Within this stretch of desert, the dune fields vary from a deep orange/red colour, through golden
yellow to off-white. These dunes, however, only consist of a very narrow band along the Atlantic 
coast line, the remainder of the Namib is composed of vast, unending gravel- & savannah plains, 
rugged mountains & beautiful valleys - at times tinted gold with grass fields after unexpected rains. 

Which brings us to the reason why the Namib is termed a desert, what makes a desert, a desert?
To most people, images of a hot, dry place - usually covered with sand dunes - and having little 
or no vegetation, springs to mind. Although this sounds adequate, "hot" & "dry" are not sufficiently
specific in scientific terms. Because water, or the lack thereof, is the critical factor controlling all
life & biological processes, scientists use the rainfall measurement (precipitation), and compare it
to potential evaporation to determine the aridity (dryness) of an area.

Rainfall below a 100mm (4") a year is classified as extremely arid or "hyper-arid", between 100 -
250 mm (4" - 10") a year is arid, and between 250 - 500 mm (10" - 20") a year as "semi-arid".
To be regarded as a true desert, the rate of potential evaporation must be at least triple the rate
of its annual precipitation. With the entire Namib averaging less than 100 mm (4") of rain / year,
16% of Namibia's land surface is regarded as "hyper-arid" and therefore, true desert. Why do
people refer to the Namib as the driest desert on earth? In its driest areas the Namib has a mean,
potential evaporation of 3500 mm (140") per year, while precipitation averages at a mere 20 mm
(¾") per year.

Yet, over many Millennia, life had adapted itself to proliferate even in this harsh environment. To
add insult to injury, the Namib desert had always been a desert, whereas all other deserts of the
world were once either covered in lush vegetation, or even swamplands. According to scientific
estimates, when the Dinosaurs died out - ± 65 million years ago - the Namib had already been a
desert, or at least an arid region, for 15 million years. Current estimations place the Namib at 80
million years old. Quite believable when you view the petrified sand dunes, uncovered by wind.

No matter how long you are a resident in Namibia, or how many times you visit the Namib, you
will ALWAYS find something new, a new experience. Affectionately known as Namibia's free
Psychologist, the Namib does just that - it treats emotional instability or temporary confusion as
never experienced before, and without fail. Here every human creature WILL find him-/her self! 

 The type of picture            Gemsbok (Oryx)            Climbing down             Exploring inside
found in guide books            seeking shelter               Sesriem gorge                  the gorge

		The smaller things so often missed
The Namib desert,  vanishing in the distance	Queen of the desert (Hoodia macranta)	Beetle condensing  Fog on its body	Insect highways on a dune

These photographs not relevant to Seven Wonders collection - always an optional extra
Early morning ascent	First light over the dune sea	Maximum altitude	Full champagne, desert breakfast afterwards

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