Namibia: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Namibia is a country in southwestern Africa on the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by Angola, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. Its capital is Windhoek. Named after the Namib Desert, which is thought to be the oldest desert in the world, Namibia is one of the most thinly populated countries on Earth. It is famous for towering red sand dunes, the foggy Skeleton Coast, wildlife-rich Etosha and its large population of wild cheetahs.

On My Earth Toy you can visit Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, where some of the highest sand dunes in the world surround a white clay pan dotted with dead, blackened camelthorn trees. Look for the cheetah and the greater flamingo, and discover Etosha National Park.

Geography and nature

The Namib Desert runs along the whole coast, where cold ocean currents create fog that beetles and plants drink from. Inland, a high plateau rises to mountains such as the Brandberg, the country's highest point at 2,573 metres. In the north, the Etosha Pan is a vast salt flat that attracts elephants, lions and rhinos to its waterholes. The Fish River Canyon in the south is one of the largest canyons in Africa. The strange welwitschia plant can live for more than a thousand years.

People, languages and culture

English is the official language, but most Namibians speak other languages at home, such as Oshiwambo, Nama-Damara, which uses click sounds, Herero, Afrikaans or German. Most people are Christian. The Himba people of the northwest are known for covering their skin and hair with a red paste of ochre and butter, and many Herero women wear long dresses with a hat shaped like cattle horns. Namibia was one of the first countries to protect nature in its national constitution.

History in a nutshell

The San have lived in southern Africa for many thousands of years, and their rock engravings at Twyfelfontein are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Later, Nama, Herero, Ovambo and other peoples settled the land. Germany made it a colony, German South West Africa, in 1884, and between 1904 and 1908 German troops killed tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people. After the First World War, South Africa ruled the territory. Following a long struggle, Namibia became independent on 21 March 1990.