The Namib Desert is often referred as the world's oldest desert and has been in existence for some 43 million years, remaining unchanged for the last 2 million. The Namib stretches for more than 2000 Kms along the Atlantic coast. The geology consists of sand seas near the coast, gravel plains and scattered mountain outcrops further inland. The sand dunes, some of which are 300 m high and spam 32 Kms long. Costal regions can experience more than 180 days of thick fog a year, due to the collision of cold  Benguela current with warm air, which has proved a major hazard to ships (more than a thousand shipwrecks) along the Skeleton Coast. The fog is a vital source of moisture for the desert life. Photographed above are the soft light sand dunes near Swakopmund. The red dunes around Sossusvlei owe their hue to age: over millions of years the sand has literally rusted.

Altogether the red dunes, the blue clear sky and the vast barren landscape make the Namib desert a striking film location as seen in "Mad Max, the Road Fury", "The Cell", "The fall" and "Steel Dawn".

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