Benguela Current

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The Benguela Current in a current map of the Atlantic (right, blue)
Benguela and Agulhas currents on the southern tip of Africa

The Benguela ( English Benguela Current ) is from Antarctic waters fed cold ocean current in the South Atlantic , by the Cape of Good Hope north to the Equator flows. The cooling of the air temperature by the Benguela Current prevents the formation of rising, more humid air masses above the sea and leads to offshore wind currents, which are deflected by the steady southwest wind. The Benguela current is therefore a major cause of the rise of the Namib - Desert and the existing arid climate of Namibia , with low precipitation. At the same time, however, the Benguela Current is very oxygen-rich and therefore also rich in zooplankton , which is why more schools of fish are attracted there.

The Benguela Current is fed by parts of the warm Agulhas Current, which flows along the south-east African coast in a south-westerly direction, and parts of the cool Antarctic Circumpolar Current .

At the level of the equator, the Benguela Current merges into the Atlantic South Equatorial Current , which in turn feeds the Gulf Stream and the Brazil Current with its warm water .

The marine ecosystem of the Benguela Current has been on Namibia's tentative list for nomination as Namibian World Heritage since the end of October 2016 .

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