Overview
The Kalahari is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in southern Africa, covering approximately 900,000 square kilometers across Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, with smaller portions extending into Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Despite often being called a desert, much of the Kalahari receives enough rainfall to support significant vegetation.
Geography and Physical Features
The Kalahari sits on a vast plateau between 600 and 1,600 meters above sea level. Its surface consists mostly of red sand interspersed with seasonal pans, ancient dry riverbeds, and acacia-dotted grasslands. The Okavango Delta, formed where the Okavango River empties into the desert and evaporates rather than reaching the sea, lies at its northern edge.
Significance
The Kalahari has been home to the San people, also called Bushmen, for tens of thousands of years, making theirs one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. The region's wildlife includes lions, leopards, springboks, gemsboks, and meerkats. Several major protected areas, including the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, preserve the desert's ecosystems.
Notable Facts
The Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the largest inland deltas in the world and a major wildlife haven. The black-maned Kalahari lion is a distinctive subgroup adapted to the harsh desert environment. The Kalahari watermelon, which grows in the desert and stores water for months, has been a critical resource for both humans and wildlife.