The small country towards the Southern part of Africa, Namibia is a dream destination with a relaxing desert, an extremely beautiful coastline, diverse wildlife and colonial towns!
Namibia is derived from the word 'Nama', meaning the 'vast place of nothingness'.
The country was originally a German colony that was captured by South Africa in World War I. However, it was only in 1990 that Namibians gained independence after the South African apartheid regime!
The country is said to be named after the world's oldest desert - the Namib Desert, which has existed since a million years!
About 40% of the country is under conservation management!
It is the second least densely populated country in the world, that makes wildlife spotting an easy task!
Namibians religiously take care of their environment. That's the reason, Namibia became the first country in Africa, to add environment protection to its constitution!
The love of wildlife explains the reason for Namibia to have the largest population of free-roaming cheetahs! There are about 2500 to 3000 of them in the country, which makes about 25% of world cheetah population.
The Oryx, a large antelope which can survive only in the desert, is found in Namibia's desert! It is one of the few mammals that can survive in the temperatures above 45 degrees.
It is one of the two countries in the world where Desert Elephants are found! Though not a separate species, these elephants have adapted to the desert environment, making it easy for them to reach water bodies by traveling through the dunes!
Apart from cheetahs, the country also has the largest number of free-roaming black rhinos!
Due to Namibia's continued efforts in wildlife preservation, the country was awarded Gift to the Earth Award from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2013!
Namibia is home to 13 ethnic groups which includes the Himba and the Bushmen!
The Bushmen are the oldest among the ethnic groups. They have still preserved the ancient hunting techniques and communicate in their unique clicking language!
The San group is believed to have resided in the country for more than 6000 years! There are a lot of rock art formations that hint towards their existence.
About 30 different languages are spoken in the country! The most popular one is Oshiwambo while English is recognized as the official language.
It is home to the second-largest canyon in the world, the Fish River Canyon. This canyon is estimated to have existed for atleast 500 million years!
The sand dunes found in the Namib Desert are about 383m tall, making them the highest sand dunes in the world!
The biggest gravesite for soldiers, the Skeleton Coast was discovered in the 1940s along with a slate on which directions to the wreck was mentioned by some survivor!
The Dubbed Dragon's Breath Cave, which was discovered in 1986, is home to the world's largest subglacial lake! Due to the tricky topography of the cave, only professionals can reach this lake.
Apart from wildlife, the country is also a heaven for adventure lovers with paragliding, skydiving, quad biking and sand-boarding on the dunes topping the list of fun activities in the desert!
You can canoe along the South African and Namibian border, on the Orange River. It is about a half-a-day canoe trip with surreal landscapes for company!
It is the only country to elect a female leader as the country's fourth Prime Minister! Saara Kuugongelwa was elected in 2015 and served the country till 2018.
If you want to see it all in one go, book a seat in the Desert Express that covers about 220 miles from Windhoek, taking you through Namibia's desert, plains, coastline and savannah, finally stopping at Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast.
With higher alcohol consumption, just falling behind Gabon and South Africa, Namibia is known to be one of the thirstiest nations in Africa!
The remains of the meteorite shower that are exhibited at Windhoek, is said to be from the Gibeon meteorite shower that occurred during the prehistoric times!
To witness their culture, you must visit the country from August 23 to 26 during the Herero Day celebrations. Hereros come together dressed in their traditional outfits with their body covered in traditional designs.