Namibia is about the size of Texas but averages fewer than two people per square kilometer. While we’ve seen only part of the country, we are impressed with the landscape and the fortitude of the inhabitants. Most of the people live in rural areas, not cities. There are 6 or 8 major ethnic/linguistic groups but the official language is English. Roads, although many are unpaved, are excellent but you can drive for an hour without seeing another vehicle – except for donkey carts.
The deserts dominate; Kalahari in the east, Namib west to the coast. But the northeast towards Botswana is quite lush. The people are handsome and must be resilient. Many of the tribal leaders feel that education will ruin the children, forcing them to forget and abandon the traditional culture. But without education there is little hope of success in the 21st century.
Despite the dryness, there are notable national parks including, Kgalagadi, Etosha, and the remote and desolate Skeleton Coast. Roads are often riverbeds. The rivers here are less than seasonal, they are ephemeral. One in Kgalagadi flows every 11 years on average, another has water only twice a century. The animals are plentiful and easy to see during the dry season. And unlike Kruger in South Africa, the Namibian parks we visited were uncrowded making for a wonderful time.
