Ready for some fun facts about Namibia? Some are surprising, others are intriging, but all of them are super interesting!
Located in southern Africa, Namibia is a country of extremes, characterized by hot temperatures, deserts, and a sparse population. Namibia borders Angola and Zambia to the North, Botswana to the East, and South Africa to the East and South. The Atlantic Ocean is on the west.
Fun facts about Namibia
#1 Namibia is named after the Desert of Namib, which comprises a large portion of the country.
#2 At 80 million years old, Namib is the world’s oldest desert.
#3 There are between 2,500 and 3000 cheetahs in Namibia, which means it is the largest population of free-roaming cheetahs globally.
#4 The Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia is the second-largest canyon in the world, only after the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. It is approximately 100 miles (160 km) long, up to 27 km wide, and at its deepest point, it is almost 500 m deep.
#5 Namibia has some of the world’s largest dunes. The most famous is Big Daddy in Sossusvlei, but the biggest dune in Namibia is Dune 7.
#6 Namibia was the first country to sign a statement that includes the protection of the environment in the country’s constitution!
#7 Namibia has 19 national parks, which cover about 38% of the national territory.
#8 The Namibian dollar has a fixed exchange rate of 1 with the South African Rand. As the rand is also accepted in Namibia, it can be used interchangeably.
#9 The Welwitschia is a plant endemic to the Namib Desert, thus only existing in Namibia and Angola. They are one of the Symbols of Namibia. The largest welwitschias may live up to 2500 years.
#10 Namibia was once a German Colony. It was known as German Southwest Africa and lasted from 1884 to 1915. Despite its short lifespan, remnants of colonial architecture and the presence of German-speaking people can still be seen.
#11 The Herero and Namaqua genocide is considered the first genocide of the 20th century. Between 1904 and 1908, the ruling German Empire waged a campaign of ethnic extermination and collective punishment against Herero (Ovaherero), the Nama, and the San
#12 After WWI, Namibia became a protectorate of South Africa.
#13 Only on March 21, 1990, did Namibia gain full independence. This means it’s the third youngest nation in Africa, only after South Sudan and Eritrea.
#14 Namibia is the least densely populated country in Africa and the second least densely populated country in the world, after Mongolia. With roughly 2.6 million people in a space of 825,615 km², it has only 3.2 individuals per square kilometer.
#15 Despite the small population, it houses 13 completely different ethnic teams. Almost half the inhabitants are from the Ovambo group. Still, the most famous ethnic group is probably the Himba, a semi-nomadic tribe residing within the northeastern part of the nation. Angola also has the Himba people.
#16 The San people, also known as the bushmen, are another group of Namibian people. They are one of the world’s oldest surviving people. They have lived in Namibia for over 11,000 years. You have probably heard of the San people before, as they are the African tribe from the film “The Gods must be crazy.”
#17 The stunning deserts of Namibia have been popular in Hollywood. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Flight of the Phoenix (2006), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) have all been filmed in Namibia.
#18 At 2573 meters or 8,442 ft, Brandberg is Namibia’s highest mountain. As it’s in the flat gravel of Namib, it can be seen from great distances. The highest peak is called Knigstein.
#19 The largest non-subglacial underground lake is Dragon’s Breath Cave in Namibia’s Otjozondjupa Region. It has almost 2 hectares (4.9 acres).
#20 As of 2020, Namibia is the world’s 3rd largest producer of Uranium. It’s also one of the largest exporters of non-fuel minerals in Africa.
#21 Located in Namibia, Etosha National Park is one of the best safari destinations in the world, as the abundant wildlife congregates around the waterholes, making sightings very easy. Its main characteristic is the salt pan, so large that it can be seen from space. It is a unique place in Africa and one of the most accessible game reserves in Namibia and Southern Africa.
#22 The northern Atlantic coast of Namibia is known as the Skeleton Coast. Initially, due to the numerous whale and seal skeletons, it is now also home to several shipwrecks.
#23 The Portuguese navigators used to call this area the “Gates of Hell”, while the Bushmen call it “the land god made in anger”.
#24 Cape Cross in the Skeleton Coast is home to one of the largest Cape fur seal colonies in the world.
#25 There are only two countries in the world where you can find desert-adapted elephants. One is Namibia, the other is Mali. Note: these aren’t different species of elephants.
#26 The Gibeon meteorite shower is the most extensive meteorite shower known on Earth. It covers a large elliptical area of approximately 275 by 100 kilometers, centered on Brukkaros, south of Mariental.
#27 There are plenty of ghost towns in Namibia, but Kolmanskop is the most famous. Established as a mining town after diamonds were discovered in 1908, it was abandoned just 30 years later when the diamond deposits were depleted. It is now a stunning location for photographs and one of the most popular destinations in Namibia
#28 In 2014, Namibia was the first African nation to institute digital voting in its presidential elections.
#29 Namibia currently has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The Namib Sand Sea and Twyfelfontein. With over 2000, Twyfelfontein is considered the most important single focus of African rock artwork engravings.
Really Namibia fun fact
#30 US President Donald Trump apparently can’t pronounce Nambia, having called the country Nambia instead… Twice!
