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It is a wild and at the same time a meager landscape, Namibia has to offer. This is true for example for the about 1400 km shore line along the Atlantic Ocean. There the dunes grow just as if they would arise from the sea. For about 100 km from the coast towards the hinterland the shifting sand dunes extend into the Namib-desert. They form a landscape of breath-taking peaks and valleys. The sand of the dunes piles up to a height of 300 m. They rank among the highest in the world.
The description of the landscape is also true for a plateau which is in parts as high as 700 m. It cuts right through Namibia in the direction north to south. To the east the plain lowers itself towards the Kalahari-desert. In the north a land of grass and scrubs surrounds the huge Etoscha-pan, a flat and often dried up salt sea. The Etoscha-nature reserve is one of the most beautiful ones of its kind in Africa. It is best to discover its variety of wild animals on four wheels or on an organized trekking-tour.
Namibia’s cuisine is a mixture of African and European cookery. The German influence can be distinctly felt. For example Namibian beer is brewed according to the German purity order.
For your own security you should not visibly handle with larger amounts of money or credit cards. And grannies heirloom should certainly be left at home.
Some geography:
Only 1.8 million inhabitants live on an area of 825,000 square kilometers. Christians make up the larger majority of the population; still a minority practices tribal religions. The language of the country is English. Acknowledged are also Afrikaans, German and the tribal languages Kwanyama, Ndonga and Ovambo. March 21st is celebrated as the national holiday since Namibia’s became independent in 1990. Namibia was Africa’s last colony to achieve independence. Since 1920 South Africa administered the former German colony, South-West Africa.
Black & white:
Not only Namibia’s nature is furious and untamable. The same is true for the coast. For seamen the voyages have been a challenge for many centuries; even today, despite the advanced navigational equipment. Such dangers have conjured a particular type of the tourism: wreckage-peek. Innumerable ship wreckages line the Namibian Atlantic-coast. Some have been washed ashore. Others one can encounter while diving. But be cautious: The currents are incalculable!
As a German-speaking visitor one soon feels reminded of home at Namibia. At towns like Swakopmund or Windhoek there are still things which remember of its colonial past. One can walk through Kaiser-, Kirch- or Knoblauchstraßen. The empire eagle still shines from the doors of some Metzgerei, Apotheke or Buchhandlung. The houses could be originally from the Black Forest. Bakeries offer bread and Streuselkuchen just like at home. What an exciting contrast to the human beings, who pass along the roads today. |
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