Namibia Geography

Located south of the Equator, Namibia consists of five geographical areas: the Central Plateau, Namib Desert, Great Escarpment, Bushveld, and Kalahari Desert.

Running from north to south, the Central Plateau is generally wide and flat, and contains a majority of the country's population and economic activity.

The Namib Desert stretches along the entire coastline of Namibia, and contains some of the oldest deserts in the world; as well, the sand dunes located here are the highest in the world.

The Kalahari Desert, however, is Namibia's best known geographical feature, and is divided between South Africa and Botswana. Despite its hyper-arid and sandy nature the Kalahari is home to over 5,000 species of plants.

Rising swiftly to over 6,562 ft. (2,000 m) is the Great Escarpment, whose landscape is rocky, yet significantly developed. The Bushveld is located in northeastern Namibia along the Angolan border, and is a mainly flat and sandy stretch of land.

The most significant river in Namibia is the Fish River, which runs 403 miles (650 km); its flow is seasonal, and during winter the entire river bed dries up completely.

The highest point is Brandenburg (Konigstein) at 8,550 ft. (2,606 m); the lowest is the Atlantic Ocean (0 m).

• Landforms of Africa