• Home
  • About Botswana
    • Why choose Botswana
    • Best time to visit
    • Types of Botswana Safaris
    • Top 10 things to do
    • Climate
    • Geography
  • Safari Planning
    • Safari ideas >
      • Luxury Safaris >
        • 12 Night Classic Botswana Safari
        • 13 Night Romantic Botswana Safari
        • 10 Night Ultimate Botswana
        • 10 Night Platinum Botswana
        • 8 Night Magical Botswana
        • 6 Night Luxury Delta and Victoria Falls
      • Highlight Safaris >
        • 13 Night Botswanas Best
        • 11 Night Authentic Botswana
        • 11 Night Botswana Adventure
        • 11 Night Explore Botswana
        • 11 Night Across Botswana
        • 10 Night Botswana Wildlife
      • Budget Safaris >
        • 12 Night Bountiful Botswana
        • 11 Night Splendid Vic Falls and Botswana
        • 10 Night Vic Falls and Botswana Contrasts
        • 10 Night Beautiful Botswana
        • 9 Night Remote Botswana
      • Short Safaris >
        • 5 Night Okavango and Vic Falls Sojourn
        • 5 Night Delta and Chobe River
        • 4 Night Okavango Escape
        • 4 Night Vic Falls and Chobe
        • 4 Night Delta and Moremi Break
        • 3 Night Just the Okavango
      • Overland Safaris >
        • Miracle Rivers
        • Northern Highlights
        • Lion Safari
        • Kalahari Safari
        • Fish Eagle Safari
        • Elephant Safari
        • Buffalo Safari
        • Leopard Safari
        • Botswana Explorer
    • SADC Itineraries >
      • 5 Nights Moremi and Okavango
  • Activities
    • Botswana Riding Safaris >
      • African Horseback Safaris
      • Limpopo Horse Safaris
      • David Foot Safaris
      • Okavango Horse Safaris
    • Botswana Birding
    • Chobe Houseboats >
      • Chobe Princess 1
      • Chobe Princess 2 and 3
      • Pangolin Voyager
      • Zambezi Queen
  • Accommodation options
    • Okavango Lodges >
      • Moremi Game Reserve Lodges >
        • Camp Moremi
        • Camp Xakanaxa
        • Okuti Camp
        • Chief's Camp
        • Mombo Camp
        • Xigera Camp
      • Khwai Private Reserve Lodges >
        • Sable Alley Lodge
        • Elephant Pan Camp
        • Skybeds
        • Little Sable
        • Tuludi Camp
      • North West Okavango Lodges >
        • Kadizora Camp
        • North Island Okavango
        • Mapula Lodge
        • Jumbo Junction
        • Kwetsani Camp
        • Duba Plains Camp
        • Duba Explorers Camp
        • Jao Camp
        • Tubu Tree Camp
        • Bushman Plains Camp
        • Duke's Camp
        • Vumbura Plains Camp
        • Little Vumbura
        • Mopiri Camp
        • Nxamaseri Island Lodge
      • North East Okavango Lodges >
        • Camp Okavango
        • Xugana Island Lodge
        • Shinde Camp
        • Splash Camp
        • Kwara Camp
        • 4 Rivers Camp
        • Sango Safari Camp
        • Machaba Camp
        • Khwai River Lodge
        • Khwai Bush Camp
        • Nokanyana Camp
        • Mboma Island Camp
      • South West Okavango Lodges >
        • Abu Camp
        • Macatoo Camp
        • Pom Pom Camp
        • Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp
        • Kanana Camp
        • Oddballs Camp
        • Oddballs Enclave
        • Delta Camp
      • South East Okavango Lodges >
        • Eagle Island Lodge
        • Gunns Camp
        • Moremi Crossing Camp
        • Sandibe Safari Lodge
        • Chitabe Camp
        • Chitabe Lediba
        • Khwai Leadwood
        • Saguni Safari Lodge
        • Khwai Guest House
        • Stanleys Camp
        • Baines Camp
        • Gomoti Plains Camp
        • Rra Dinare Camp
        • Mma Dinare Camp
        • Mankwe Tented Retreat
    • Chobe Lodges >
      • Northern Chobe Lodges >
        • Ngoma Safari Lodge
        • Muchenje Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Elephant Camp
        • Chobe Bakwena Lodge
        • Elephant Valley Lodge
        • Chobe Game Lodge
        • Kubu Lodge
        • Garden Lodge
        • Chobe Chilwero Lodge
        • Chobe Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Bush Lodge
        • Mowana Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Savanna Lodge
        • Wildtrack Safaris Lodge
        • Nogatsaa Pans Lodge
      • Savute Lodges >
        • Savute Elephant Lodge
        • Savute Safari Lodge
        • Camp Savuti
        • Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
        • Savuti Camp
      • Linyanti Lodges >
        • Lagoon Lodge
        • Lebala Camp
        • Linyanti Bush Camp
        • Linyanti Ebony Camp
        • Linyanti Expeditions
        • Camp Linyanti
        • Selinda Camp
        • Kings Pool Camp
        • Zarafa Camp
    • Kalahari Lodges >
      • Central Kalahari Game Reserve Lodges >
        • Tau Pan Camp
        • Kalahari Plains Camp
        • Deception Valley Lodge
        • Dinaka Safari Lodge
        • Gham Dhao Lodge
        • Grassland Bushman Lodge
        • Edo's Camp
      • Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan Lodges >
        • Meno a Kwena
        • Leroo la Tau Lodge
        • Boteti River Camp
        • Jacks Camp
        • San Camp
        • Camp Kalahari
        • Planet Baobab
        • Nxai Pan Lodge
    • Booking Campsites
  • Blog
  • Free Quotes
  • Safari Testimonials
  • About Us
Venture To Botswana

