Kalahari Desert

The kalahari desert is an arid region of sand and dry lakebeds in southern Africa extending into parts of Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia. The region is an interior plateau covering an area of approximately 100,000 square miles and lies between the Orange and Zambezi Rivers. The name Kalahari derives from the Tswana word keir, which means “the great thirst.” Rainfall in the region averages eight inches annually, identifying it as a true desert. However, annual rainfall is extremely variable and ranges from a high of 15 inches to a low of three inches.

The Boteti River flows northward into a marshland at the northern edge of the desert, and carries excess water in years of high precipitation into Lake Xau. During the late 20th century and early 21st century, this volume of water significantly diminished. During periods of low precipitation, animals in the Kalahari are are forced to wander in search of water. A number of smaller, temporary streams and rivers will carry water, depending on the amount of precipitation. Vegetation in the Kalahari Desert is typical for an arid region and includes acacia woodland, savanna grasslands, and some palm trees. Animal life is abundant: springbok, giraffe, hartebeest, hyena, and warthog predominate.

The Kalahari is relatively sparsely populated. The main culture groups include the San people, Tswana, Herero, and Kgalagadi. In 2002 the Botswana government moved into permanent encampments all the San, who have lived in the region an estimated 30,000 years by traditionally hunting, gathering, herding, and raising crops. The governmental effort to settle the Bushmen was justified by a concern for environmental conservation, specifically to save diminishing water supplies. Experts on the region suggest that the government will increase the number of encampments in the future in order to more easily expand diamond-mining activity and formal ranching by majority populations.

There is considerable mineral wealth in the Kalahari. Coal, nickel, copper, and uranium deposits add to the economic inventory of the region. In addition, The Kalahari is home to diamond mines and one of the worlds largest is located at Orapa in the northeastern area of the region. There are a number of important game reserves within the Kalahari Desert. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve ranks as the second largest in the world. Also notable are the Khutse Game Reserve and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.