The Kalahari, a semi-desert territory
Wrongly described as a desert, this region, which covers more than 900,000 km2 between Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, offers semi-arid landscapes, sometimes bare, sometimes wooded. The Kalahari covers more than three quarters of Botswana's surface area, nestled between the basins of the Zambezi and Orange rivers. This immense wilderness is almost devoid of relief, but some sand hills reach up to 1,600 m in altitude. The landscape, if it is rather monotonous, varies nevertheless according to whether one is in the Central Kalahari Reserve, in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Reserve or in the Tsodillo Hills region. The landscapes are not as spectacular as those of the Okavango, but the Kalahari has its charms. To the southwest are the gentle orange hills shared with Namibia. In the center is a series of fossil valleys, of which the Deception Valley, formed 16,000 years ago, is the most impressive. These dried up rivers are now covered by superb stretches of savannah, very rich in fauna (oryx or antelopes in particular). In the northwest, the landscape is dotted with salt marshes, sometimes flooded by the Okavango River. The Tsodillo Hills, the highest of which is about 1,400 meters above sea level, are a special place, suitable for beautiful hikes, between rocky valleys, caves and rock art. Everywhere in the Kalahari, isolation is the rule. One feels really far from the rest of the world. The rainy season is particularly recommended, because the semi-desert turns green and the vegetation is magnificent. It is possible to observe the fauna there because several herds of mammals gather around the water points. The skies are also impressive, the cumulonimbus form the real mountains of Botswana.
The great salt pans of Makgadikgadi
In the north-east of the Kalahari Basin, the Makgadikgadi salt flats are one of the most fascinating sights in the whole of southern Africa. These infinite stretches of desert, immense white basins, bewitch by their excessive nakedness and by their rocky islands planted with gigantic baobabs. They bear witness to the existence of an ancient great lake, said to have reached a record size of 80,000 km2, which was once fed by the Okavango River. Today, the Nata River is one of the main sources of water in the north-east, followed by the Boteti River, a tributary of the Okavango, which flows during its floods to the west of Makgadikgadi Park. In the rainy season, these salt pans fill with water, providing occasional areas of vegetation, and attracting large herds of zebra, wildebeest and springbok, among other species. However, from November to March, the area is not easily accessible to tourists. Indeed, the clay crust becomes waterlogged and the areas become an unforgiving quagmire. It is necessary to wait for the month of May, even June, to venture there because if the crust becomes dry again at the end of the rains, in depth, the clay is still soaked and sticks to the wheels of the 4 x 4 in a fierce way. Nevertheless, from the Nata Sanctuary Bird, you can approach the pans during the rainy season and admire the thousands of migratory birds, especially pink flamingos, that they attract. On the other hand, from April to October, arid landscapes and a cracked earth are revealed where a feeling of infinity reigns. Lekhubu Island, south-west of Sowa Pan, and Baines Baobabs, near Kudiakam Pan, are the most recommended sites to take the full measure of these incredible landscapes.
The Okavango Delta, Botswana's natural jewel
The third largest river in southern Africa, the Okavango rises in the mountains of Angola and flows through northern Namibia before disappearing into the sandy Kalahari. The river, which never reaches the ocean, irrigates nearly 18,000 km2 in northwestern Botswana, forming the second largest inland delta in the world after the Niger. Surprisingly, its annual floods occur in the dry season, attracting large mammals that then abandon the dry areas. From the sky and the ground, the landscapes are breathtaking, consisting of a labyrinth of channels, swamps and vast grassy plains, sometimes flooded, sometimes dry. This rich and unique ecosystem is home to exceptional wildlife, and it is not uncommon to come across huge herds of giraffes, buffaloes and elephants, among other species, roaming the wetlands. The delta is also dotted with a million islands, which can be as small as a termite mound and as large as Chief's Island, the large island in the centre of the delta over 50km long. However, this complex mosaic varies with the seasons, and along the northwest-southeast axis of the delta. Indeed, in the northwest, near the panhandle, i.e. the region upstream from the creation of the delta, the channels are very important, resembling large rivers. The flood plains are numerous and mostly in water. The swamp areas, characterized by reed and papyrus fields, connecting them are very large. The islands have a more linear aspect. Then, as one progresses south-eastwards, the arms of the river become very thin and divide into many even thinner channels. This makes them less prominent. The floodplains are larger and mostly dry for much of the year, and the islands are more numerous, rounder and mostly larger.
Chobe, a humid and lush region
In the far north of the country, the Chobe region, one of the greenest in Botswana, is awe-inspiring with its floodplains, swamps, dry lakes and mopane forests. It is crossed by the eponymous river, which descends from Angola and enters Botswana in the Linyanti swamp region. The river then escapes eastward, marking the natural border with the Caprivi Strip in Namibia. It presents sublime and bushy landscapes, contrasting with the arid expanse of the Kalahari. Finally, the Chobe joins the Zambezi River, which flows through the village of Kazungula, which, along with the neighboring town of Kasane, represents the northern entrance to the park. The river then rushes into Zimbabwe and flows into a precipice: these are the spectacular Victoria Falls! Watered all year round, the area hosts an extremely abundant wildlife, especially in the dry season, which is mainly concentrated around the river. Tens of thousands of zebras and elephants can be seen here, as well as a multitude of giraffes, cob, baboons and impalas. It is here, moreover, that the chances of encountering the magnificent black hippotragues are the highest. Predators are not to be outdone, even if less numerous than in Savuti and in the Okavango. The vegetation in this area is more similar to that found in Zambia and Zimbabwe, more wooded, more green. On the banks of the Chobe River, we are already in another Africa, on the way to the Congo Basin.
The Eastern Corridor, a rugged region
Along Botswana's southeastern border, the Eastern Corridor extends for about 200 km from Lobatse to Ramokgwebana, the border town with Zimbabwe. It is the only region in Botswana that is not located in the Kalahari Basin, and therefore enjoys higher rainfall and more fertile soils than the west. But its landscapes differ from the monotony of the Kalahari by a more uneven relief mixing hills and rocky cliffs. In this region of contrasts, pinkish soils follow mysterious piles of rocks and massive sandstone formations. This is where the magnificent Tuli Block is located, a narrow strip of land that runs along the Limpopo River between the village of Mashaneng and the Zimbabwean border in the south-east of the country. The terrain is more rugged than in the rest of the country and the large granite hills are most beautiful at the eastern end, where the abundant wildlife of Mashatu Game Reserve thrives in an absolutely magnificent rocky chaos along the Limpopo River. The region is also known for its Tswapong Hills, located south-east of Palapye. They offer splendid landscapes, formed by waterfalls and deep gorges, of which the Moremi gorge is certainly the most spectacular. Further south, the granite hills of Lepokole are worth a visit for their caves where several cave paintings have been discovered
A subsoil rich in natural resources
Although the arid soils of Botswana seem extremely poor, the subsoil of the country has revealed a variety of natural resources that have allowed the country to develop its economy. Starting with diamonds, several deposits of which were discovered and exploited from the 1970s. This is the case of the Orapa mine, north of the town of Letlhakane, which is the largest open-air diamond field in the world, or the Jwaneng mine, located northwest of the capital, which holds the highest value of this precious stone in the world. Near Francistown, the subsoil has also revealed some gold reserves, of which four mines are currently being exploited. In addition to this precious mineral and diamonds, Botswana also has significant reserves of copper, nickel, coal and, to a lesser extent, iron and silver. However, the country has not yet exploited all its natural resources. The southern Kalahari is said to contain deposits of chromium, asbestos, manganese and platinum, and the western sands are said to contain oil and natural gas
