Windhoek

Windhoek is Namibia's capital and largest city. It is in the geographic centre of the country at an elevation of 1,600m. This is the city where most safaris travelling through Namibia begin, and also the first point of entry in Namibia should you arrive by aeroplane.

At first glance Windhoek looks clean and pretty but a little dull, and dry, empty mountains surrounding it seem much more interesting. By Namibian standards it's a big town about 170,000 people live here. But town is in the word, rather than city, for this clean, new-looking capital; even the old buildings look new, as there's almost no rainfall to make them decay. But, like most southern African cities, Windhoek has a distinct life and culture that becomes more fascinating the more time you spend there.

Windhoek is situated in a semi-desert climatic region. Days are mostly warm with very hot days during the summer months, while nights are generally cool. The average annual temperature is 19.47 °C (67.05 °F), which is high for a site at such a high altitude on the edge of the tropics. This is mainly due to the prevalence of a warm northerly airflow and the mountains to the south, which shelter the city from cold southerly winds.