Moving westwards across the vast and steep hillside landform, the plateaus of South Africa become considerably lower in elevation near the Namib Desert.  
The stretch of hillside landform is less than 160 km in width at the narrowest point and it is characterized as a belt of sand and rocks that extends over 2,000 km along the coastal line of Atlantic Ocean due to the wind. Starting from South Africa, the belt crosses Namibia and reaches all the way to Angola. 

Namib Desert is a site where the original beauty of the planet is perfectly preserved. The desert is the home to some of the most extreme natural landscapes the world has to offer. The sand dunes near the southern part of the desert along the coastal lines are gradually higher in elevation to form a dune sea with countless dunes of varying heights. The color of the sand also changes from grey ivory white along the coastal area to maroon at the inland portion of the desert in the east. The extension of sand dunes runs all the way to Kuiseb River, which blocks the movement of dunes. The Kuiseb River is a periodic river that runs across the Namib Desert like an arc in the desert. During the incredible process of natural land formation, Namib initially appeared to the north of the riverbed as a plain that was covered in gravels. Later on, the desert expanded inward along the Skeleton Coast and effectively made the area of plains smaller with the emergence of sand dunes. 

  When you take a small aircraft for an aerial observation of Namib Desert, the desert will look as if it is moving. Some of the sand dunes in the desert easily reach 135 meters in height and waves after waves of sand dunes continue to move inland along the coastal line to reveal an assortment of different colors including ivory, almond colored, cameral colored and even chestnut colored sand. When the wind lifts the sand particles off the top 
of the dunes, the sand particles would end up as wavy patterns that cover the dunes. With waves of sand propelled by the wind along the incline, the sand dunes would look like a connected chain of sand moving or spinning rapidly on the ground when viewed from the air.

The largest dunes in Namib Desert are located right at the center of the Sossusvlei clay pan. Dunes at the once-salt lake pan show the last traces of a river that existed very briefly in the past. The river once flowed across the dune sea at a length of 80 km. However, its short existence was snubbed by the blockage of 300-meter high sand dunes that emerged from the bottom of the valley.
 

From a distance, one can vaguely see purple colored precipices with the vast grey flood plains ahead. The low sand dunes are gradually increasing in height as one moves forward. The sand surface reflects a reddish and violet luster from the evening sun. Here at Sossusvlei, one would be surrounded by the magnificent sand dunes covered in a sheet of shiny surface without any trace of chaotic wave pattern. In contrast, the contours of these dunes are clearly defined, with the sand particles revealing gentle yet dominating hues.
The amount of sand at Namib Desert is simply astounding. In fact, Namib Desert is one of the oldest deserts in the world. So where did all these sand come from? As it turned out, a good portion of the sand came a long way before finally ending up in Namib. The Orange River flows through many vast territories on the South African continent to bring sand and gravel at South Atlantic Ocean. The fine sand particles are then blown toward the north by slipstreams before being washed ashore by the waves. Finally, the sea winds carry the sand toward the inland area to form the desert.
 

The Benguela Current moves along to the north from South Atlantic Ocean. Due to the influences of the frigid Antarctic Ocean, the Benguela Current is responsible for chilling a substantial area of water in the region before it heads north into the tropical area. The cold ocean water cools the sea wind and significantly lowers the air's capacity of moisture. The stable high-pressure forces the air to move eastwards and consequently halts the formation of rain clouds to cause draughts at the inland area. During the primitive times, the draughts at Namib might not have been very severe. It was approximately 1 million years ago that the area saw dramatic climate changes. 

 Nonetheless, Namib still experiences the alternation of dry and wet seasons.

Being the oldest natural desert of the planet, Namib Desert is currently the habitat of numerous endemic species, mostly beetles with a considerable variety of spiders, scorpions and reptiles. All of these organisms have the ability to survive in the barren and desiccant sand dunes, and their incredible adaptability is the result of combination of various factors. The arid conditions of the Namib Desert makes survival out of the question for carnivores, and this in turn allowed the endemic organisms (mostly easily identified without the ability to fly or defend themselves) to thrive. Another factor that makes survival for these creatures possible is the occasional coastal climate, which is cool and misty. The fogs offer the minimum amount of moisture that these organisms at Namib Desert need to survive.
 

When the damp air in the region encounters the Benguela Current from the Atlantic Ocean, it will be chilled and the moisture will condense into mists. The gentle breeze would then bring the fog to the inland areas and sometimes it could cover an area as wide as 80 km in diameter. Generally speaking, such sea fog occurs on an average of once every ten days and it functions as a reliable source of moisture for creatures inhabiting the sand dunes. Although rainfalls occur randomly in the region, the occasional downpour (with intervals as long as several years) would be sufficient for some vegetation to grow. When these plants wither due to lack of moisture, the dried roots could survive up to several years in the desert climate. These roots would become reliable sources of food for the insects at Namib Desert. Although the desert appears to be barren and empty on the surface, what lies underneath has yet to be discovered and it is entirely possible for valuable resources to be buried beneath the sand. And such is the most marvelous aspect of the desert world, because no one can be certain of what may emerge from the ground in the event of physiographical changes. 

The moisture from the fogs also contributed to the growth of unique vegetation at Namib Desert, with "Welwitschia mirabilis" being the most notable of all. The unique plant grows merely two long strap-shaped leaves initially like radish from its roots. The taproot of the plant then develops gradually along with its two leather-like leaves, which would split upon reaching specific width. As the leaves grow longer, they would begin to curl. The amazing fact about the plant is its ability to grow throughout its lifetime, which may last as long as thousands of years. According to the calculation of a scientist (who tried to measure the total length of two leaves of a Welwitschia mirabilis that was at least 2000 years old), the length of the two leaves is sufficient to cover a road of 360 meters in length and 3 meters in width. Folk legends claim that the leaves of the plant are in fact transmogrified from a monster by the name of "Welwitschia". 
The vast deserts on the South African continent are incredible natural habitats for unusual species of plants and animals. These exotic locales offer unlimited secrets waiting to be discovered and awe-inspiring views of the natural environment.

The Kalahari Desert and Namib Desert effectively cover the central and western portions of the South African continent at approximately 430,000 km2 of land. The aridness of Namib is primarily caused by the Benguela Current, which cools the seasonal winds and prevent it from forming cloud and rain. Namib Deserts receives less than 30 mm of rainfall annually and the only source of moisture is the thick fogs from the coastal lines of Atlantic Ocean. Most wildlife and vegetation occur in the Kalahari Desert, which is situated to the east of Namib. The Kalahari Desert is essentially a large pan that is covered with sand. But due to relatively ample amount of rainfall in the area, grass, shrubs and acacia trees are able to grow in Kalahari Desert. It is interesting to note that while Kalahari Desert does receive occasional rainfall, the ground will always appear dry because the water would immediately seep through the sandy surface.