Sperrgebiet National Park
Quick Summary
The Sperrgebiet, meaning "Prohibited Area" in German, was a diamond-rich region in southern Namibia along the Atlantic coast. Established in 1908 due to significant diamond discoveries, access was strictly controlled for nearly a century. The area is characterized by sand dunes and was primarily mined by Consolidated Diamond Mines, later Namdeb.
In the early 21st century, control of over 60 percent of the land was transferred to Namibia. In 2004, the government announced plans to establish it as a national park to boost tourism. The Sperrgebiet National Park was officially gazetted in December 2008 and opened in February 2009, covering approximately 10,000 square miles (26,000 square km).12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
