The eastern region is hilly bush country and grassland (veld). To the west lie the Okavango Swamps and the Kalahari Desert. The only sources of permanent surface water are the Chobe River in the north, the Limpopo in the east, and the Okvango in the northwest. In seasons of heavy rainfall, floodwaters flow into the Makarikari Salt Pans and Lake Ngami.
Botswana consist of two main geographic features. About 85% of Botswana is made up by the Kalahari
Desert of which part is a wilderness and not a desert. The sands are largely covered in grasses
which support some of the largest herds of game on the continent.
The Okavango Delta is the second main feature of the country and a dramatic opposite to the
Kalahari. In the North the Delta stretches out like a giant Hand to form a huge wetland system
of up to 15'000 square kilometres fed by the floodwaters of the Okavango River coming from
Central Africa. The delta is a magnificent area with green and fertile plains, flowing into
the Kalahari Desert where it vanishes in the sand. Botswana has some of the most prolific
and spectacular wilderness areas in Africa, set in unparalleled scenic beauty offering you
a most memorable safari!
Botswana offers great variety (unless you are looking for mountains). There are river areas,
dry parched areas, grasslands and forest. Not surprisingly, there is a wide assortment of
wildlife and if you had only a short time to spend in Africa, Botswana would be a good choice.
As a country, Botswana is one of the more successful in Africa. It is a true democracy and
enjoys vast wealth from its diamond mines. In recent years, the government has established
a plan to diversify the economy and has been using the diamond wealth to attract other
industries to the country. The country also regulates the amount of tourism to ensure
that the parks are not overrun with people, as has happened in Kenya and northern Tanzania.
The weather is also quite pleasant.
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