Page 151 - Where To Stay Travel Planner

ETOSHA 149
Etosha, meaning 'Great White Place' is made of a large
mineral pan. The area exhibits a characteristic white and
greenish surface, which spreads over 4,800 km2. The
pan developed through tectonic plate activity over about
ten million years.
Etosha was first established in 1907, when Namibia was
a German colony known as South West Africa. At the
time, the park's original 100,000 km² (38,500 mile²)
made it the largest game reserve in the world. Due to
political changes since its original establishment, the
park is now slightly less than a quarter of its original
area, but still remains a very large and significant area
in which wildlife is protected.
The Etosha Pan dominates the park. The salt pan desert
is roughly 130 km long and as wide as 50 km in places.
The salt pan is usually dry, but fills with water briefly in
the summer, when it attracts pelicans and flamingos in
particular. Perennial springs attract a variety of animals
and birds throughout the year, including the endangered
Black Rhinoceros and the endemic Black-faced Impala.
This area boasts a number of exclusive and upmarket
lodges around the famous national park.
ETOSHA