabila cost the state treasury $ 30 million and did not meet with understanding either in the country or abroad.
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Namibia is a sparsely populated country with a population density of about 2 people per square kilometer. About 60% of the population lives in the remote wilderness areas of the country. 90% of the population is Christian. The official language is English, while German and Afrikaans are also widely spoken. During the colonial rule, there was a strong influence of European culture on the population of the country. However, most of the tribes have retained their identity. By purchasing tours to Namibia, curious travelers get a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the culture and life of such tribes as Ovambo, Himba, San, Herero, Topnaars, Busters, etc.
Geographical position: Namibia is a state in southwestern Africa, washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the west. In the north it borders with Angola, in the region of Caprivi with Zambia, in the east with Botswana, in the south with South Africa. The main territory of Namibia is occupied by uplands. The highest point in Namibia is Mount Königstein (2606 m). From the west, the central plateau is bounded by the Namib Desert, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, from the south by the Orange River, and from the east by the Kalahari Desert. The Caprivi strip and the extreme north of the country are occupied by the jungle. The largest rivers in Namibia: Orange, Fish (its canyon is the second largest in the world, after the Grand Canyon in the United States), Okavango (flows into a huge swamp in Botswana, called the Okavango Delta). The total area of Namibia is 824,268 sq. Km.
Capital: Windhoek. The largest city in the Republic of Namibia, located in the center of the country. Population - 334 580 people (according to 2012 estimates). Windhoek is the social, economic and cultural center of the country. The headquarters of every Namibian national enterprise, government agency, educational and cultural institution is located here.
Language: English (official language). National languages: Afrikaans, Herero, Oshivambo, German and Nama. Until 1990, the official languages were German and Afrikaans.
Religion: Namibia is one of those African countries where Christianity is most widespread. More than 90% of Namibians identify as Christians. Most Christians belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Namibia (ELCIN). The second place among Christian movements is occupied by Catholicism. Other Christian denominations: Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Mormons, Adventists, Pentecostals. The number of Muslims in the country hovers around 3%. The vast majority of them are Sunnis. Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism in Namibia are professed by a very small number of inhabitants.
Time: The time difference in Namibia is -3 hours (relative to the time in Moscow). All country's territory belongs to the same time zone. In Namibia, daylight saving time occurs when the clock hands move forward one hour. During this period, the difference with Moscow decreases to 2 hours.
Climate: The climate is dry, typical of semi-deserts, where drought occurs regularly. During the day it is usually warm or very hot, at night it is cool. The seasons can be roughly divided into summer (October - April) and winter (May - September). Summers are usually dry and hot, the daytime temperature sometimes reaches + 40 C, and at night it drops sharply to + 20 C, and in the desert even to -1 C. Winters are very mild, sunny with an average daytime temperature of +25 C and +5 C at night. the coastal areas are cool and dry all year round. Brief showers are possible in the summer from January to April, most often in the morning. There is no rain in winter. The further south you go, the hotter and drier the summer and colder the winter. The best time to visit the country is summer - from November to April.
Currency: Namibian Dollar (NAD), equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Namibian dollars, coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, as well as 1, 2 and 5 Namibian dollars. 1 EUR = 9.963 NAD, 1 USD = 7.385 NAD (as of 19.04.2010). The national currency of Namibia is equivalent to the South African Rand (ZAR), which is the legal tender in the country. It is impossible to pay with other foreign currency in the country. You can exchange currency at exchange offices of the international airport, in hotels, as well as in banks and their branches. Banks are open from 10:00 to 16:00 Mon-Fri and from 8:30 to 11:00 on Sat. Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.) are accepted for payment in most hotels, shops and restaurants only in large cities. Traveler's checks can be exchanged for cash at almost any bank in the city, and fees apply.
Mains voltage and type of socket: 220/240 V, frequency alternating current- 50 Hz; UK plug sockets have three sockets (adapter for Russian plugs required).
Customs: There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign currency, the declaration is required. The export of the national currency is nominally limited to the amount of 50,000 NAD, but since the currency does not circulate outside the country, it is simply pointless to export it except for “souvenirs”. Duty free import of 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco, a liter of spirits, 2 liters of wine, 50 ml of perfume and 250 ml of eau de toilette. Persons under 18 years of age are prohibited from importing alcohol and cigarettes. The import of canned meat products, drugs and explosives, weapons and ammunition is prohibited without proper registration.
