Namibia is a Southern African State rich in natural beauty and extreme deserts. Deserts are the factor that best identifies the nation, that owes its name to one of them: the Namib.
Namibia shares its borders to the North with Angola and, for a short distance, with Zambia, to the East with Botswana, to the South with South Africa, from which it gained independence only in 1990, and finally to the West with the Atlantic Ocean. With the Benguela current it bathes the deserts that plunge in its cool waters.
Morphologically, Namibia has a coastal region dominated by an uninterrupted sandy desert, the Namib, characterized by high dunes of red sand that to the North, towards Angola, take on a more grayish color, in what is defined as the Skeleton Coast because of the numerous shipwrecks found here.
Some reliefs separate the coastal deserts from the central plateau of Damaraland, while to the South and to the East lies the Kalahari desert; the climate that comes from this is a desert one, with the exception of the area near Angola and the Caprivi Strip, that have a subtropical climate.
The large extent of deserts also determines a population density among the lowest of the planet, the second to be exact. The inhabitants of the Country are just over two million and 50% of them live in the area along the Northern border.
Ethnic groups are not very numerous, but Himba and San populations are very interesting for their traditional way of life, while Herero, who were slaughtered by colonists, today fascinate visitors with their colorful clothes.
Namibia's economy is based on mining, in fact it’s the world’s fifth largest producer of uranium, diamond recovery is also remarkable; despite this wealth, however, 50% of the population lives on subsistence farming.
Tourism is an important part of the budget, the country is an immense protected region, deserts are enchanting as well as the world’s second largest canyon, while in national parks and private reserves it's possible to observe numerous species of animals.
Protection and respect for nature are a cornerstone of Namibia, which is the first country in the world to explicitly mention the protection of the natural environment in its constitution.
