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Geography of Namibia
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===Namib Desert=== {{main|Namib}} The [[Namib Desert]] is a broad expanse of hyper-arid gravel, gravel with no moisture, plains, and dunes that stretches along the entire coastline, which varies in width between 100 and many hundreds of kilometres. Areas within the Namib include the Skeleton Coast and the [[Kaokoveld]] in the north and the extensive Namib Sand Sea along the central coast.<ref name="Spriggs, A. 2001.(AT1315)">Spriggs, A. 2001.(AT1315)</ref> The sands that make up the sand sea are a consequence of erosional processes that take place within the Orange River valley and areas farther to the south. As sand-laden waters drop their suspended loads into the Atlantic, onshore currents deposit them along the shore. The prevailing southwest winds then pick up and redeposit the sand in the form of massive dunes in the widespread sand sea, the largest sand dunes in the world. In areas where the supply of sand is reduced because of the inability of the sand to cross riverbeds, the winds also scour the land to form large gravel plains. In many areas within the Namib Desert, there is little vegetation with the exception of lichens found in the gravel plains, and in dry river beds where plants can access subterranean water.{{cn|date=April 2023}} "[[Fairy circle (arid grass formation)|Fairy circles]]", which are circular patches of land barren of plants, varying between 2{{Convert|2|and|12|m|ft|0}} in diameter and often encircled by a ring of stimulated growth of grass, are found in the Namib,<ref>{{cite web | title=Enigma of Namibia's 'fairy circles' | website=BBC NEWS | date=31 March 2004 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3587431.stm | access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref> such as those near the Wolwedans desert camp.<ref>{{cite web | last=Pinkstone | first=Joe | title='Fairy circles' of Africa baffle scientists | website=The Telegraph | date=30 July 2020 | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/namibia/1461430/Fairy-circles-of-Africa-baffle-scientists.html | access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref>
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