Quiz. Ukraine or Namibia?

These photos were either taken in Ukraine or Namibia, but try to guess where every single one of them was taken.

Please try to answer on your own and then have a look at the correct answer. Don't peek please!

Ukraine or Namibia?

Oleshky Sands

Ukraine

Oleshky Sands is a desert in Ukraine. It is situated inland from the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea in Kakhovka Raion of Kherson Oblast and consists of sand dunes or kuchuhury (locally), which reach a height up to five meters. A sparse vegetation can be located across the sands. The sands are thought to be formed during the most recent ice age by aeolian processes accumulating and forming cliffs of lower parts of nearby River Dnieper.

Namibia or Ukraine?

Namib Sand Dunes.

Namibia

Set within the coastal desert of Namibia are the biggest sand dunes in the world. The highest sand dune in the world is the nearby 383 metre-tall Dune 7 located near Walvis Bay. The sand of Sossusvlei is approximately five million years old. The colour of the sand changes across the desert. Closer to the sea in the west, the sand appears whiter, whereas moving inland the sand becomes pinker in colour.

Ukraine or Namibia?

The Sea of Azov

Ukraine

An inland sea, the Azov sea, is located in the South-East of Ukraine and is connected to the Black Sea through the 4 km long Kerch Strait, whose narrowest point lies in the Azov sea.

Azov sea is known for being the shallowest sea in the world. It has an average water depth of 7 m (varying between 0.9 and 14 metres). Water from the Azov sea flows into the Black sea and due to the river inflow it always retains freshwater with low salinity.

Azov sea covers an area of 39,000 kilometres with a total length of 360 km and is 180 km wide.

Namibia or Ukraine?

The Atlantic Coast

Namibia

The Atlantic Coast of Namibia stretches 1572 km, from the southern border with South Africa, until the northern border with Angola. The coastline is one of the only places in the world where the desert comes right to the ocean's edge and is rich in geographic diversity, as well as in natural beauty, sights and activities. The coastal area is almost totally rainless, yet its air is almost always at or near the saturation point. The cold Benguela Current flows northward along the coast, chilling the air above it and thus producing fog, with around 200 foggy days a year but all four seasons can be experienced in a single day, from fog and mist to sunshine and cool coastal breezes to hot desert winds.

Ukraine or Namibia?

Dragon’s Breath Cave

Namibia

It was discovered in 1986, about 46km north of Grootfontein.

The cave contains the world's largest non-subglacial underground lake, with an area of almost 2 hectares. The lake is located around 100 metres below the surface (but they say that divers have yet to reach its floor, only managing to go down as far as 131 metres). Its total depth is 205 metres.

At Dragon’s Breath Cave, in Namibia, scientists found the fossilized remains of what they believe is a previously unknown species of hominid. The researchers who made this discovery say that they think these bones were placed there intentionally some 60,000 years ago.

Why call it Dragon’s Breath? Apparently when the cave was discovered, the humid air that rose from the cave’s opening, reminded the explorers of the warm breath of a dragon.

Namibia or Ukraine?

Optymistychna Cave

Ukraine

The cave is located in Ternopil Region. Meaning "optimistic" and this is the longest cave in Eurasia and the fifth-longest cave in the world. It is also the longest gypsum cave in the world. Approximately 230 km of passageways have been mapped within. The cave is horizontal, of a labyrinth type, embedded in 20-25-meter thick layer of gypsum at a depth of 60-80 m. It consists of 10 relatively isolated areas, interconnected by one or more passageways.

There are several small lakes with a relatively constant level. The biggest of them is Aqva vitae with surface area of 82 m2.

The cave complex was discovered in 1966. There have been more than 50 expeditions since then and still continues. It is listed in the Guinness World Records.

This is the only such place in Europe where tours are held for tourists.

Ukraine or Namibia?

Etosha National Park

Namibia

A national park in northwestern Namibia (Kunene region) and one of the largest national parks in Africa. It spans an area of 22,270 km2 and gets its name from the large Etosha (means the ”great white area”) salt pan. This is an impressive sight because it’s certainly the biggest salt pan in Africa. Subsequently, when it rains, the water pools in the pan and attracts hundreds of thousands of flamingos. The park has about 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and 1 species of fish (up to 49 species of fish during floods), including several threatened and endangered species such as the black rhinoceros.

Namibia or Ukraine?

Askania-Nova

Ukraine

It is the oldest steppe reserve in the world which belongs in the top hundred of the most renowned protected areas of our planet. Askania-Nova located in Kherson Region. The reserve consists of a zoological park, a botanical (dendrological) garden, an open territory of virgin steppes and has total area of 825 km² .

There are 1030 types of woody plants and more than 680 kinds of herbaceous ones, nearly 100 plants are rare for Eurasia.

In the reserve’s zoo live 450 species of exotic animals and birds. By the way, six species are extinct in their homelands and remain only in Askania. Altogether, the fauna of the biosphere reserve has many species listed in the Red Book. The biosphere reserve has been designated a Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.

Please write how many correct answers you have. Were there any surprises? What is your favourite part about Namibia and/or Ukraine? Share the love in the comments below.