The Land of the Brave

In the South West of AFRICA lies a country which is UNCHARTED and not quite as ILLUSTRIOUS (well known, famous) as her neighbor SOUTH AFRICA. This country is named after the oldest desert in the world, THE NAMIB DESERT. This country is also known for one of the highest sand dunes in the world, Dune 7. This tiny country is the dwelling place of the largest population of free-roaming CHEETAHS in the world. It has a land mass of only 824,292 km² (318,260 sq. mi.) and a population of around only 2.5 million people. The country is sandwiched between BOTSWANA and THE ATLANTIC OCEAN and is home to one of the oldest INDIGENOUS tribes in the world, the OVAHIMBA (O-VA-HIM -BUH) people. The country is my home, and it is called NAMIBIA. I am hoping that after going through this lesson, you will be convinced to visit. Let’s dive in!

SPELL UNCHARTERED SPELL SOUTH AFRICA SPELL POPULATION

Which country are we talking about today? NAMIBIA

According to the paragraph, Namibia has the largest population of what? FREE-ROAMING CHEETAHS

What is the name of the desert which is mentioned in this paragraph? THE NAMIB DESERT

What is the population of Namibia? 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE

In this paragraph, Namibia is said to be sandwiched between two things, name one BOTSWANA OR THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

Name one of the things mentioned that Namibia is home to. ONE OF THE HIGHEST SAND DUNES IN THE WORLD, THE HIGHEST POPULATION OF FREE-ROAMING CHEETAHS, ONE OF THE OLDEST INDIGENOUS TRIBES IN THE WORLD, HOME TO THE AUTHOR OF THIS LESSON

Name another country in the continent of Africa.

VAKT; Watch this video which is an introduction to Namibia https://youtu.be/wFYYIJ7uGls (An introduction to Namibia)

As previously mentioned, Namibia borders Botswana to its left and the Atlantic Ocean on its right. Before Botswana received its independence on 30 September 1966, Botswana was a British protectorate known as BECHUANALAND. However, these are not the only neighbors that Namibia has. Namibia shares a border on its northern side with ANGOLA, a PORTUGUESE-speaking country. Angola is known for its rich Natural resources, its large reserves of oil and diamonds, hydroelectric potential, and rich agricultural land. Towards the east, you can find ZAMBIA, which is another Namibian neighbor. At the time of writing this, Zambia’s currency is thought to be the best-performing currency against the US Dollar. Zambia was also a British colony but received its Independence on October 24, 1964.

SPELL AGRICULTURAL, SPELL NEIGHBORS, SPELL RESOURCES

Namibia shares a border on its……….. side with Angola. NORTHERN

At the time of writing this, Zambia’s currency is thought to be the best …………………………currency against the US Dollar. PERFORMING

What Language do they speak in Angola? PORTUGUESE

Name one thing that Angola is known for. RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, ITS LARGE RESERVES OF OIL AND DIAMONDS, HYDROELECTRIC POTENTIAL, AND RICH AGRICULTURAL LAND.

What is the Zambian currency called? ZAMBIAN KWACHA

On what date did Botswana receive Independence? 30 SEPTEMBER 1966

Adjectives are words used to describe people, places, or things. What adjectives would you use to describe yourself?

Namibia’s largest City is WINDHOEK, which is also the nation’s capital. Windhoek has a population of about 431000 people. WIndhoek is located in a PLATEAU. A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. If you ever do visit Windhoek, make sure to take pictures at the CHRISTUS KIRCHE (Christ Church), or you can visit the INDEPENDENCE MEMORIAL MUSEUM. If you are lucky, you might also be able to get the Namibian delicacy of KAPANA sold at SINGLE QUARTERS in KATUTURA (Ka-TOO-TOOO-RAh). Katutura is one of the oldest settlements or locations in the city.

SPELL CAPITAL SPELL SOUTHERN SPELL POPULATION

What is Namibia’s largest city called? WINDHOEK
Windhoek is said to be located in a…..? PLATEAU
Which food was described as a Namibian delicacy? KAPANA
Where would one buy Kapana? SINGLE COURTERS IN KATUTURA
Katutura was described as one of the oldest. SETTLEMENTS/LOCATIONS
Name one place you are encouraged to visit if you come to Windhoek. CHRISTUS KIRCHE/ INDEPENDENCE MEMORIAL MUSEUM
What is the population of Windhoek? 431000 people

Namibians are super friendly; of course, I have a rather PARTIAL (biased, prejudiced) view. Most Namibians are POLYGLOTS which means they can speak a lot of languages. The LINGUA FRANCA (a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different) is English. English is also the official language. However, there are over 15 other languages spoken in the country. The largest tribal group is the AAWAMBO (aah-waah-m-boh) which means that Oshiwambo is the most common language spoken outside of the official language. Another language that is spoken widely in the country is a DUTCH creole known as AFRIKAANS. Afrikaans is spoken in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.

