Waterberg Plateau, Table mountain and national monument in Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia.
The Waterberg Plateau is a large table mountain in Otjozondjupa Region that rises sharply from the Kalahari plains with a flat top and steep surrounding cliffs. The landscape features reddish sandstone rock faces and deep canyons carved by water, creating different habitats for plants and animals.
The plateau was the site of a military confrontation in 1904 between German colonial forces and the Herero people, which deeply changed Namibian history. This event marked a turning point in settlement and power dynamics across the region.
The San people left rock engravings on the cliffs that still show their way of life and spiritual connection to the land. These carvings depict hunting scenes, animals, and ritual practices that reveal how early inhabitants lived here.
The plateau can be explored on marked hiking trails that offer different difficulty levels and various viewpoints. It is best to hike in early morning to benefit from cooler weather and capture the best light for photography.
The rocks here contain layers much older than most known rock formations on Earth and show fossilized tracks from creatures that lived in a very distant time period. These traces offer a glimpse into the biological diversity of an ancient geological era.
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