What is the oldest known desert in the world, located in southern Africa?

The oldest known desert in the world, located in southern Africa, is the Namib Desert. It is estimated to have existed for roughly 55 million years, making it far older than many other famous deserts.

The Namib stretches along the Atlantic coast of Namibia and reaches into parts of Angola and South Africa. Its extreme dryness is reinforced by the cold Benguela Current, which cools moist ocean air and produces coastal fog instead of substantial rainfall.

That fog supports remarkable wildlife, including the fog-basking Namib darkling beetle, desert-adapted elephants, and plants such as Welwitschia mirabilis. The desert is also famous for the towering orange dunes around Sossusvlei, while the Skeleton Coast forms its harsh northern shoreline.

A common mix-up is confusing age with size: the Sahara is much larger, but it is not considered the oldest desert. The Namib is also not uniformly barren; fog, underground water, and seasonal streams create pockets of life across its arid landscape.