It is strictly forbidden to engage in independent development and export of diamonds and minerals, as well as unlicensed hunting and export of hunting trophies without the appropriate permission of the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Population and culture: There are about 2.1 million people living in Namibia (1,820,916 according to the 2002 census, but estimates are rather difficult due to the very high incidence of AIDS). The majority of the population (80%) is made up of the peoples of the Bantu family: mainly Ovambo (over 50%), as well as Herero (7%) and other tribes. Koisan peoples: Nama (5%) and Bushmen (3%). 6.5% are mestizos - the so-called "colored" (they are the majority) and "Basters" (live mainly in the community centered around the town of Rehoboth south of Windhoek). 5.7% of the population is white - the descendants of Dutch, English, Portuguese, French and German colonists (some of the latter retain German culture and language). The majority of whites and almost all of the people of color in Namibia speak Afrikaans and are indistinguishable in culture and customs from whites and people of color in South Africa. Thus, Namibia is home to 104,000 Afrikaners and about 35,000 Germans.
The modern culture of Namibia is a synthesis of various cultural influences. The traditions of the San (Bushmen) nomad hunters and the Nama (Hottentots) and Herero pastoralists underwent significant changes in the conditions of sedentary life in the reserves. The traditional way of life of sedentary farmers in the far north of the country suffered less. Most Namibians are guided by the norms of behavior adopted in societies where commodity-money relations are developed, and by Christian morality. Rock painting is a very popular art form in Namibia. Animals and various other things are used as objects for painting on the rocks. Theater is another popular art form in Namibia, with plays staged and practiced in various villages throughout the country. The music of Namibia has been strongly influenced by Comorian and Malagasy musical forms. Creole and European musical forms have also left their influence on the music of Namibia.
Kitchen: The local cuisine was greatly influenced by the culinary traditions of Europe and South Africa. The most widespread in the country received meat dishes, vegetable dishes and side dishes are used very rarely. Meat dishes are mainly based on beef, lamb, antelope, zebra, crocodile and poultry. The traditional way of cooking meat is barbecue. Other popular meats include Drueworth and Landjager sausages, poikikos stew, boboti lamb pilaf, biltong jerky, rauschfleich smoked meats, and couscous curry. ... Namibian restaurants offer exotic meat dishes: Wienersnitzel ostrich steak, Suzati game kebab, lion's tenderloin or crocodile tail. In Namibia, you can try giant ostrich egg omelets. Be sure to try the seafood dishes: a variety of fish, lobster, squid, mussels and oysters. Those who are not afraid to experiment should try dishes made from mopane or omaungu worms, omayova mushrooms, fried locusts, snails and termite eggs. There is also a wide range of restaurants specializing in the cuisine of various countries: German, Arabic, Indian, etc.
Namibia is famous for its beer. Locals celebrate their own Octoberfest every October. Varieties such as Windhoek Lager and Tafel Lager are considered some of the best in Africa. Also from alcoholic beverages in the country they produce wine of the Columbair and Caberné varieties, wine from watermelons “Matacu”, grappa “Crystal-Kellerai” and palm moonshine “Walende”. Alcohol is sold only in specialized stores. Some supermarkets sometimes sell beer and wine. You can buy alcohol on weekdays until 17:00, until 13:00 on Saturday, and on Sundays these shops are closed.
Tips: In Namibia, it is customary to tip (preferably in local currency). In restaurants, they make up 10% of the total order value. Safari guides will tip the equivalent of US $ 5-10 per person per day. Porters are given about US $ 1 for tea, and hotel maids are given US $ 1 a day.
Souvenirs: In numerous souvenir shops in Namibia, you can buy figurines and African masks made of bronze, original chess, in which, instead of chess pieces, African warriors are carved from wood. You can buy dolls in the national costumes of the Herero tribe, which are made and dressed by local women right on the streets. Namibia has become famous all over the world for its unique handmade carpets made of astrakhan wool. Buttons "ekipa" are considered a unique gift that can be brought from Namibia. The buttons are made of ivory or ivory. Speaking of gifts from Namibia, one cannot but recall the unusual Namibian jewelry. Special style jewelry from Namibia imparts the use of natural materials such as shells, claws of lions and porcupines, elephant hair, and ostrich eggshells. Leather goods are very popular in Namibia. As a gift, you can bring clothes, shoes, briefcases, bags and belts from the skin of the gemsbok and kudu antelope from here.
