Earth:Bogenfels

Short description: Location in the Namib Desert of Namibia

Close up aerial photograph of Bogenfels

Approaching Bogenfels on foot

Bogenfels is a location in the coastal Namib Desert of Namibia, noted for its natural rock formations (hence the name, which means "arch rock" in German). The main formation is a 55-metre (180 ft) high rock arch close to the coast. It is not easily accessible, due to the terrain and its location within a restricted diamond-mining area Sperrgebiet, at 27° 28'S, about 95 kilometres (59 mi) south of Lüderitz and 32 kilometres (20 mi) south of Pomona but there are official guided tours.

Geology

With its highest point at 55 metres (180 ft) above sea level, the formation is a mix of hard dolomite and soft shale.

Settlement

A settlement developed in the area after diamonds were discovered. In 1950, it was evacuated and has remained a ghost town since. A private narrow-gauge electrified railway once served the diamond mining industry. It ran 119 kilometres (74 mi) via Pomona to Kolmanskop and was powered by a 1.5 megawatts (2,000 hp) power station in Lüderitz. It was completed in 1913 but destroyed in World War I in 1915 by South African troops.<ref name="history2">{{citation

Philately

From 1931 to 1996, South West Africa and later Namibia issued postage stamps depicting the Bogenfels.