INSIDE AFRICA PART 1 • SOSSUSLVEI,NAMIBIA

Namibi

Namibia, a country in southwest Africa, is distinguished by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast. The country is home to diverse wildlife, including a significant cheetah population. The capital, Windhoek, and coastal town Swakopmund contain German colonial-era buildings such as Windhoek's Christuskirche, built in 1907. In the north, Etosha National Park’s salt pan draws game including rhinos and giraffes.

Namibia is an arid, rough land full of
contrasts, but still inviting and easy to travel.
As one of the most scarcely populated countries in the world, it’s not the right place to get lost in the crows. But it is a top
destination for those who enjoy nature, grandiose landscapes, spectacular sand dunes and first-class wildlife viewing.

Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan
surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia . Sossusvlei is one of the highest sand dunes in the world rising as high as 570m above sea level and stretches to a
great expanse of the mighty Namib Desert to almost 500sq km. Sossusvlei literally
interprets ‘a gathering place of water’, and actually it’s a clay pan which holds rainwater to form a lake. This pan retains water for a long time due to the high claycontent which makes it a rare tourist sight.

What makes the area even more
extraordinary are the color compositions and enormous dunes. The presence of iron oxides in the sand coupled with innumerable particles of garnet gives the
dune its brilliant hue. The shades vary according to the age of the dunes, and the older the dune the brighter the sand’s
color. The dunes are often referred to as star dunes because of their crescent shape.
Best seen from the air, Sossusvlei offers one of Namibia’s top tourist destinations. The multiple merging crests meet at the
highest point resultant of multidirectional
winds that blow the sand back and forth. The monumental red sand and the glorious
display of diverse shades, colors, and
depressions create a spectacular sight for photographers. The dunes display vibrant colors of orange, maroon, and pink, and the
Tsaris Mountains show blue and deep
purples. The dunes surrounding the vlei are some 350m high when measuring from the base up; having a reputation as some of the
highest in the world.

Formation

This circular-shaped depression filled with water in the heart of the Namib Desert has an exciting history of formation. It has been said that the residue or sand from the
Orange River was drifted towards Africa’s western coast and deposited into the mighty Atlantic Ocean. The powerful ocean currents pushed the material towards the north and deposited them back on to the
land. By this constant re-deposition, dunes began forming on the coast and the interplay of the coast winds shifted them further inland. The sand deposited on the
windward side makes the dune flat, while the leeward side is considerably steeper. However, the patterns on the dune vary according to the direction and speed of the wind and these dunes have taken a million
years to be developed. The Sossusvle today is ever changing and evolving.
Sossusvlei Tourist Activities
Game Viewing – Sossusvlei is home to
ostrich, springbok, and Oryx which roam
the area.

Self-Drive Excursions – Sossusvlei is
one spectacular place for self-drive
excursion tours with 4WD vehicles in
Namibia.Photographic Safaris – Sossusvlei is
lined by exotic, brightly colored dunes.

The monumental red sand and the
magnificent display of several shades,
depressions, and colors, fading, and
Deeping, throughout the day create
amazing patterns for photographers.

Thanks for reading

This series is aimed at promoting Africa to the world by displaying its tourists attraction and showcasing its right culture and people for global recognition and education.
Note: post and pictures are not originally sourced by the author it is as a result of research compiled materials by different authors.