The Namib Desert is located on the South West coast of Africa. It is the oldest desert on Earth. It hugs the Atlantic Coast for roughly 1,600km. It is part of the Namib Naukluft National Park.
Even though deserts are usually thought of as being extremely dry areas, the Namib is one of the driest on Earth, getting less than 10mm (1cm) of rain a year. In comparison Ireland gets 750mm-1400mm per year! So next time you hear someone giving out about the garden not getting enough water, drop that on them!
That being said, The Namib experiences an interesting weather phenomenon. The damp Atlantic air mixing with the warm desert air causes dense fog banks to form along the coast. This moisture is enough to help several species of animals survive here. These include geckos, sidewinders and over 200 known types of beetle.
The sand dunes here are some of the highest on the planet. In fact the highest sand dune in The World can be found here at 380m high! These sand dunes also migrate (move) with the wind over very long periods of time.
Even though deserts are usually thought of as being extremely dry areas, the Namib is one of the driest on Earth, getting less than 10mm (1cm) of rain a year. In comparison Ireland gets 750mm-1400mm per year! So next time you hear someone giving out about the garden not getting enough water, drop that on them!
That being said, The Namib experiences an interesting weather phenomenon. The damp Atlantic air mixing with the warm desert air causes dense fog banks to form along the coast. This moisture is enough to help several species of animals survive here. These include geckos, sidewinders and over 200 known types of beetle.
The sand dunes here are some of the highest on the planet. In fact the highest sand dune in The World can be found here at 380m high! These sand dunes also migrate (move) with the wind over very long periods of time.