The Namib is a coastal desert in Southern Africa that is widely considered the oldest desert in the world, having existed for at least 55 million years. It stretches along the Atlantic coast, where the cold Benguela Current creates a persistent fog. This fog is the primary source of water for the desert's unique life, such as the Welwitschia mirabilis, a plant that can live for over 1,000 years with only two leaves. The desert is famous for the 'Skeleton Coast,' named for the many shipwrecks caused by the fog and rough seas. It also features Sossusvlei, a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red sand dunes that are among the highest in the world, some reaching over 300 meters.