Namibia

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS team/NASA, Posted on: Sunday, 6 November 2005, 09:03 CST Download full size image

The vibrant tan, orange, and brown hues in this image depict the Namib and Kalahari deserts of Namibia.

The country is located in the Southwestern portion of Africa; it is surrounded by the countries of South Africa (bottom), Botswana to the East, and Angola to the North. A long, narrow strip of land in the Northeast corner of the country reaches into Zambia in order to give it access to the Zambezi River.

This former colony of Germany was occupied by South Africa until 1990, when it declared its independence. Most of Namibia is desert, with less than one percent of its land area suitable for crops. Some places only receive only 5 to 76 millimeters (0.2 to 3.0 inches) of rainfall annually. It is, however, rich in mineral resources, including diamonds, copper, uranium, and gold.

The country is very environmentally conscious; it was the first country in the world to include protection of the environment in its constitution. Almost 14% of the country is protected land, including the very sensitive Namib Desert on the Atlantic Coast.

The Kalahari Desert, on the Western side of the country, is home to many familiar species: lions, hyenas, antelope, and meerkats, among others.

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