Rising unexpectedly from the heart of the Namib Desert in northern Namibia, the Brandberg Massif is an exhumed granite intrusion. Unique plant and animal communities thrive in its high-altitude environment, and prehistoric cave paintings decorate walls hidden in its steep cliffs.

Image taken September 10, 2002, by Landsat 7.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/USGS EROS Data Center

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