Springbok

RICHTERSVELD
NATIONAL PARK
south africa
Springbok
Vioolsdrift
Vioolsdrift
Ai- Ais
Ai- Ais
Sperrgebiet
Sperrgebiet
Goegap
Nature
Reserve
Goegap
Nature
Reserve
RICHTERSVELD
NATIONAL PARK
RICHTERSVELD
World Heritage
site
RICHTERSVELD
World Heritage
site
namaqua
national
park
namaqua
national
park
NAmibia
NAmibia
south africa
Sources: www.richtersveldnationalpark.com; www.conservation.org/, whc.unesco.org/en/list/1265 MORN SCHAAP, Graphics24
Camping Chalets Mountain
biking
Hiking Flower
watching
Bird
watching
4x4 Canoeing Photography
2 700
species in this area
600
exist nowhere else but here
Amazing things to see
= 10 species
What is there to do?
An modern example of the
Nama domed hut, but not
made of woven reeds mats
Parks
Normal area
Why is this a Heritage Site?
Mountain Hiking Flower Camping
N
N
NN
VELD
SVELD SVELD
Chalets Canoeing Photography Bird 4x4
A biodiversity hot spot
The Richtersveld National Park is located on the western coastal region of SA
and Namibia. It covers about 107 200 square kilometres of dry, arid land. Most
people will only see a lifeless desert, but the area is so rich in plant and animal
life it was recognised as a biodiversity hot spot. It is an area worth protecting
and visiting
A biodiversity hotspot is a region with
diverse species of plants and animals that
is under threat of destruction. There are 35
hot spots over the world and the
Richtersveld National Park is the only
totally arid area in the group
Biodiversity hot spot
The people of the Richtersveld
There have been people living is this dry
region for thousands of years. The Khoisan
left cave paintings and small tools behind
that can be viewed today.
A few different people and cultures moved
into the area over the centuries and today
the Nama people are descendents of the
The 160 000ha of the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape
preserves not only the diverse landscape, but also the culture of the Nama
people that may have persisted for as much as 2 millennia. The area is
communally owned and managed, and is the only area where practices
like the portable rush-mat huts can be seen
This area boasts some of the
things that can only be seen
here:
The halfmens, a plant that from
a distance looks like people
walking up the slopes of the
hills
The quiver tree, a critically
endangered tree, found here
and in southern Namibia
Rock engravings by the
Khoisan, believed to have been
made between 2 000 and
10 000 years ago
Caves in Cornellskop, formed
by erosion and over time
350 recorded bird species
The pontoon at Sendelingsdrif
The Sendelingsdrif pontoon
For over 43 years, the pontoon has been
used for legal and illegal
crossings across the border. Restored in
2001, it is an experience that few modern
travellers have had
The Orange River
The only perennial river in the
area, the Orange River offers
viewing of many different
species living here. For the
adventurous, there are also
canoeing and walking trails to
enjoy this amazing
environment
rst San who lived there.
Poetry, music and stories are very
important in the Nama culture. Today the
matjieshuis, a domed shelter made from
woven reeds, can still be seen in large
numbers