Namibe Province, Administrative province in southwestern Angola
Namibe is a province in southwestern Angola spanning roughly 57,000 square kilometers, stretching from the Atlantic coastline to mountainous regions in the east. The landscape combines desert terrain with ocean and elevated peaks, creating diverse topography across the area.
The province was established as Moçâmedes District under Portuguese rule in 1840 and renamed in 1985, taking its name from the northern section of the Namib Desert. This change marked a significant shift in regional identity following Angola's independence.
The Herero and Khoisan communities call this region home and shape it through their traditions rooted in fishing and farming along the coast. Their way of life shows in the daily activities and practices you notice when visiting the local settlements.
The region can be accessed through the Commercial Port of Moçâmedes and Yuri Gagarin Airport, which serve as main hubs for goods and passenger movement. Infrastructure here is limited, so planning ahead and allowing flexibility is helpful when exploring the area.
Fossils from the Late Cretaceous period have been discovered near Bentiaba and inside Iona National Park, including sharks, turtles, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and sauropods. These finds reveal that the area was covered by water millions of years ago.
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