Flight: There are no direct flights to Namibia either from Russia or from the CIS countries. Possible variant flight - in transit through Frankfurt (Lufthansa) or through South Africa (Emirates, Qatar Airways, British Airways). The flight duration is about 14 hours, excluding the connection.
Etosha Park. It is the most famous wildlife park in Namibia. It is here, during your holiday in Namibia, that you can see the famous African Big Five: elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhinoceros. This kind of vacation in Africa, like a safari, will give you an incomparable unforgettable experience.
Namib Naukluft Park. No traveler who has bought a tour to Africa will be completely satisfied with the trip if he does not visit this park with its endless, highest in the world, dunes. We recommend taking an excursion to this park at dawn, when the sun paints the dunes in different colors: from light yellow to maroon.
Fish River Canyon. The second largest canyon in the world, up to 549 meters deep.
Swakopmund. No wonder vacation in Africa is so attractive for tourists. What is a visit to Swakopmund - the famous tourist center of Namibia. The city is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Vacationers here have the opportunity to make an unforgettable flight on a small plane over the Skeleton Coast and the dunes of Sossusflea, visit the Himba tribe, ride quad bikes on the sand dunes. This is where fishing enthusiasts from all over the world strive. For the sake of visiting this magnificent city, people most often buy tours to Namibia. Even the most sophisticated travelers on vacation in Africa will be amazed at the unique beauty of this place.
Namibia is a unique country with the richest flora and fauna, a rare combination of landscapes and geological structures. There are almost 365 days of sunshine a year, a long ocean coast, endless desert sands and green foothills, rich hunting grounds, a distinctive population and many natural monuments.
It is located in the tropical latitudes of southwestern Africa, on the Atlantic coast. Its territory, which has a wedge-shaped shape, facing a tapering shape to the south, crosses the Southern Tropic (Tropic of Capricorn), its length from north to south is more than 1400 km, from west to east - about 1 thousand km. Territory area - 825.418 sq. km.
Namibia gained its independence from South Africa not so long ago - on March 21, 1990 (on this day the country celebrates a national holiday). After independence, the country is divided into the following 13 regions, Omusachi, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto in the north, Kunene in the northwest, Kavango and Caprivi in the northeast, Erongo, Ochizondupa, Omaeke, Komas and Hartap in the central part of the country and Karas on South.
Namibia is a land of vast uninhabited areas and unusual nature. Only here you can see dunes made of pink sand, in size resembling small mountains or a fur seal rookery, located almost at the edge of the desert. The coastline with a total length of ~ 1500 km is quite flat, there are only two convenient bays - Walvis Bay and Luderitz, although the approaches to them are complicated due to strong winds, sea swell, surf and constant fogs. In the northern and southern regions, the coast is composed of gravelly-pebble material, and in the central regions - sandy.
In the Walvis Bay area, sometimes there is a dull rumble, the water boils and becomes almost red, while a mass of dead fish is thrown onto the shore. A column of fetid smoke rises above the waves with an admixture of hydrogen sulfide, and in shallow areas, islands of sulfur form that last only a few days and then disappear.
There were frequent shipwrecks off the coast of Namibia, which was reflected in the local toponymy. Particularly notorious is the area north of Cape Cross, called Skeleton Coast. Wrecks of sunken ships and whitewashed human skeletons have been preserved on the reefs here. From time to time, the storm throws old coins, pottery vessels, swords and even cannons onto the sand. Wind, ocean currents and "floating" sands constantly change the landscape of the Skeleton Coast - harbors become lagoons, coastal islands sometimes hide in the depths, then reappear. And thanks to the cool current, the coastal waters are one of the richest fish regions in the world ocean. The Skeleton Coast has been declared a national park, which is allowed to enter only with a special pass (approximately $ 40 per person).
The Namib Desert stretches along the coast, reaching a width of 50 to 130 km and occupying about 20% of the country's territory. The wind moves the coastal sands from south to north and forms white and yellow dunes up to 40 m high. Behind the coastal dunes, there is a chain of long narrow lagoons. There are also rounded or oval saline depressions.
With distance from the coast, the color of the dunes gradually turns red due to an increase in the content of iron oxides. This feature is a good reference point for pilots. The dunes in the interior of the Namib Desert rise up to 300 m and are the highest in the world.
In the east, the surface of the Namib rises in steps to the Great Ledge. Numerous remnant plateaus and mountains rise in places here. One of them is Mount Brandberg (2579 m), which is the highest point in the country. It is surrounded by lower mountains, which are called the "Twelve Apostles". In the caves and on the slopes of Brandberg, rock paintings of primitive people have been preserved.
