The area is regarded as the oldest desert in the world and have experienced a state of semi-arid or arid at least 80 million years. Gersangnya caused by the declining state of the dry water-cooled by the Benguela current along the coast. Less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain fell in the desert every year so it is almost barren.
A number of plant species and unique vegetation found here. One of these is Welwitschia mirabilis, a plant such shrubs. Welwitschia is famous for its ability to survive in very dry conditions in the Namib, sometimes it gets moisture from the coast.
Although the desert is uninhabited and inaccessible, there are settlements at Sesriem, close to the famous Sossusvlei sand dunes and a large group, with a height of 340 feet which is the highest sand dunes in the world. The complexity and regularity of dune patterns in the sea of sand hills has attracted the attention of geologists for decades; but unfortunately not well understood.
The interaction between water-laden air from the sea via southerly winds, and dry air of the desert caused so much fog and strong flow, causing the captain lost. Along with the Skeleton Coast in the north, is famous as a place of many shipwrecks. Some of them can be found about 50 meters on the mainland, because the desert is moving slowly westward toward the sea, reclaiming land over the years.
Namib Desert is an important place for the mining of tungsten, salt and diamond.
Access via a small plane from Windhoek (the capital of Namibia, about 480 km from east central desert), Swakopmund and Walvis Bay at the northern end of the desert, or overland on gravel road.
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