Destinations
General information
Pre-safari preparation
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Geography
Botswana is bordered by 4 countries: South Africa to the South, Namibia to the West, Zimbabwe to the East and Zambia to the North. All share a land border except Zambia where the border is either crossed by boat at Kazangula on the Zambezi/Chobe rivers confluence, or by plane, with the closest airports being Kasane in Botswana and Livingstone in Zambia. Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe all meet in a cross at the Kazangula border crossing, one of the only places in the world where 4 major international boundaries meet.
Botswana has 3 major rivers: the Okavango, Chobe/Linyanti and Limpopo, as well as 4 smaller ones, the Nossob, the Molopo, the Marico and the Shashe. The Okavango and Chobe rivers both find their source in the central highlands of Angola and from rainfall there to arrival in Botswana can take anywhere between 3-6 months, usually meaning that when the dry season is upon us, our waters are at their highest.
The Okavango Delta is one of the biggest attractions of Botswana, as well as being the world’s largest inland delta, covering approximately 15,000-20,000 square kilometres (5,800-7,700 square miles), and comprising of lagoons, channels, swamps and an enormous network of channels, seeping over the Kalahari sands.
One of the most important geographical features is the Kalahari which constitutes approximately 85% of the entire country. Often referred to as a desert, the Kalahari is in fact correctly termed semi-arid, in part due to the rainfall of Botswana which is usually between 400-700mm (160-275 inches) annually, however occasionally we have intense rainy seasons giving us well over 1,000mm (395 inches) of rainfall. Deserts are classified as having rainfall of 250mm (100 inches) or less.
Botswana has the tropic of Capricorn, the imaginary line at which is 23° 30' south of Equator bisecting it to the southern side of the town of Mahalapye. The tropic of Capricorn is the southernmost latitude where the sun is directly overhead at noon, which occurs on 22nd December every year.
Botswana is comparable in size to France or Texas at 581,730 square kilometres (224,607 square miles), however with a much smaller population than either, estimated to stand at around 1.8 million or 3 people per square kilometre or 8 per square mile, with approximately three-quarters of the population living towards the Eastern borders with Zimbabwe and South Africa in the Eastern Hardveld.
Botswana is bordered by 4 countries: South Africa to the South, Namibia to the West, Zimbabwe to the East and Zambia to the North. All share a land border except Zambia where the border is either crossed by boat at Kazangula on the Zambezi/Chobe rivers confluence, or by plane, with the closest airports being Kasane in Botswana and Livingstone in Zambia. Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe all meet in a cross at the Kazangula border crossing, one of the only places in the world where 4 major international boundaries meet.
Botswana has 3 major rivers: the Okavango, Chobe/Linyanti and Limpopo, as well as 4 smaller ones, the Nossob, the Molopo, the Marico and the Shashe. The Okavango and Chobe rivers both find their source in the central highlands of Angola and from rainfall there to arrival in Botswana can take anywhere between 3-6 months, usually meaning that when the dry season is upon us, our waters are at their highest.
The Okavango Delta is one of the biggest attractions of Botswana, as well as being the world’s largest inland delta, covering approximately 15,000-20,000 square kilometres (5,800-7,700 square miles), and comprising of lagoons, channels, swamps and an enormous network of channels, seeping over the Kalahari sands.
One of the most important geographical features is the Kalahari which constitutes approximately 85% of the entire country. Often referred to as a desert, the Kalahari is in fact correctly termed semi-arid, in part due to the rainfall of Botswana which is usually between 400-700mm (160-275 inches) annually, however occasionally we have intense rainy seasons giving us well over 1,000mm (395 inches) of rainfall. Deserts are classified as having rainfall of 250mm (100 inches) or less.
Botswana has the tropic of Capricorn, the imaginary line at which is 23° 30' south of Equator bisecting it to the southern side of the town of Mahalapye. The tropic of Capricorn is the southernmost latitude where the sun is directly overhead at noon, which occurs on 22nd December every year.
Botswana is comparable in size to France or Texas at 581,730 square kilometres (224,607 square miles), however with a much smaller population than either, estimated to stand at around 1.8 million or 3 people per square kilometre or 8 per square mile, with approximately three-quarters of the population living towards the Eastern borders with Zimbabwe and South Africa in the Eastern Hardveld.
