Fish River Canyon - City of Namibia

The Fish River Canyon is located in Namibia. It is the second largest canyon in the world and the largest in Africa, as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia. It features a gigantic ravine, in total about 100 miles long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 metres deep.

The Fish River is the longest interior river in Namibia, but its flow in the present is a puny trickle compared with the immense volume of water that poured down its length in ages past. It cuts deep into the plateau which is today dry, stony and sparsely covered with hardy drought resistant plants such as succulents.

The river flows intermittently, usually coming down in flood in late summer, and when it ceases to flow it becomes a chain of long narrow pools on the sandy rock-strewn floor of the chasm. At the lower end of the Fish River Canyon, the hot springs resort of Ai-Ais provides an oasis in the desolate rocky wastes.

The Fish River Canyon area has a typical semi-desert climate. During the hot summer months temperatures can rise up to 48 degrees Celsius during the day and cools down to about 30 °C at night. Relief from the heat comes in short spells with occasional thunder storms. The average annual rainfall in the canyon area is 100 mm. During the short winters, temperatures can go down below zero at night, but quickly picks up during the day to a moderate 20 to 28 °C.