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THE WILD BEAUTY OF NAMIBIA
Namibia is a country of rugged scenery that at one time was home only to nomadic San Bushmen. Time and nature have created extreme and diverse landscapes of stark beauty in this part of southwest Africa. Inland from the desolate Atlantic coast are sights that include the incredible dunes
of the Namib Desert and the vast salt pan and surrounding bush of the wildlife-rich Etosha National Park.
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The spectacular dunes of the Namib Desert
The vast Namib Desert in western Namibia is regarded as one of the oldest and driest deserts on Earth. It includes a sand sea reputed to contain the most picturesque dunes in the world. The highest dunes are set around ephemeral clay pans at Sossusvlei. |
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The dried remains of trees in the now parched landscape of Dead Vlei, one of the clay pans that lie among the high dunes. |
Gemsbok somehow survive the hostile environment among the orange dunes of the Namib Desert. |
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Over time, the Namib dunes have been sculpted by the wind into bizarre and complex shapes. This apparently barren and arid landscape is home to a complex ecosystem supported by precious moisture gleaned from fogs that roll in from the Atlantic. |
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Wildlife of Etosha
Etosha National Park in Namibia is one of the most important game reserves in Africa. An expansive pan - the 'place of dry water' - is surrounded by grassland and woodland habitats that are home to abundant wildlife.
For more photos from Etosha...
ETOSHA SAFARI |
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Namibian cheetahs under protection at the Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park. |
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Cheetahs in danger
As in most parts of Africa, wildlife in Namibia is under severe pressure from the human population. Because cheetahs are sometimes shot by ranchers, a number of projects aim to relocate threatened cats or house them in reserves. |
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The Cape Cross seals
Tens of thousands of Cape fur seals live in noisy, squabbling crowds along the rocky shore of Cape Cross. The seals take advantage of rich concentrations of fish in the cold Benguela current that sweeps this stretch of the Atlantic Ocean. |
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The plight of the San Bushmen
The San Bushmen are believed to have been the first human inhabitants of the Kalahari desert area of southern Africa. Traditionally, the Bushmen were nomadic hunters and food-gatherers who traveled in groups of several families following the water and game.
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San rock art like this at Twyfelfontein dates back thousands of years. |
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The Bushmen were progressively displaced by other Africans and then by white settlers. They have now lost most of their traditional rights to land and resources. Many are impoverished, live in settlements and are reduced to menial labor. Local and international pressure groups
are pressing for ancestral land and the right of self-determination to be returned to them. |
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