Kelly Wittman - Botswana

Botswana is known for its picturesque landscapes. Beautiful sunsets are a daily occurrence in Botswanas Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

Men steer their slim boats, called mokoro, through the papyrus swamps of the Okavango delta in northern Botswana. The Okavango River is one of the longest rivers in Southern Africa.

O KAE? THIS IS THE FRIENDLY GREETING one might hear upon arrival in Botswana. It means How are you? And if youre getting your first look at this marvelous country, your response will probably be a delighted Amazed! From the wild, pristine Chobe National Park in the north to the seemingly endless Kalahari Desert in the south, Botswana is a country of unparalleled natural beauty. And though it was sometimes overlooked in the past, in the 21st century Botswana is being recognized as the raw yet magnificent gem that it is.

Botswana is landlocked, with Angola and Zambia to its north, Zimbabwe bordering its east, South Africa to its south, and Namibia to the west. Deep in the heart of southern Africa, this gently rolling land covers approximately 220,000 square miles (569,797 square kilometers), and its elevation averages 3,300 feet (1,006 meters). It is about the size of Texas, and its terrain transitions from the thick forests of Angola to the vast deserts of South Africa. This makes Botswana one of the most geographically varied countries on the African continent.

CLIMATE

Botswana is subtropical. The temperature varies greatly depending on whether it is day or night, summer or winter. Summer runs from November through April, with temperatures averaging around 70 Fahrenheit (21 Celsius) and as high as 100F (38C). In winter, which is from May to October, the temperature has been known to plunge to 20F (-7C).

Botswana is bathed in bright sunlight for much of the year, and rainfall and humidity are low. In the north the average rainfall is about 25 inches (63.5 centimeters) per year, but in the south just nine inches (23 cm) or less is common. During the dry season, which lasts from May to August, less than 10 percent of the yearly rainfall occurs.

Botswanas climate figures prominently in one of its major industriestourism. With many areas of Botswana sunny and pleasant for much of the year, it is a natural magnet for tourists from Europe, North America, and Asia, as well as other African countries. The government needs to encourage tourism for economic reasons, but it also wants to protect the countrys delicate ecology. This can be a difficult balancing act.

A JEWEL OF NATURE

In northern Botswana there are a few areas of miombo woodlands. These forests grow on rock formations and contain semi-evergreen deciduous trees. Semi-evergreen trees are capable of keeping their leaves all year under certain conditions. In miombo forests sufficient water is the main factor in determining whether or not the trees will remain green.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF BOTSWANA

Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Area: (slightly smaller than Texas)

total: 224,607 square miles (581,730 sq km)

land: 218,815 square miles (566,730 sq km)

water: 5,791 square miles (15,000 sq km)

Borders: Namibia 845 miles (1,360 km); South Africa 1,143 miles (1,840 km); Zimbabwe 505 miles (813 km)

Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 1,683 feet (513 m)

highest point: Tsodilo Hills 4,885 feet (1,489 m)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility

Source: CIA World Factbook, 2011.

In these wooded areas tall Zambezi teak trees, called mukusi by the people of Botswana, provide shade for other lush vegetation. Herbs and grasses thrive under these towering trees. The leaves of the trees do not interlock into a canopy, so shorter vegetation also has access to sunlight.

The wood from the teak trees is highly valued, but a good portion of the miombo woodland falls under the protection of Chobe National Park, making it inaccessible to the lumber industry. The species of trees harvested from miombo woodlands grow slowly, so resources take a long time to replenish, making logging a difficult industry to sustain. Local communities rely on the forests for building materials, fuel for cooking fires, fruit, wild game, and medicine.

Many animal species depend on the miombo woodlands as well. The forests are home to most of Africas remaining wild dogs, which were nearly destroyed by loss of habitat, fatal interactions with humans, and disease. Elephants also frequent the woodlands, which provide them with large quantities of trees for food. Because the elephants tear down so many trees, some bird species, like the black-faced sandgrouse and southern ground hornbill, find their nesting places threatened. In order to protect the birds, the elephant populations must be kept below a certain level.