Mocamedes Desert

Along the southwestern coast of Africa, the Namib Desert stretches between the Atlantic and the rising inland escarpment. Its northern reaches are known as the Moçâmedes Desert. Gravel plains, dunes and dry riverbeds lie under a climate of scant rain, while fog from the cold Atlantic brings moisture to the coast. Among the desert's remarkable plants is the welwitschia, whose two long leaves continue to grow throughout its long life.