Wedged between the Kalahari and the South Atlantic, Namibia enjoys vast potential as one of the youngest countries in Africa. In addition to having a striking diversity of cultures and national origins, Namibia is a photographer’s dream – it boasts wild seascapes, rugged mountains, lonely deserts, stunning wildlife, colonial cities and nearly unlimited elbow room. Since independence in 1991 Namibia has become a major African tourist destination – popular due to it’s vast distances and tiny populations. Travelers enjoy the desert vistas of the Namibia’s Desert and some of the best game viewing in the world at Etosha National Park.
A predominantly arid country, Namibia can be divided into four main topographical regions: the Namibia Desert and coastal plains in the west, the eastward-sloping Central Plateau, the Kalahari along the borders with South Africa and Botswana and the densely wooded bushveld of the Kavango and Caprivi regions. Despite its harsh climate, Namibia has some of the world’s grandest national parks, ranging from the wildlife-rich Etosha National Park in Northwestern Namibia, to the dune fields and desert plains of the Namib-Naukluft Park in Western Namibia. Windhoek, in the Central Highlands, is the country’s geographical heart and commercial nerve centre, with an ethnic mix of people, while surfers and beach-lovers won’t want to miss Swakopmund.