Geography

Botswana Geography

Botswana is some 581 730 square kilometres in extent (making it similar in size to Kenya, France or the US state of Texas), and is completely land-locked. In fact the entire country is part of the vast Kalahari basin (formed millions of years ago), which subsequently filled with sand and debris.

The Kalahari is the largest continuous stretch of sand on the planet, but as much of it is classified as arid (between 250 and 450 millimetres of rain per annum), it is not actually desert. The country is surprisingly flat, but there are some fascinating rocky outcrops along the eastern fringes (notably in the beautiful Tuli Block). To the west of the Okavango are the famous, and culturally significant, Tsodilo Hills (which mark Botswana's highest point at 1 489 metres above sea level). The average elevation of the country is 1 100 metres above sea level.

The vast (at its fullest extent it would have covered the Okavango, Nxai Pans, and Lake Ngami) and other-worldly Makgadikgadi Pans to the south east of the Okavango were once part of a vast inland sea, but now only hold water during the rainy season. By 10 000 years ago the sea was already drying up.

As Botswana is seismically more active than one might think, much of the modern landscape has been formed due to fault lines such as the Gumare Fault which Is the Southern-most point of the Great Rift Valley. This fault runs across the panhandle of the Okavango, and once the River has crossed it, it fans out to form today's Delta. The flow is arrested by a parallel fault, the Thamalakane, thus causing the formation that you see today. Some water still flows out of the Delta, in the Thamalakane River.

It was a shift in the underlying crust that caused the Okavango's flow to change in the first place, as its waters once feed the mighty Zambezi River.

From the point of view of economics, perhaps Botswana's most important geological find was the Kimberlite pipe at Orapa (making it the world's second largest diamond pipe). Further pipes were discovered at Jwaneng and Letlhakane.
Rock art at Tsodilo Hills, Botswana
Aerial view of Okavango Delta, Botswana
Baobabs at Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
Aerial view of Chobe River, Botswana
Safari Areas
About Botswana

