in SOUTHERN AFRICA~ the Kalahari and the Namib

Area: Kalahari~ 520,000 sq km (20,000 sq miles) Namib ~ 300,000 sq km (13,000 sq miles)

The Kalahari is in the south-west corner of Africa which is nearly a featureless sandy plain. Lying 1200m above sea level, this piece of land is undulating gently, but interrupted by some rocky ridges round the margins. Actually, the word 'desert' isn't too accurate to define the place, for there is an extraordinary swamp here--the Okavango Swamp which is rich in wildlife. There are even reasonable coverings of grass and scrub which can adapt to dry conditions, and these are rare or there are even none in other places. The plants here are secure and stabilized in the soil, unfortunately over-grazing has deduned the healthiness. As you can see, the Kalahari can be described as well vegetated and stocked with game, but in a lot of old maps, it was described as 'land of thirst', as the water here vanishes as quickly as it came.

The winds are always shaping the desert, and the well known kind of sand dunes here is the crescent-shaped dunes--barchan dunes--these are formed by the erosion which have taken place some time ago. Just sticking close to the Kalahari is the Namib desert which is far more a true desert, more rocks and gravel are found here. Unique plants and animals live in the Namib. Although exposed to the onshore wind, they don't get any moisture from the winds, instead rolling fogs are produced.