The Great Ledge serves as the western boundary of the plateau, composed of crystalline rocks, mainly granites and gneisses, which are in places overlain by quartzites, sandstones and limestones. The plateau slopes gently into the interior of the continent and is dissected into separate massifs (Kaoko, Ovambo, Damara, Nama, etc.) by tectonic depressions. The largest of them - Kalahari - is located at an altitude of ~ 900 m above sea level. It is made of red and white sands covering crystalline basement rocks. Sands form dunes up to 100 m high.
Namibia is rich in minerals. The most important of them are diamonds, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, tin, silver, gold, pyrites, manganese, etc. Placers of diamonds are concentrated on the Atlantic coast, especially in the area from Luderitsa to the mouth of the Orange River, as well as in the adjacent zone shelf. The Orange Maut diamond mines (north of the mouth of the Orange River) are the largest in the world. The total diamond reserves exceed 35 million carats, of which 98% are high-quality jewelry. In a number of regions (Karibiba, Omaruru, Swakopmund) there are deposits of precious and semi-precious stones - tourmaline, aquamarine, agate, topaz. Gold has been found in the regions of Rehoboth and Swakopmund.
In terms of uranium reserves, Namibia is in one of the first places in the world. They are estimated at 136 thousand tons. The largest uranium mine Rossing is located to the north of Swakopmund.
Almost 90% of the explored reserves of non-ferrous metals are concentrated in the northeast of the country (Tsumei, Khrutfontein, Otavi). Local ores are rich in lead, zinc, copper, cadmium and germanium. Reinerite, tsumebite and shtottite, which have semiconducting properties, were first found here as accompanying minerals.
In the Abenaba region, north of Grootfontein, there is one of the world's largest deposits of vanadium ores with reserves of 16 thousand tons.In the Karibib region and at the southern border of the country there are deposits of beryllium and lithium ores, in Kaoko - iron ores (total reserves of 400 million tons ), and in Ochivarongo - manganese (5 million tons).
The climate of Namibia is very dry and tropical. Distinguish between wet summers (September - March) and dry winters. Their alternation is most pronounced in the north-east of the country and least of all in the coastal strip, where the entire annual precipitation (from 25 to 100 mm) falls within a month, and 50–70% of moisture immediately evaporates or seeps into the sandy layer. Thick cold fogs constantly hang here.
Average temperatures of the warmest month (January) are 18C on the ocean coast and + 27ºC in the interior, the coldest month (July) + 12ºC in the south and + 16ºC in the north. Precipitation falls mainly in summer, reaching a maximum in the extreme northeast (500–700 mm). The further south you go, the hotter and drier the summer and colder the winter.
Agriculture is heavily dependent on irrigation. The northern rivers of the Kunene and Zambezi basins, the Ovamboland canal system and individual wells, reservoirs in the beds of temporarily flowing rivers and reservoirs are of great importance. The waters of the Orange River are difficult to use, since it flows in a canyon 120 m deep. Navigation on constantly flowing rivers is impeded by rapids, sediment in the estuaries and floating accumulations of plant debris.
The Kunene River is famous for the Ruacana waterfalls, where the water rushes down from a height of 70 m, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. A large hydropower plant with a capacity of 320 MW has been built here, but it works no more than six months a year due to the strong shallowing of the river in summer.
In the north of Namibia, in an endless basin, there is the Etosha salt marsh with an area of about 5 thousand square meters. km, the largest in Africa. When its flat bottom, covered with a lime-clay crust, is flooded with water every few years, a temporary lake up to 1.5 m deep is formed. Salt has been mined here for a long time.
The coastal strip of the Namib Desert is devoid of vegetation. Only along the valleys of temporary streams grow xerophytes and succulents (acacia, aloe, milkweed and the typical for these places velvichia, which lives for more than 100 years). In the interior of the Namib Desert, only succulent shrubs and semi-shrubs grow, but after the rains, a carpet of flowering plants appears for a short time. Towards the east, the succulent desert is replaced by the gramineous and shrub desert, which is characteristic of the Great Ledge and part of the plateau. In the most humid places of Damara and Kaoko, there are areas of park savannah with white acacia. Park savannas are also characteristic of the eastern part of Ovambo and the Caprivi strip. Here, the species composition of trees is more diverse (acacias, palms, baobabs, etc.), and grasses up to 5 m high prevail in the herbage. A significant part of the territory of Namibia is occupied by the semi-desert and deserted savannas of the Kalahari.