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Why choose Botswana?
Best time to visit
Types of Botswana Safari
Top 10 things to do
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SATSA Logo
Website for Venture To Botswana by Campbell's African Safari Ventures (Pty) Ltd, T/A Venture To Africa
  • Home
  • About Botswana
    • Why choose Botswana
    • Best time to visit
    • Types of Botswana Safaris
    • Top 10 things to do
    • Climate
    • Geography
  • Safari Planning
    • Safari ideas >
      • Luxury Safaris >
        • 12 Night Classic Botswana Safari
        • 13 Night Romantic Botswana Safari
        • 10 Night Ultimate Botswana
        • 10 Night Platinum Botswana
        • 8 Night Magical Botswana
        • 6 Night Luxury Delta and Victoria Falls
      • Highlight Safaris >
        • 13 Night Botswanas Best
        • 11 Night Authentic Botswana
        • 11 Night Botswana Adventure
        • 11 Night Explore Botswana
        • 11 Night Across Botswana
        • 10 Night Botswana Wildlife
      • Budget Safaris >
        • 12 Night Bountiful Botswana
        • 11 Night Splendid Vic Falls and Botswana
        • 10 Night Vic Falls and Botswana Contrasts
        • 10 Night Beautiful Botswana
        • 9 Night Remote Botswana
      • Short Safaris >
        • 5 Night Okavango and Vic Falls Sojourn
        • 5 Night Delta and Chobe River
        • 4 Night Okavango Escape
        • 4 Night Vic Falls and Chobe
        • 4 Night Delta and Moremi Break
        • 3 Night Just the Okavango
      • Overland Safaris >
        • Miracle Rivers
        • Northern Highlights
        • Lion Safari
        • Kalahari Safari
        • Fish Eagle Safari
        • Elephant Safari
        • Buffalo Safari
        • Leopard Safari
        • Botswana Explorer
    • SADC Itineraries >
      • 5 Nights Moremi and Okavango
  • Activities
    • Botswana Riding Safaris >
      • African Horseback Safaris
      • Limpopo Horse Safaris
      • David Foot Safaris
      • Okavango Horse Safaris
    • Botswana Birding
    • Chobe Houseboats >
      • Chobe Princess 1
      • Chobe Princess 2 and 3
      • Pangolin Voyager
      • Zambezi Queen
  • Accommodation options
    • Okavango Lodges >
      • Moremi Game Reserve Lodges >
        • Camp Moremi
        • Camp Xakanaxa
        • Okuti Camp
        • Chief's Camp
        • Mombo Camp
        • Xigera Camp
      • Khwai Private Reserve Lodges >
        • Sable Alley Lodge
        • Elephant Pan Camp
        • Skybeds
        • Little Sable
        • Tuludi Camp
      • North West Okavango Lodges >
        • Kadizora Camp
        • North Island Okavango
        • Mapula Lodge
        • Jumbo Junction
        • Kwetsani Camp
        • Duba Plains Camp
        • Duba Explorers Camp
        • Jao Camp
        • Tubu Tree Camp
        • Bushman Plains Camp
        • Duke's Camp
        • Vumbura Plains Camp
        • Little Vumbura
        • Mopiri Camp
        • Nxamaseri Island Lodge
      • North East Okavango Lodges >
        • Camp Okavango
        • Xugana Island Lodge
        • Shinde Camp
        • Splash Camp
        • Kwara Camp
        • 4 Rivers Camp
        • Sango Safari Camp
        • Machaba Camp
        • Khwai River Lodge
        • Khwai Bush Camp
        • Nokanyana Camp
        • Mboma Island Camp
      • South West Okavango Lodges >
        • Abu Camp
        • Macatoo Camp
        • Pom Pom Camp
        • Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp
        • Kanana Camp
        • Oddballs Camp
        • Oddballs Enclave
        • Delta Camp
      • South East Okavango Lodges >
        • Eagle Island Lodge
        • Gunns Camp
        • Moremi Crossing Camp
        • Sandibe Safari Lodge
        • Chitabe Camp
        • Chitabe Lediba
        • Khwai Leadwood
        • Saguni Safari Lodge
        • Khwai Guest House
        • Stanleys Camp
        • Baines Camp
        • Gomoti Plains Camp
        • Rra Dinare Camp
        • Mma Dinare Camp
        • Mankwe Tented Retreat
    • Chobe Lodges >
      • Northern Chobe Lodges >
        • Ngoma Safari Lodge
        • Muchenje Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Elephant Camp
        • Chobe Bakwena Lodge
        • Elephant Valley Lodge
        • Chobe Game Lodge
        • Kubu Lodge
        • Garden Lodge
        • Chobe Chilwero Lodge
        • Chobe Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Bush Lodge
        • Mowana Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Savanna Lodge
        • Wildtrack Safaris Lodge
        • Nogatsaa Pans Lodge
      • Savute Lodges >
        • Savute Elephant Lodge
        • Savute Safari Lodge
        • Camp Savuti
        • Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
        • Savuti Camp
      • Linyanti Lodges >
        • Lagoon Lodge
        • Lebala Camp
        • Linyanti Bush Camp
        • Linyanti Ebony Camp
        • Linyanti Expeditions
        • Camp Linyanti
        • Selinda Camp
        • Kings Pool Camp
        • Zarafa Camp
    • Kalahari Lodges >
      • Central Kalahari Game Reserve Lodges >
        • Tau Pan Camp
        • Kalahari Plains Camp
        • Deception Valley Lodge
        • Dinaka Safari Lodge
        • Gham Dhao Lodge
        • Grassland Bushman Lodge
        • Edo's Camp
      • Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan Lodges >
        • Meno a Kwena
        • Leroo la Tau Lodge
        • Boteti River Camp
        • Jacks Camp
        • San Camp
        • Camp Kalahari
        • Planet Baobab
        • Nxai Pan Lodge
    • Booking Campsites
  • Blog
  • Free Quotes
  • Safari Testimonials
  • About Us