| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | 517 | 162 | No | |||
| Freshwater | 152 | 29 | No | Daget, J., J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 1984 | ||
| Total | 658 | 181 | No | |||
| Conservation | Deforestation is occurring relatively slowly, and currently more than 12 per cent (1992) of the country is protected, the government having established 21 conservation zones. The following information is to be sought: - Existence of conservation plans; - Current major threats to species; - Future potential threats to species; - Contact(s) for further information. |
| Geography and Climate |
Namibia is largely semi-arid plateau and desert. Namibia may be divided into three physical regions: a low-lying coastal belt, a central plateau, and the Kalahari Desert. The coastal belt consists of the Namib Desert. It extends along the entire Atlantic coast and ranges from about 100 to 160 kilometers in width. On the east, the central plateau rises abruptly at the Great Escarpment. The plateau averages about 1,100 meters in elevation. The Kalahari Desert, a highland area with vast sandy tracts, lies along the eastern border.
The climate is hot and dry with highly restricted rainfall. The average annual rainfall in the Namib Desert along the coast is 51 millimeters. Inland, annual rainfall increases from 152 millimetres in the south to 559 millimeters in the north. Most of the rain falls in summer (October to March). The average annual temperature on the coast is 17°C; inland it is 21°C. Ref. Microsoft, 1996 |
| Hydrography |
Lakes: there are no permanent freshwater lakes of any significant size. Non-permanent is Lake Liamberi, associated with Linyanti swamp.
Rivers, floodplains and swamps: four large rivers flow along Namibia's borders: the Zambezi, Orange, Cunene and Okavango/Cubango.
Reservoirs: there are several impoundments: Hardop, Avis, Goreangab, Naute, Van Rhyn, Daan Viljoen, Ondangua, Okatana and Oshikango (the latter three are "saucer" dams located on the flat Ovambo tableland).
Coastal lagoons: there is only one important lagoon at Sandwich Habour. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |