Desert

Namib Desert

The Namib’s sand seas span more than 30,000 square kilometres, built from quartz sand blown inland from the coast after the Orange River carried it down.

Source: science.nasa.gov

Its dunes redden as you go inland: the colour is a coating of iron oxide that grows more pronounced further from the sea.

Source: science.nasa.gov

Where it is

On the Atlas Quest map, the Namib Desert label sits at 25.5° S, 15.5° E, in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres.

Also labelled Namib.

Coordinates, names: Natural Earth, public domain.

Nearby places

The closest other places with pages here, measured between map label points:

• Kalahari Desert — about 620 km east
• Congo — about 2,500 km north
• Congo Basin — about 2,800 km north
• Lake Victoria — about 3,300 km north-east

Play with it

• Today’s daily geography challenge — one shared round, playable offline.
• Guess the country by its shape — six guesses, with distance and direction after each.
• Start with easy questions — familiar countries, hints and no time limit.