The Namib Desert

The Namib Desert, is situated in Southwest Africa, stretches along the coast of Namibia for about 1000 miles (1600 km), and is hedged in between the Atlantic Ocean and the interior plateau. Namib, which in Nama means vast, is world renowned because of one particular unique aspect: there are a number of rare and unusual plant and animal species that are found nowhere else in the world but here. Some of the most spectacularly taken and breath taking photos of Namib desert are aerial photographs. A lot of geographical and environmental information about the landscape, flora and fauna associated with Namib are best depicted through photography.

In terms of clarity and diversity, photos of Namib Desert are incomparable to any other. They provide captivating visual vistas of detailed landscapes that can infuse ones imaginations with a lulling sense of exotic beauty and infinity. In contrast to the harsh and hostile physical conditions that exist in the Namib, the pictures portray a deceptive aura of benign and welcoming beauty that recreate the pristine biblical ``Edenic '' scenes. Two factors that obviously contribute to the photogenic quality of Namib are perhaps the azure blue skies and the intensely brilliant sunshine (common to other provinces of Angola). Another factor is definitely the wide expanses of space that stretches from horizon to horizon.

This expansive patch of brittle land with both extremely arid and semi arid conditions is regarded as the ``grandfather'' of all deserts in the world. Having borne the adverse assaults of nature for at least 55 million years, it must indeed be the oldest in the world. Apparently, the photos of Namib desert do not lie when, for instance, they show magnificent sand dunes that rise more than 250 meters high, and are some of the tallest in the world. This is a place where one can find solitude and be one with nature. However, it is worthwhile, however in Namib temperature variations are extreme, with some areas registering as low as 0 degrees while others simmer up to highs of more than 45 degree centigrade.

Namib desert photos capture diverse scenes such as: pale-red foreground landscape on a backdrop of gold-feathered cloudy skies, Acacia and thorn trees beside clear pools, varied wildlife species, spectacular valleys and hills, rippling golden sands and azure blue skies – just to mention a few. The other notable thing about Namib is that it is largely a smooth platform of bedrocks of different formations and ages, with more than half covered in sand. The rest of the landscape is given to rugged mountains and gravel plains with cracked soil surfaces. The only large animal to adapt well to this unforgiving environment is the gemsbok. Of course very rare snakes also abound here.

In Angola nature rules. So don't get lost in the desert and make sure you move around the country, take photos of the capital -Luanda or travel to the stunning beaches of Benguela .