Namibia is a country of Southern Africa that has no equal in terms of large spaces and naturalistic gems, including the Namib Desert, Skeleton Coast, Kalahari, Kaokoland and Etosha Park. The capital Windhoek has an architecture strongly influenced by the German colonial era, as well as its cuisine and culture, but at the same time has the colors, sounds and rhythms of a modern African city. The diverse natural habitats it hosts, away from cities, are the real attractions of Namibia which it protected by its several national parks, local conservation programs, community forests and private reserves. Namibia was the first African country to incorporate environmental protection into its constitution and to offer its communities the opportunity and right to manage their local fauna through municipal reserves. Today, more than 43% of Namibia's area is protected and features some of the most important parks in southern Africa such as Etosha National Park, a vast saline plain, sanctuary" of African fauna. Other protected areas are the orange dunes of Sossusvlei, with their surreal spectacle created by the trunks of still standing dead acacies and the Damaraland where it is easy to meet the black rhinoceros or desert elephants. Namibia has the largest population of black rhinos and cheetahs in the world, the largest number of growing free lions and is the only country that has seen its elephants double to 16,000 in a few years, turning its commitment to environmental conservation into one of the most successful stories in the recovery of African wildlife.