The islands and bays along the Atlantic coast are rich in birds and seals, and the coastal waters are rich in fish. Lizards, snakes, small rodents and insects are found in the dunes along the coast. Of large animals, there are hyenas and jackals.
On the highlands of Namibia, some species of antelope (kudu, springbok, dukers) and zebras have survived. Nocturnal predators (hyenas, jackals), rodents (tree and mountain dormouse), as well as some exotic insectivores (aardvark, golden mole). The fauna of the Etosha National Park is the richest in the north of the country, where the largest population of lions in Africa has survived, as well as very rare species of mammals - the black rhino and the earthen wolf.
Etosha National Park is the pearl of Namibia, the habitat of many thousands of representatives of the South African flora and fauna, the birthplace of the unique plant Velvichia mirabilis, a major tourist center with many artificial reservoirs, some of which are even illuminated at night for the convenience of photography, a well-developed security system (and yet, for safety reasons, it is recommended to leave the car only in the campsite) and recreation.
In general, great attention is paid to nature conservation in Namibia, as evidenced by the extensive network of national parks and reserves.
Wildlife in Namibia is among the most beautiful in Africa. But, perhaps, the most amazing thing is the people living here who managed to adapt to the harsh conditions: San Bushmen and Herero. The women with their banana-shaped headdresses, dressed in a light Victorian style, came here with the wives of early German missionaries.
The largest city in the country - the capital Windhoek has about 240 thousand inhabitants, including the colored and black areas, as well as numerous suburbs. The city is located in the mountainous central part of the country, at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters above sea level. The settlement at this place has been known since about the 40s of the 19th century, when Jonker-Afrikaner, at that time the leader of the eagle clan (immigrants from the Cape colony) and the Nama united with them, made it his capital. Since 1884 to 1915 Windhoek - the administrative center of German South-West Africa. Namibia's colonial history has left Windhoek with a large number of historical sites.
Swakopmund is a small resort town, founded in 1892, during the period of German colonial rule, for a long time remained the main port of these territories. Today, Swakopmund has become even more beautiful, thanks to the vast green lawns, alleys of century-old palm trees and carefully manicured gardens and squares. The city is located on the border of the Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean and is known for huge sand dunes along the coast and excellent fishing spots. In December-April, the water here warms up to 25-26 degrees, which makes the area a popular seaside resort.
Here you can find a wide selection of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and cozy cafes offer traditional German cakes and pastries. The influence of German culture is very noticeable in the city, the architecture of the bygone era of German rule is well preserved today. A beautiful panoramic view of the desert and the sea opens from the old Wurmann Tower, built at the beginning of the twentieth century. From the platform installed on the tower, ships entering the harbor were greeted in the old days by raising a flag. Another famous place in the city is the Lighthouse, the construction of which was completed simultaneously with the breakwater in the port in 1903.
One of the greenest regions of the country - Caprivi with its national parks Mudumu and Mamili - is perfectly suited for a resort vacation. One of the few thermal resorts in Namibia, the town of Rehobot, is famous for cozy hotels, healthy hot baths and the crater of the ancient extinct volcano Boukkaros.
Ai-Ais is famous for its hot springs and the fact that it is here that the Fish River Canyon originates, the second largest in the world after the Grand Canyon in the United States. And not far from the Fish River itself, in the Apollo 11 cave opened in 1969, there are the oldest rock paintings in Africa, their age is estimated at 27 thousand years.
Fish River is the second largest canyon in the world after Colorado. Its depth is 550 m. The giant gorge stretches for 160 km through the Koubis mountain range to Ai-Ais. It arose about 500 ml years ago, not only due to erosion, but mainly due to the shifts of the earth's crust. In winter, the bottom of the canyon is almost dry, or in some places on it you can see individual pools of water.
Anyone interested in astronomy will be interested in visiting another small Namibian city - Grootfontein. It was here that a huge meteorite weighing more than 50 tons fell 80 thousand years ago. Now the meteorite enjoys unprecedented popularity among tourists, and the locals keep the signs and legends associated with the huge "heavenly stone".
In the cities of Ondangwa and Oshakati, you can visit the famous markets with wide assortments goods made by craftsmen of the Ovambo people. There are also Ndonga farms offering traditional African dishes and acquaintance with the life and culture of the local population.
Namibia is a country of two deserts - Kalahari and Namib, it is a country of unique nature and rich fauna, and most importantly, you will always be welcome in Namibia.