Namib Desert

Namib Desert, temperate desert, extending about 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the coast of south-western Africa, mainly in Namibia. The desert reaches inland for up to 160 km (100 mi) and is kept cool and dry by the effects of the cold Benguela Current offshore. About 51 mm (2 in) of rain falls each year. Tungsten and diamonds are important mineral products, and Karakul sheep are raised in the south, where the Namib Desert merges with the Kalahari. The desert is very sparsely inhabited except for isolated settlements such as Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.