Namibia Travel

The Namibian Climate
With the Tropic of Capricorn midway through the country, Namibia is in the horse latitudes with a high atmospheric pressure. The cold Benguela sea current, the north-south escarpment and easterly winds act together to ensure a very low, unpredictable annual rainfall of 270 mm (10 in). The Namib Desert is one of the driest areas in the world.The southwestern corner of Namibia is a winter rainfall area while the major part of the country receives violent afternoon thunderstorms between October and March. The highest rainfall of 500 – 600 mm p.a.( 20 – 24 inches) occurs in the northeast from where the rainfall decreases southwestwards to 300 mm (12 in.) on the central plateau, 200 mm (8 in.) in the south and 100 mm (4 in.) in the far west.

Because of the nearness of the equator, daytime summer temperatures in the south and the north are high, on average 40°C (104°F). On the central highlands it is a bit cooler due to the height above sea level. While daytime winter temperatures are lower, the dry air causes very cold nights. Advection mist is a common feature along the Namibian Coast due to the occurrence of a temperature inversion for the greater part of the year.

Plant and Animal Life
To travel Namibia on a Safari one will experience a rich variety of natural vegetation because of the varying topography and rainfall. Hardy desert plants in the west and southwest – elephant’s trunk, stone plants (Lithops) and quiver tree, Welwitschia mirabilis in Namib Desert and other desert-adapted plants, Savannahs – grass with dwarf shrub in the south to camelthorn in the north, Woodlands in the northeast with maroela, mopani, manketti trees and palms and wetlands in Caprivi;

Varied animal life adapted to the natural vegetation and climate affords wonderful viewing of a Safari in Namibia. Specialized reptiles and beetles in the desert and aquatic species in the wetlands. In between are the many kinds of grazers and predators, many of which have been removed in commercial farming areas and densely populated areas. Fortunately game reserves such as Etosha National Park, Kaudom Game Park and Namib-Naukluft Park are sanctuaries for large herds of typical plains animals, the big five and many endemic reptiles and beetles.

While English became the official language in 1989, Afrikaans is still the lingua franca in large parts of the country. In certain urban areas such as Lüderitz and Swakopmund, German is widely spoken. The most commonly spoken languages indicate that a variety of population groups settled in this country. The fact that they still prefer to use their home tongue, is an indication that they adhere to their different cultures of which the San, Herero, Himba, Topnaars and Basters are the most important.

The former provinces remind one of the different population groups: Damaraland, Rehoboth, Namaland, Hereroland, Bushmanland, Kavango, Owambo and Kaokoland. All together the population is about 1,5 million of which an increasing percentage is being urbanized. The most important urban centre, Windhoek, is the capital with other centres at Walvis Bay, Tsumeb, Keetmanshoop, Otjiwarongo, Swakopmund and Lüderitz.

The Economy
The various population groups are traditionally rurally orientated with agriculture and stock rearing as the essence of their existence. Traditional customs are still honored so that a subsistence economy prevails to a large extent. Stock, especially cattle, play an important role in their social organization although small-stock farming is practiced in the sparsely vegetated dry areas. Karakul farming used to be important in the south.

Mining accounts for approximately 50% of the gross national product. Apart from diamond deposits along the west coast north of the Orange River, copper is produced in Tsumeb where base metals such as lead, zinc, germanium, silver and arsenic are also mined. Urbanization and programs of sustained economic development increased the per capita income and improved commercial livestock farming to account for about 80% of the gross agricultural income. Meat is exported to neighboring South Africa.

Much still has to be done in connection with the roads and tracks in rural areas due to the far distances, although in the central and southern parts a road network is well developed. Rail services, especially freight-orientated, two harbours, Lüderitz and Walvis Bay, and the national airline, Air Namibia, serve the country satisfactorily. Namibia’s rich fishing resources, the implementation of stringent conservation measures and the declaration of the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone have helped to develop the fishing industry. Walvis Bay and Lüderitz are well-known harbours from where pilchards, anchovies and rock lobster products are exported to Europe, the USA and the Far East.

Secondary industry is basically raw-material orientated and in it’s infancy. Notwithstanding a shortage of water, long distances, small population and domestic market, lack of capital and power resources, the country relies heavily on fish, meat-canning and dairy factories in Windhoek, Okahandja, Otavi, Gobabis and other small towns. Beer breweries, furniture factories, printers, mineral water factories, leather tanneries and bakeries aim at the local market. In many instances Namibia’s economy is closely linked to that of neighboring South Africa. Although Swawek is responsible for Namibia’s power supply mainly from the Ruacana hydro-electric plant on the Kunene River, it is linked to Eskom’s network in southern Africa.