SPELL AFRIKAANS SPELL LANGUAGES SPELL OSHIWAMBO

Namibians are described as super…. FRIENDLY
Most Namibians are described to be? POLYGLOTS
A language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different is a…..LINGUA FRANCA
There are over ………languages spoken in Namibia. 15 Languages
Name one country where Afrikaans is spoken. NAMIBIA/ZIMBABWE/BOTSWANA/SOUTH AFRICA
There are two words used to describe English in the context of Namibia; mention one. LINGUA FRANCA/OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Name one word used to describe partial. PREJUDICE/ BIASED
What is the Creole language? A LANGUAGE THAT DEVELOPS FROM SIMPLIFYING AND MIXING DIFFERENT LANGUAGES/A MIXTURE OF LANGUAGES
VAKT: The shape of Namibia is an extended thumb, with the pointing finger bent and the rest of the hand extended out. Look at the picture above and attempt to make the shape of Namibia with your practitioner.

Namibia is renowned for its wildlife. The national animal of the country is called the GEMSBOK (hems-buk), which is a type of ANTELOPE. The other name for Gemsbok is ORYX. Namibia has a number of species of Antelope, such as the SPRINGBOK, THE ELAND, and the WILDEBEEST. As prior mentioned, Namibia is home to a large portion of the entire planet’s cheetah population. These ENDANGERED cats can be found along the fringes of the desert and, like desert-adapted antelopes, preserve most of their water intake. Namibia also has a sizable population of African elephants. The country’s unique and rare desert-dwelling elephants are mainly found roaming the sandy, dry plains of the country. Usually, elephants need plenty of water to survive. However, adaptations such as leaner bodies, larger feet, and longer legs allow these elephants to survive for up to three days without water. A lot of these animals can be found in the ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK, which is Africa’s most significant salt plane.

SPELL GEMSBOK SPELL NATIONAL SPELL ANTELOPE
What is the national animal of the country called? GEMSBOK
What is the other name for a Gemsbok? ORYX
What is the name of Africa’s most significant salt plane? ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
Name one of the species of Antelope which was mentioned above. SPRINGBOK,ELAND, WILDEBEEST, GEMSBOK
Namibia is home to a large portion of the entire planet’s what? CHEETAH POPULATION
Name one adaptation that the Desert Elephants have had to make to survive the desert. LEANER BODIES, LARGER FEET, AND LONGER LEGS
Cheetahs are described as highly….cats? ENDANGERED
What does the word endangered mean? At risk of extinction.
We have spoken mainly about the adaptations that animals have had to make to live in a desert. What adaptations do you think people have to make in their daily lives to live in such a climate?

The desert is not the only feature of the Namibian experience. If you are a lover of water, we have got you covered. In the Northern part of the country, where it rains more, you can find the EPUPA rainfalls or the RUACANA rainfalls. If you are a fish lover, Zambezi bream is very much a Namibian cuisine you should try. Also known as dwarf fish, Zambezi Bream is a species of fish found in the river systems of Southern Africa. The coastline, which has a lot of different kinds of fish, is also where the SKELETON COAST can be found. Famed for its shipwrecks estimated to number in the thousands, its daring rescues, and its stories of brave survivors, the Skeleton Coast exudes a sense of danger. Along the skeleton coast, there are around 500 remains of wrecked ships that lie scattered among the sand. Namibia is a country of diverse beauty. It would not be JUSTICE to condense it all in this lesson. I am hoping that this small glimpse has convinced you to add it to your bucket list.

SPELL ZAMBEZI SPELL SYSTEMS SPELL RAINFALLS

The desert is not the only feature of the Namibian…..EXPERIENCE
Name one of the waterfalls you can find in the Northern part of the country which was mentioned in this chunk. EPUPA FALLS/RUACANA FALLS
What is the other name for Zambezi Bream? DWARF FISH
Name one thing that the Skeleton Coast is famed for. ITS DARING RESCUES/ITS, SHIPWRECKS/STORIES OF BRAVE SURVIVORS
What does the skeleton coast exude according to this chunk? A SENSE OF DANGER
How many shipwreck remains are along the skeleton coast? 500

At this point, I am hoping that I have convinced you to put Namibia on your bucket list. Can you describe things that are on your bucket list already?
Creative writing
The slogan for Namibia is “the land of the brave’. Namibians consider themselves brave for having endured a lot historically. If you had a slogan, what would it be? What would your slogan be based on?