Most of the country is covered by grassland called savannah. The most common tree is the baobab tree, which can live up to 2000 years.
The Okavango Delta and the Chobe National Park in the north of the country are areas of breathtaking natural beauty and there are many different animals.
The elephant group at Chobe is the largest in number of all living elephants, numbering more than 50,000.
The population of cheetahs and lions continues to decline each year due to factors such as hunting, poaching and protection of farmers’ livestock.
About 17 percent of Botswana’s land is designated as game reserves and national parks. Tourists from all over the world visit Botswana for safaris and the chance to see special wildlife. Botswana is a destination for interested birdwatchers.
Many migratory bird species rest in Botswana on their migration. Other bird species live year-round in the national parks and reserves. The flamingo is also a colourful inhabitant of Botswana.
The annual climate alternates between months of dry, temperate weather in winter and humid, subtropical weather with intervening drier and hotter periods in summer. In summer (from October to March), temperatures rise to around 34 °C in the far north and southwest, the warmest parts of the country. Only little rain falls in summer, so this is the time for ploughing and planting. Cyclical droughts, often lasting up to five or six years over two decades. In winter (from April to September) there are frequent frosts at night and during the day temperatures can drop to near freezing in some high altitude areas.
Most of Botswana’s inhabitants are Tswana and are said to be descended from King Mogale, who lived in the 14th century. Today, the Tswana live in large cities and towns, but many still live in villages and look after their livestock and grow food in the old traditional way.
The next two largest ethnic groups in the country are the Bushmen and the Kalanga. Only about 1% of the country’s population is European or from the United States.
The children attend primary school for seven years and then secondary school for five years. From the fifth year of primary school, they learn English. Only some speak it fluently.
Botswana is a country in southern Africa. It borders South Africa to the south and east, Namibia to the west and Zimbabwe to the east. The country is smaller than the state of Texas.
More than 70 percent of Botswana is covered by the vast Kalahari Desert, which covers about 900,000 square kilometres and touches nine African countries. Because it rains more per year than most other deserts, the Kalahari is not a true desert.
Botswana suffers a lot from droughts, so rain is precious. When it rains sporadically, this often leads to flooding.
Botswana is one of the best conservation success stories in Africa. The government’s strong commitment to habitat conservation and strict limits on visitor numbers help to ensure the stability of the natural resources necessary for wildlife populations to grow.
As a global leader in national commitment to the protection of wild areas, Botswana has designated 17 percent of its land as National Parks and Reserves and another 22 percent as Wildlife Management Areas. Botswana uses a land use strategy that allows local communities to benefit from wildlife and sustainable ecotourism.
By focusing on low-volume, high-quality tourism, Botswana hopes to preserve its natural treasures for posterity. Tourism currently employs almost 45 percent of the people in northern Botswana and helps them sustain the economy.
Botswana’s vast game reserves and breathtaking nature with its enormous number and variety of wildlife, make it an unforgettable trip. Through our network of the country’s most distinctive camps, guests have access to private and exceptionally remote wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the day.
The Moremi Game Reserve, on the edge of the Okavango Delta, is a spectacular area of forests and wetlands inhabited by huge bull elephants, herds of buffalo and prides of lions. Travel by mokoro through the labyrinth of the delta to observe hippos, crocodiles, water-adapted antelopes and hundreds of birds at close range. In the Savute and Linyanti Swamp areas, day and night game drives are offered from remote camps.
Chobe National Park is known for its elephants, which congregate by the hundreds along the Chobe River. See a surprising number of animals hanging around the waterholes in the vast salt pans of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
Around 38 % of Botswana’s land area is national parks, concessions and wildlife management reserves. This clearly shows how much Botswana cares about the conservation and protection of African wildlife.
France has 66.9 million inhabitants, Botswana only 2 million, and both countries are the same size. This proves that Botswana is not busy, hectic or overbuilt; it is the place to go to relax in nature, far away from the bustling city life.
Chobe National Park is home to the largest population of African elephants. Travellers typically visit Chobe for this reason, however the area is also populated with various species of wildlife including: Predators, mammals, antelope and various bird species.
The Jwaneng diamond mine in southern Botswana is the richest diamond mine in the world by value. Botswana is the largest diamond producing country in the world by value and the second largest in terms of production.
The Makgadikgadi salt pan may look familiar to some. It was the chosen location for Taylor Swift’s music video “Wildest Dreams”. Another indication of Botswana’s unique and unusual landscapes.
The border between the two countries is only 150 metres long. Travellers can cross the border between Botswana and Zambia via the Kazungula ferry on the Zambezi River.
The pan extends over 12,000 km2. With no landmarks in sight for miles and little sound or life due to the harsh weather conditions, visitors say it feels like they are “walking on the moon”.
The Okavango Delta in Botswana is the largest inland delta in the world, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t also harbour the most life, as it is filled with water all year round. This is why travellers almost always include the Okavango Delta in their Botswana itinerary, because it means guaranteed wildlife sightings. During the rainy season in Botswana, the water “overflows” and forms overflow channels that extend from the delta.
